Photography Program

Sections:

In today's world, communication of thoughts, ideas, events and products is being accomplished more and more with visual images. Photography professionals are needed to create, process and produce the images of tomorrow, and the College of DuPage Photography program is ready to train them.

Graduates of the Photography degree or certificate programs find employment opportunities in many entry-level jobs in the photographic industry, including portraiture, photojournalism, lab processing specialists, studio photographers, photographer's assistants and freelance photographers.

A rapidly growing area of the photographic industry is computer enhancement of photographs as digital images are being used more frequently, especially in commercial applications. Demand for photographers who have skills in this new technology is increasing, and it will continue to do so.

To access a wider variety of job opportunities, some students choose to continue their photographic education with a bachelor's degree. Many take advantage of articulation agreements with Columbia College in Chicago and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA, that let them begin training at College of DuPage and complete it at one of these well-respected schools.

The photography teaching facilities at College of DuPage are among the finest in the greater Chicago area. The darkrooms are fully equipped, with separate areas for black-and-white and color photography. Studios, used for portraiture, product and fashion photography, have 2 1/4" x 2 3/4", 4" x 5" and 8" x 10" cameras, as well as electronic flash and tungsten lighting equipment. A high-end Macintosh computer lab, equipped with scanners and printers, is used for digital imaging classes.

Gainful Employment Information

View information about this program, including estimated cost and employment opportunities.

Photography Technology

Major Employment Areas

Photography Program

Photographer

Photographer's Assistant

Photographic Lab Technician
Digital Image Specialist

Program Requirements

Please consult a faculty advisor listed below before beginning your coursework.

Degrees

Photography, Associate in Applied Science

When planning your coursework, use the Student Planning Worksheet. Degree information and the worksheet can be found on the following files:

Certificate

Photography Technology

Information on the certificate listed above can be found on the following file:
Certificate

Course Descriptions

Frank Jackowiak - Program Specialist
McAninch Arts Center (MAC), Room 270, (630) 942-2317

Jeffrey Curto
McAninch Arts Center (MAC), Room 274, (630) 942-2527

Glenn Hansen
McAninch Arts Center (MAC), Room 273, (630) 942-3380

Terry Vitacco
McAninch Arts Center (MAC), Room272, (630) 942-2329

Liberal Arts Division
Berg Instructional Center (BIC), Room 2616, (630) 942-2047

Alumni Spotlight

Helena Kaminski Photography
"The photography program at COD was fantastic: The teachers actively participate in the field and provide great insight into a multitude of different photographic applications, in addition to being extremely helpful and encouraging."
Read Spotlight
Margaret Byrne Photography
“I always knew this is what I wanted to do. I learned so much when I was at COD. The resources are incredible.”
Read Spotlight
Thomas Doggett Photography
Doggett is a full-time police officer who uses his photographic skills on the job as a crime scene investigator. He earned degrees in both Criminal Justice and Photography at College of DuPage, and his career combines the two.
Read Spotlight
David Mayhew Photography
"The program for photography was very complete and in-depth, and the class size was 20 per class if not less. So you get that one-on-one attention that you would not get anywhere else."
Read Spotlight