BFA Photography

Nicole RousculpPictured | Nicole Rousculp | B.F.A., Photography / Minors in Graphic Design; Art History | South Bend, Indiana (hometown)
Club Affiliation | Fine Arts Club
Photo provided by Nicole Rousculp


Bachelor of Fine Arts with a Concentration in Photography

Based on the tradition of fine art photography, this program stresses the formal and conceptual aspects of the medium as well as an aesthetic and cultural understanding of photography in an historical and contemporary context. Students will utilize digital, black and white, and alternative processes in photography. Students interested in graduate study, professional employment, or exploring the use of photography in their personal expression benefit from this program.


Academic Advising

The Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts policy on advising requires that students meet with their academic advisors each semester prior to registration. Advising holds are placed on all Fine Arts students prior to advance registration and are released following advising appointments. Students with a declared major in Fine Arts are advised by Fine Art faculty. Additionally, students may have a secondary adviser if they have also declared a minor, although a minor is not required for a degree in the Fine Arts department. Students can verify their assigned advisor in the student center in One.IU (one.iu.edu).


Degree Requirements (125 cr.)
Degree Map >>

Students receiving the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree must complete 125 total credit hours including:

  • AHST-A 307 Introduction to Non-Western Art
    Fulfills Contemporary Social Values: Global Cultures requirement
  • FINA-P 273 Computer Art and Design I 
    Extended Literacies: Computer Literacy requirement
  • FINA-A 109 Ways of Seeing: Visual Literacy
    Fulfills Extended Literacies: Visual Literacy requirement
  • FINA-A 190 Art, Aesthetics, and Creativity;
    VT: Studio Techniques and Research
    Fulfills Additional Requirements: First Year Seminar

  • A minimum of 30 credit hours at the 300– or 400–level.
  • Courses required for the major must be completed with a grade of C– or higher.
  • A minimum CGPA of 2.0 is required.
  • Photography students are required to take AHST-A 477 History of Photography as one of the upper-level art history courses.
  • All B.F.A. photography students are required to purchase a DSLR camera.
  • All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise stated.

Major Requirements (77 cr.)
Foundation Level (12 cr.)
  • FINA-F 100 Fundamental Studio-Drawing
  • FINA-F 101 Fundamental Studio-3D
  • FINA-F 102 Fundamental Studio-2D
  • FINA-P 273 Computer Art and Design I
    Extended Literacies: Computer Literacy requirement

Art History/Foundation Level (6 cr.)
  • AHST-A 101 Ancient and Medieval Art
  • AHST-A 102 Renaissance Through Modern Art

Survey Level (9 cr.)
  • Three 200–level courses, outside area of concentration
  • FINA-S 200 Drawing 1
  • FINA-S 230 Painting 1
  • FINA-S 240 Basic Printmaking Media
  • FINA-S 250 Graphic Design I
  • FINA-S 260 Ceramics 1
  • FINA-S 270 Sculpture 1
  • FINA-S 271 Introduction to Figurative Sculpture

Upper-Level Concentration (38 cr.)
  • FINA-S 291 Fundamentals of Photography
  • FINA-S 304 Digital Imaging
  • FINA-S 392 Intermediate Photography
  • FINA-S 406 Artificial Lighting
  • FINA-S 423 Large Format Photography
  • FINA-S 492 Bachelor of Fine Arts Photography 
  • FINA-Y 398 Professional Practice in Fine Arts (2 cr.)
  • INMS-S 300 Video Art
  • INMS-S 323 Intermediate Photoshop
  • Select up to four additional upper-level art classes

Art History/Upper Level (9 cr.)
  • AHST-A 307 Introduction to Non-Western Art
    Contemporary Social Values: Global Cultures requirement
  • AHST-A 477 History of Photography
  • One course at the 300– or 400–level

Senior Level (3 cr.)

It is recommended that students complete the following courses during the final year of study.

  • FINA-S 499 Bachelor of Fine Arts Final Review (0 cr.)
  • FINA-A 409 Capstone Course

Additional Requirements (15 cr.)
  • World Languages (6 cr.) | Select two courses in one world language (French, German, Japanese, Spanish)
  • Upper-Level Electives (9 cr.)
    • Select three credits at the 100– or 200–level (3 cr.)
    • Select six credits at the 300– or 400–level (6 cr.)

Fine Arts Upper-Divisional Review

Completion of the upper divisional review marks a student’s passage from pre-B.F.A./B.A. into the B.F.A./B.A. program. This review is an opportunity for every art student with 50 to 60 credits toward their degree to present their work to the faculty. This dedicated time is an opportunity to discuss the student’s unique interests and goals. Upon satisfaction of the Upper Divisional requirement, students have distinguished themselves as upper-level B.F.A./B.A. candidates, and have made considerable progress towards graduation.


See also

Academic Bulletins

PDF Version

2022-2023 Campus Bulletin
2021-2022 Campus Bulletin
2020-2021 Campus Bulletin
2019-2020 Campus Bulletin
2018-2019 Campus Bulletin
2017-2018 Campus Bulletin
2016-2017 Campus Bulletin
2015-2016 Campus Bulletin
2014-2015 Campus Bulletin

Please be aware that the PDF is formatted from the webpages; some pages may be out of order.