fbpx Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography — PCA

Photography

Bachelor of Fine Arts
in Photography

In an image-driven society we certainly need brilliant makers, yet at PCA we strive for astonishing visual thinkers!
— Steve Bisson, Chair of Photography Department

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Photography degree program balances analog and digital technologies, emphasizing the development of a creative identity and gaining a solid understanding of the image-making process. The program focuses on new types of visual storytelling: still and moving images and multimedia, with a curriculum that emphasizes transdisciplinary skill sets and understands photography as a hybrid and contemporary art form. The curriculum also examines how photographs are presented, discussed, documented, or archived: how they function in today’s image-driven society. The department addresses ethics, questioning the maker’s position, the market, and the audience. Students leave PCA fully prepared for professional life, with a comprehensive knowledge of various production workflows associated with different commercial and artistic objectives. The program also points to understanding the making of editorials, publications, and exhibitions.

The program combines technical knowledge, principles of photography, video, and image-making research and theory. Studio classes and labs conducted by professionals emphasize the mastery of contemporary techniques and professional practices, while theory-based and seminar courses help students develop their creative visions. Students continue to broaden their knowledge and skills through supportive art & design courses and electives. Students can also specialize and expand their knowledge and vocabulary as they move forward with their program.

Faculty

SteveBisson_2023

Steve Bisson

Chair of Photography
auger_nb_2

Marie Auger

Adjunct Faculty
maximiliano_battaglia

Maximiliano Battaglia

Adjunct Faculty

F. Michèle Bergot

Adjunct Faculty
Bogart, Tara

Tara Bogart

Adjunct Faculty
ali_moghaddam

Ali Ghorbani Moghaddam

Adjunct Faculty
Laurent_Pernot

Laurent Pernot

Adjunct Faculty
Alok Rajoo

Alok Rajoo

Equipment Hub Coordinator
Lisa Salamandra

Lisa Salamandra

Graduate Research Coordinator
SofijaSilvia

SofijaSilvia

Adjunct Faculty
Karel Steiner

Karel Steiner

Adjunct Faculty
Andre Wolff

André Wolff

Adjunct Faculty

Curriculum

Credits

Freshman Year

fall

Ways of Seeing: Drawing or Photography

Code
FFND 0176
Description

In the fall semester, In-person Foundation students choose between Drawing I and Black & White Photography, and in the Spring semester, between Drawing II & Color Photography. Students in Pathways to Paris take two semesters of Drawing.

Materials and Dimensions I

Code
FFND 0110
Description

This course is an introduction to dimensions in art and design (2D, 3D, and Photography) through material processes. Over the course of the semester students rotate for one month through three discipline areas. A common theme links the three courses and projects overlap and develop progressively. All first years take part in a joint critique of their work. Students are taught how to use practical tools and shown methods for handling materials that provide concrete starting points for creative practice. These include, but are not limited to: book-making, basic printmaking, black and white printing, sewing inductions, and the operation of woodwork machinery.

City as Studio

Code
FFND 0174
Description

Students explore their immediate neighbourhood and the city at large as a site of inspiration. The city and its spaces become an extended classroom. Students respond to a theme designed to encourage interaction and integration with their surroundings and new, unexpected ways of looking at their environment. Site visits, walks, lectures, readings, and practical exercises guide students through different approaches to the creative process with the aim that they develop their own methodologies and engage with the city as potential artists and/or designers. In the final project, students respond to the brief using the medium of their choice.

Introduction to Digital Media I

Code
FFND 0170
Description

This course aims to equip all first year students with the necessary skills and confidence to be able to use digital tools. The curriculum is project-led and structured so that students can apply their growing skill-set to realize their ideas. All projects are contextualized with examples of work by contemporary artists and designers who are working with digital media. Students are introduced to the possibilities for digital tools as part of their creative work.

Critical Thinking & Writing I

Code
FLIB 1011
Description

This year-long course is designed to improve critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Students learn to understand the inherent argument and logic of a text, to think more systematically and critically, and to write more effectively by developing skills in the structure, grammar, and mechanics of writing. Students also work toward the more focused goal of situating design and art practices within larger intellectual, historical and philosophical frameworks by exploring the indissoluble connection between ideas and the products of human culture. This is achieved by introducing students to texts representing and describing various methodologies applicable to art and design, which can then be used to critique and analyze visual and material artifacts.

Introduction to Art & Design

Code
FHCA 0103
Description

This course aims to develop skills in perception, comprehension, and appreciation of various visual art forms. It fosters the ability to closely analyze visual materials and explore the range of questions and methods used to examine and interpret artworks. Moreover, the course emphasizes understanding art as a visual language and encourages students to express their understanding verbally, both orally and in writing. The course is structured around four thematic modules that correspond to specific geographical locations and major art historical periods. These modules do not provide comprehensive surveys of the art of each culture or era. Instead, they concentrate on specific themes and objects to enhance our understanding and appreciation of visual art forms.

spring

Ways of Seeing: Drawing or Photography

Code
FFND 0176
Description

In the fall semester, In-person Foundation students choose between Drawing I and Black & White Photography, and in the Spring semester, between Drawing II & Color Photography. Students in Pathways to Paris take two semesters of Drawing.

Materials & Dimensions II

Code
FFND 0111 or FFND 0112
Description

Depending on the individual student’s interests they will enroll in either the 2D or 3D focus of Materials and Dimensions II:

Materials and Dimensions II: Printmaking

Building on the practical knowledge acquired in ‘Materials and Dimensions I’, students develop their ideas with more autonomy, through more personal projects, whilst being supported by the technical expertise of their instructor.

The course focuses on the relationship between design, process and final outcome in two dimensions through color. Students are taught to search for the most effective and pertinent way to communicate their ideas.

Through printmaking explorations students investigate image-making as a multi-layered creative process that enables them to transform and push their work forward in all areas of 2-dimensional image-making.

Materials and Dimensions II: Photography

Building on the practical knowledge acquired in ‘Materials and Dimensions I’, students develop their ideas with more autonomy, through more personal projects, whilst being supported by the technical expertise of their instructors.

The course focuses on the relationship between design, process and final outcome in two dimensions in photography. Students are taught to search for the most effective and pertinent way to communicate their ideas.

Explorations of analog and digital techniques encourage students to investigate image-making as a multi-layered creative process which will enable them to transform and push their work forward in all areas of 2-dimensional image-making.

Materials and Dimensions II: 3D

Building on the practical knowledge acquired in ‘Materials and Dimensions I’, develop their ideas with more autonomy whilst being supported by the technical expertise of their instructors.

With a specific focus on ‘The Body’ students are introduced to the many ways that the human form is central to art and design practices, whether it is in the design of clothes, products, buildings, or furniture. Students gain an understanding of the different possibilities for 3D Design (architecture, fashion, product design, furniture, fine art sculpture).

Projects are based on investigations into how the physical structure, dimensions, and the functions of the human body inspire and direct the design of forms. The influence of context and environment on the generation and development of ideas will be essential to the work. Students experiment with the potential and limitations of materials and different material combinations through a study of color.

Introduction To Digital Media II

Code
FFND 0171
Description

Students develop projects with a growing complexity, employing the computer less as a tool and more as a medium to be manipulated with greater confidence and control. The aim of the course is to create an awareness of the potential for digital techniques to solve visual and communication problems. Advanced skills are taught during the Semester that support and encourage an ambitious approach to the digital field. Students integrate digital and non-digital practice and explore mixing different softwares and media. All projects are contextualized with examples of work by contemporary artists and designers who are working with digital media. By the end of the course all students are confident to use digital tools as part of their creative work.

Foundation Year Departmental Elective

Description

In addition to the required curriculum, in the spring semester students are encouraged to take an elective in the area of study they are considering entering in sophomore year. Course offerings are listed below:

Introduction to Design Practices

Photography Freshman Seminar

2D Workshop Series

Paris Yesterday and Tomorrow: history, art and urban culture

Code
FLIB 1105
Description

This course acquaints students with the neighborhoods, cultures, people, customs, institutions and organizations in Paris through a thematic approach based on three main modules: the city and its history; the literary and artistic representations of the city; the city, its citizens, and its future. Students will learn about key moments in French history, from the Romans on, via the Middle Ages, the Revolution, Haussmannization, and May 1968; they will be introduced to such themes as political migrations and colonialism, and will explore the city from a variety of points of views including literary and artistic exchanges, urban history, architecture, and ecology. Active exploration of the environment is strongly encouraged and learning is accomplished through a variety of means: site visits, the examination of texts and images, and first-hand encounters with museums, galleries, and libraries, as well as other art and design-related resources in the city.

Critical Thinking & Writing II

Code
FLIB 1012
Description

This year-long course is designed to improve critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Students learn to understand the inherent argument and logic of a text, to think more systematically and critically, and to write more effectively by developing skills in the structure, grammar, and mechanics of writing. Students also work toward the more focused goal of situating design and art practices within larger intellectual, historical and philosophical frameworks by exploring the indissoluble connection between ideas and the products of human culture. This is achieved by introducing students to texts representing and describing various methodologies applicable to art and design, which can then be used to critique and analyze visual and material artifacts.

Sophomore Year

fall

Sophomore Seminar I

Code
FHOT 0230
Description

This is a year-long course building on the Freshman year, the course addresses the creative process as well as technique and critique. Through select readings, field trips to galleries and museum exhibitions, screenings of film clips and viewing of historical and contemporary artists’ work, students will have the opportunity to develop their artistic reference points as they delve into the production of their own personal projects. Students will be expected to engage in class discussions and group critiques, keep a journal and will be encouraged to experiment outside their comfort zones as they begin to think along conceptual as well aesthetic and formal frameworks, examining problems and trying different approaches to find a solution. Throughout the semester students will work in the studio and/or field in order to create a personal project (12-16 final images in total) that is both formally and conceptually coherent. Possible subjects may fall under themes of environmental portraiture, photographic appropriation or collage, and Fine Art photography inspired by history or geography. The student can also create her/his own personal theme that is not listed here as long as it is agreed upon in class. Finally, students will begin developing their artist statements as they clarify their vision.

Lighting Techniques I

Code
FHOT 0232
Description

This is the first part of a yearlong course of learning and mastering the fundamental techniques of studio lighting. The students become familiar with how to create traditional, practical lighting scenarios in a studio environment. Electronic flashes and tungsten lights will be used to achieve control of color, contrast, and reflection. Lighting techniques are demonstrated and applied in class to various assignments of tabletop still lifes and portraiture. Emphasis is placed on understanding light and of mastering the technical aspects of the lighting equipment. Assignments will be theme based: headshots, full portraits, and several still lifes.

Prerequisite: Black & White Photography or Introduction to Digital Photography or equivalent.

Digital Photography Lab

Code
FHOT 0257
Description

This course introduces students to the creative and technical possibilities of digital photography. Through demonstrations and hands-on sessions, students learn the fundamentals of Adobe Photoshop to produce effective digital photographs. Students are taken through all the basic processes encountered in digital workflow, from basic scanning and retouching, image enhancement, and printing fundamentals, to RAW file processing and photographic post-production methods.

Prerequisite(s): Black & White Photography, Introduction to Digital Photography, Digital Skills & Composition or equivalent.

Introduction To Visual Culture

Code
FHCA 0340
Description

This interdisciplinary course explores the rise of visual media, communication and information, within the context of a broad cultural shift away from the verbal and textual toward the visual, which has taken place since the advent of photography and cinema in the late 19th century, through the birth of television, to the present proliferation of digital media worldwide. We will consider the critical practices of looking, historicizing and interpreting that have accompanied this ‘visual turn’. Our readings will primarily address the theoretical foundations of the study of visual culture, which is understood to incorporate a variety of visual media and visual technologies: painting and sculpture, scientific imagery, material culture, the internet. If everything can be visual culture, what remains of traditional notions of medium specificity? What critical tools must be invented to analyze visual events from a visual cultural perspective? The relationship between the visual arts and visual media, especially with respect to the ‘global’ contemporary visual landscape, will be a focus of this course.

Liberal Studies Electives

Description

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

spring

Sophomore Seminar II

Code
FHOT 0231
Description

This is a year-long course building on the Freshman year, the course addresses the creative process as well as technique and critique. Through select readings, field trips to galleries and museum exhibitions, screenings of film clips and viewing of historical and contemporary artists’ work, students will have the opportunity to develop their artistic reference points as they delve into the production of their own personal projects. Students will be expected to engage in class discussions and group critiques, keep a journal and will be encouraged to experiment outside their comfort zones as they begin to think along conceptual as well aesthetic and formal frameworks, examining problems and trying different approaches to find a solution. Throughout the semester students will work in the studio and/or field in order to create a personal project (12-16 final images in total) that is both formally and conceptually coherent. Possible subjects may fall under themes of environmental portraiture, photographic appropriation or collage, and Fine Art photography inspired by history or geography. The student can also create her/his own personal theme that is not listed here as long as it is agreed upon in class. Finally, students will begin developing their artist statements as they clarify their vision.

Prerequisites: Semester 1 or equivalent are prerequisites for semester 2.

Lighting Techniques II

Code
FHOT 0233
Description

This is the second part of a yearlong course of learning and mastering the fundamental techniques of studio lighting. The students become familiar with how to create traditional, practical lighting scenarios in a studio and also in an outdoor environment using multiple light sources while mixing studio electronic flash with outdoor light. Electronic flashes and tungsten lights will be used to achieve control of color, contrast and reflection. Emphasis is placed on understanding light and of mastering the technical aspects of the lighting equipment. Lighting techniques are demonstrated and applied in class to various assignments. The class is project based. The students will choose their projects from several themes: headshot/ portraits, nudes, outdoor flash portraits, and in-class still life.

Prerequisite: Lighting Techniques 1

Studio Electives

Description

You may select an elective from the many course offerings in your department or in other departments with the approval of your department chair.

Photography Before 1960

Code
FHCA 0302
Description

Conceived as an introduction to the history of photography, this course will focus on the first half of the 20th century. The main movements and aesthetics characterizing that period will be examined through the work of various international photographers. Arranged thematically while following a chronological progression, it will approach each theme in connection with a major photographer whose singularity will help understand the particularities and issues of the subject and put them into perspective. As a product of light and chemistry, photography has always been determined by technical parameters. We will address these parameters and see how they shaped the history of the medium and what we can learn from them today.

Since its invention, photography has had an ambivalent status, regarded by some only as a way of recording or copying things, while others considered it as an actual means of artistic creation. This constant dichotomy between document and art will constitute the common thread of this course. We will look at it with a critical eye, examining photographs through all the stages of their life, from the moment they were taken to the moment they were printed, published, exhibited or discovered by others. In doing so, we will be able to examine how the status of these photographs often changed during the various stages of their history, going from mere document to renowned work of art.

Based mostly on the observation and comment of photographic images, this course aims to start a discussion and foster debate on photography, its specificities and the way they were developed and used in the first half of the 20th century.

Optics & Science of Perception

Code
FLIB 3020
Description

Optics and the Science of Perception provides an introduction to the nature of light, how images are formed, the anatomy of the human eye, and visual perception.  Through a critical approach, the course examines existing theories and scientific discoveries that inform the current understanding of optics and visual perception. The course draws on the domains of Physics, Human Biology and Psychology to embark on a journey of light from its source, reflecting off surfaces, then captured by the biological human eyes and brains as information interacting with our mind to form visual perception.

Junior Year

fall

Junior Seminar I

Code
FHOT 0300
Description

This is a yearlong course building on the Freshman and Sophomore Seminars, serving as a critical and technical exploration of the language and theory of photography. Students will further develop their individual photographic statements while placing their work within conceptual and historical contexts. This semester, we will be placing a particular emphasis on working with medium and large format cameras. Artists working in other mediums, such as video, sculpture, painting, and installation, will be examined as well. Students will work on two shorter assignments and one longer term, self-designed project throughout the first semester, culminating in a body of work that will be presented at the end-of-the-term show.

Photography and the Marketplace

Code
FHOT 0326
Description

This course will look at both the business and practical side of the photographic industry and the importance of understanding and work behind the scene. Students will have an introduction to all different aspects of the marketplace as the fine art world, press, advertising, and marketing, etc. We will look at their practical sides: producing images for a press editor, how to pitch to a client for an advertising campaign, how to create your own brand, legal agreements, copyright and reproduction rights. On the fine art side: we’ll look at dealing with galleries, physical and online, submissions, commissions, promotion, paperwork, framing and private views. This overview of the marketplaces should lead you to an easiest choice and understanding of your own positioning within a professional environment.

Photography Since 1960

Code
FHCA 0303
Description

This course will focus on the second half of the 20th century and the first decades of the 21st. The work of various international authors representative of that time period will be examined. Arranged thematically, the course will approach each subject through a selection of photographs. The study of their meaning and singularity will help understand the particularities and issues of each theme and put them into perspective.

The notion of “creation” will constitute the common thread of this course. Each theme will interrogate the use of photography as a means of expression whether it be with a personal, political, artistic, commercial or social goal. Examining body of works developed from 1960 to today, we will see how photography has fostered tradition (commitment to a certain vision of the medium and to its history) as well as a stimulated novelty (invention of new ways of using the camera).

Based on the observation and comment of photographic images, this course aims to start a discussion and foster debate on the medium, its specificities and the way they have developed since 1960.

Liberal Studies Electives

Description

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

spring

Junior Seminar II

Code
FHOT 0301
Description

This is a yearlong course building on the Freshman and Sophomore Seminars, serving as a critical and technical exploration of the language and theory of photography. Students will further develop their individual photographic statements while placing their work within conceptual and historical contexts. This semester, we will be placing a particular emphasis on working with medium and large format cameras. Artists working in other mediums, such as video, sculpture, painting, and installation, will be examined as well. Students will work on two shorter assignments and one longer term, self-designed project throughout the first semester, culminating in a body of work that will be presented at the end-of-the-term show.

Art History Elective

Description

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

Liberal Studies Electives

Description

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

Image Printing & Publishing

Code
FHOT 0336
Description

In this course students will learn about digital printing techniques and their unique aesthetics and uses for the production of contemporary works of art and fashion photography. The fundamentals of color management and color profiles will be taught and students will learn how to properly optimize and prepare their digital files for printing. Scanning will also be covered. Paper choice is also at the heart of this class. Visit to other labs in Paris. Preservation issues surrounding various types of digital prints will also be discussed. Homework assignments will reinforce topics covered in class and students will be required to demonstrate their technical progress during in-class critiques of their work. More and more, the printing of images also concerns the preparation of books, zines and magazines. Students will have the opportunity to measure themselves with the conceptual challenges and design possibilities that the field offers.

Medium & Large Format Camera

Code
FHOT 0335
Description

The Medium & Large Format Photography course is devoted to both the technical and creative use of the view camera and medium analogic format. Throughout the semester students will work in the studio and field to develop a personal project and perfect technical skills. Students will discover differences between cameras and understand the contemporary photographic practice by exploring books and exhibitions. By semester’s end an elegant and cohesive portfolio will have been produced. This course is a requirement for Junior Photography majors.

Senior Year

fall

Senior Seminar I

Code
FHOT 0400
Description

This year-long seminar continues to build on the previous Junior Seminar. Part one of this course is dedicated to help the student identify a subject that will be developed into a senior thesis project, while continuing to challenge the students’ critical and technical exploration of the medium. Part two of the seminar is dedicated to producing a body of photographic work, a written thesis component contextualizing the images, and culminates in a gallery exhibit. The final thesis project/exhibition will be reviewed and evaluated by a jury consisting of faculty members and guest critics from the Parisian photographic community.

Senior Thesis

Code
FHOT 0402
Description

This seminar provides the theoretical and methodological foundation necessary for completing a senior thesis in the departments of Fine Arts, Photography, Communication Design, Interior Design and Design Management. Over the course of the semester, students will continue to conduct research and write their thesis for the Bachelor degree. The Senior Thesis course includes individual and group tutorials, peer assessments, and research and writing workshops. This course is intended to guide students through the final stages of the thesis (from finalizing the written submission to preparing the oral defence) and it seeks to make the thesis process and oral defence as painless (and, ideally, as enjoyable) as possible.

Studio Electives

Description

You may select an elective from the many course offerings in your department or in other departments with the approval of your department chair.

Liberal Studies Electives

Description

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

The Photobook Experience

Code
FHOT 0420
Description

The world of photobooks and artist’s book has been vibrant in recent decades. We have witnessed a flourishing of publishing houses, independent initiatives, crowdfunding platforms, and dummy awards. Even within the context of festivals, books have occupied increasing spaces, and the number of collectors and enthusiasts has risen considerably. Specialized bookstores and events dedicated to welcoming this new publishing and even self-publishing have appeared. The quality of the offer and the editorial products has also increased. Attention to materials, graphics, concepts, covers, editing, and printing are some of the growing features one expects from a photo book. The course explores these practices and possibilities that have turned into one of the leading opportunities to propose and distinguish one’s work as an image-maker. At the same time, the course offers the student the opportunity to conceptualize a project and develop it in book form.

Priority goes to students of the Photography Department.
Mandatory course for Senior (BFA Photography) and elective for students from MPIM/MPMF/MFFP and other Post-graduate program.

spring

Senior Seminar II

Code
FHOT 0401
Description

This year-long seminar continues to build on the previous Junior Seminar. Part one of this course is dedicated to help the student identify a subject that will be developed into a senior thesis project, while continuing to challenge the students’ critical and technical exploration of the medium. Part two of the seminar is dedicated to producing a body of photographic work, a written thesis component contextualizing the images, and culminates in a gallery exhibit. The final thesis project/exhibition will be reviewed and evaluated by a jury consisting of faculty members and guest critics from the Parisian photographic community.

Senior Portfolio Development

Code
FHOT 0403
Description

The Portfolio Development class focuses on student’s research skills based upon the first semester written thesis paper to be combined with their final degree project. Its purpose is to improve each student’s capacity to express the relationship between their visual/text-based research and studio practice. Working on their personal identity and projects, the class will concentrate on the student’s portfolio, as well as consider issues of self-editing, display and public presentation. Areas covered will include portfolio content, presentation ideas and practical solutions, self-branding, biography, artist statements, business cards and portfolio leave-behind cards. It also includes preparation for graduate degree applications, grants, residencies and specific professional competitions.

This course seeks to provide in-depth information and hands-on practice in developing the visual, textual, and oral aspects of portfolio presentation. We will look at content, selection and presentation of artwork. Students will learn the basics of writing methodologies for artist statements, project proposals, curriculum vitae building, grant applications, and more. Students will be taught to conduct effective research on potential opportunities, and learn the importance of tailoring their presentation to meet the specific requirements of each endeavour. Weekly mandatory homework assignments will offer ample practice and necessary feedback for progress, fine-tuning, and perfection of the students’ presentation skills.

Liberal Studies Electives

Description

You may select an elective from the many liberal studies course offerings. Go to the Liberal Studies department page for more information.

Studio Electives

Description

You may select an elective from the many course offerings in your department or in other departments with the approval of your department chair.

Overall Credits Total
120

Frequently Asked Questions

How does this curriculum stand out from other Photography programs?

Paris makes our Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Photography one of a kind. Added to the possibility of integrating into such an exciting environment for photography is the broad and international origin of our students, a teaching roster made up of professionals and experts active in the world of photography, the possibility of ranging from analog to digital, up to experimentation of new mediums.

All this allows students to mature, grasp their potential, develop a language, learn about tomorrow’s challenges, and see where image-making is going before anywhere else in the world. The program offers students chances to compete in different creative fields in image-making, whether in the artistic, documentary, fashion, or editorial fields and therefore have an overall vision of the boundless possibilities and an understanding of the most suitable way to express one’s quality.

During their studies, students face numerous opportunities to visit the city’s cultural institutions (museums, galleries, foundations), attend PCA talks, crits and lectures with experts and professionals, and participate in portfolio readings. Students can intern at studios, agencies, and other working opportunities Paris offers.

How do you know if the program is right for you?

The department makes great efforts to attract students that are diverse in practice, background, and career goals. The proposed BFA program allows practitioners and theorists to research and develop the new boundaries of image-making made possible by technological change within the context of post-industrial culture. As a result, the department doesn’t favor any particular visual aesthetic. We are committed to supporting and nurturing each student’s creative trajectory. If you are interested in combining technical knowledge and principles of photography and image-making research, theory, and academia, this is the perfect program for you.

What are the advantages of studying in Paris?

Paris is the most suitable place to study photography worldwide. Since its beginning, photography has found fertile ground here, and even today, Paris represents the undisputed point of reference for those who want to understand, study, and explore the past and future of lens-based arts. Every week, Paris, through its extraordinary museums, galleries, and foundations, offers students multiple cultural opportunities and exhibitions to help them understand how image-making is evolving, as much as to observe artistic and curatorial works.

Paris is a learning environment like no other. Jeu de Paume, Foundation Henri-Cartier Bresson, European Museum of Photography, the ParisPhoto fair, and the Photo Saint-Germain festival, are just some of the many institutions that make studying photography in Paris a unique experience in the world.

What are the concrete projects students can expect to complete?

This program focuses on technical skills and cognitive needs that arise from the continuous development of the image industry. Students will be able to:

• Show an ability to include visual references and textual evidence within the body of a written thesis;
• Locate and propose a specific pathway within research and/or studio work;
• Produce quality artwork that is technically, aesthetically and conceptually at a professional level;
• Apply methods of work and thought, encompassing the research, production, and reflection in a framework of aesthetic, artistic, social and ethical issues, within a culture of change;
• Explore a variety of digital technologies for the explicit purpose of employing them to create various narrative forms;
• Manage grant process: identify private and public funding priorities and opportunities, develop a consistent and workable program plan, write clearly defined goals and objectives, prepare a complete program budget in a grant format, etc.;
• Prepare art residency and exhibition proposals for those who plan to pursue a fine arts path;
• Respond to professional and public art commissions.

What are the faculty’s credentials?

PCA’s Photography faculty members’ expertise lies in Contemporary Photography, Advanced Printing Techniques, Curatorial Studies, Art History, Intellectual Property, Professional Business Practices, Editorial, Concept and Storytelling, Art Direction, Marketing, and Teaching Methods.

Each faculty member listed on this page has a bio of their experience and education.

What are the expected outcomes in terms of employability?

Students graduating from the BFA programs are prepared to enter the international job market with specific knowledge and skills in photography and image-making, but also in a wide range of disciplines and fields, including fine art, commercial photography, video, and multimedia production, editing, college-level education, web design, curating, and museum & gallery management. Students will acquire a set of research skills if they wish to continue their education with an MA/MFA degree.

What types of projects and companies will alumni be prepared for?

PCA has established partnerships with companies in the creative industries such as L’Oreal, Hermès, Shiseido, Galeries Lafayette, Les Compagnons du Devoir, Promod, Picto and more. Our career services office assists students with securing internships. New links are sought and explored, to provide photography and image-making students with a pertinent professional network.

If freelancing/entrepreneurship is not your cup of tea, alumni will be able to work in a whole slew of fields like photography (advertising/commercial, documentary/photojournalism), editing and postproduction (story structure for still image and moving image), new media (digital media and its impact on the processes of making and experiencing photography), story (concept, management, fiction, and non-fiction) or business practices/business skills (writing, social media, marketing). The BFA program will prepare students to become scholars who redefine the creative role of photography within the contemporary culture.

What will students have in terms of a portfolio by the end of the program? Is a portfolio even the right way to look at the end result?

Upon successful completion of the BFA Senior Portfolio and Thesis, students are expected to have achieved demonstrable skills in the image capturing and editing, an understanding of applied research methodologies, and increased teamwork and management skills. They will have practiced talking about their skills and competencies with professional employers and clients. Students will present their BFA degree project in a gallery in Paris.

What do alumni go on to do?

Alumni Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Photography may undertake a career in the world of image-making, studio shooting activities, editorial production and publishing, and artistic practices.

The program also supports students wishing to continue their studies with Master’s programs as the ones we offer at PCA.