Photography and Visual Communications (BA)

This program is offered by the School of Communications/Media Arts Department. It is available at the St. Louis main campus.

Program Description

The BA in Photography and Visual Communications at Webster University, students learn to be technically proficient, versatile, and imaginative storytellers. Majors graduate with a solid grounding in the aesthetic and the communicative aspects of the medium. Through coursework that combines theory, application and aesthetic considerations, students are exposed to a variety of formats, approaches and multidisciplinary environments.

Learning Outcomes

Successful graduates of this program will be able to demonstrate:

• Technical and aesthetic proficiency in the principles of photography.
• Technical proficiency with professional camera types and their applications.
• Technical proficiency with software as currently used in the profession.
• Familiarity with a variety of photographic and visual storytelling approaches and careers.
• The ability to produce work in a multidisciplinary environment.

Degree Requirements

For information on the general requirements for a degree, see Baccalaureate Degree Requirements under the Academic Policies and Information section of this catalog.

• 39 required credit hours
• Applicable University Global Citizenship Program hours 
• Electives

Transfer students must take a minimum of 15 credit hours of courses coded PHOT at Webster University.

Required Courses

• MDST 1010 Media Foundations (3 hours) 
• EPMD 1000 Introduction to Media Production (3 hours) 
• EPMD 1040 Visual Storytelling (3 hours) 
• PHOT 1000 Fundamentals of Photography (3 hours) 
• PHOT 1500 Digital Imaging and Printing (3 hours) 
• PHOT 2040 History of Photography (3 hours) 
• PHOT 2200 Lighting Techniques (3 hours) 
• PHOT 3000 Documentary Photography and Photojournalism (3 hours) 
• MDST 2500 Professional Development in Media Careers (3 hours) 
• EPMD 4500 Media Business and Entrepreneurship (3 hours) 
• FTVP 1010 Fundamentals of Video Production (3 hours)

Electives - nine hours from the following, one to be declared as a Capstone Experience

• JOUR 1030 Multimedia News Reporting (2 hours)
  and JOUR 1031 Multimedia News Reporting Lab (1 hour) (not eligible for capstone, must be taken together) 
• PHOT 3500 StoryLab (3 hours) 
• FTVP 3500 Production House (3 hours) 
• JOUR 4030 News Collaboratory Project (3 hours) 
• ART 2715: Fine Art Photography (3 hours) 
• MDST 4950 Internship (3 hours) 
• PHOT 3150: Topics in Photography (3 hours) 
• PHOT 2870 International Photojournalism (online) (3 hours)

Portfolio Review Course Requirements

• PHOT 1000 Fundamentals of Photography (3 hours)
• PHOT 2000 Photo II (3 hours)
• 3 additional PHOT production credit hours (3 hours)

Admission

See the Admission section of this catalog for general admission requirements. Students interested in applying must submit their application online at www.webster.edu/apply. Transcripts should be sent from your institution electronically to transcripts@webster.edu. If this service is not available, send transcripts to:

Office of Admission
Webster University
470 E. Lockwood Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63119