As a digital native, you have grown up in the time of the image, with camera phones producing better photos and more sophisticated editing options. So much so that everyone is calling themselves a photographer. But you know there is more to the art of photography than the quality of the equipment.
At Susquehanna University, you will learn both about art and the technical aspects of lighting, directing and editing photography. You will have 24/7 access to computer labs with the most up-to-date technology, editing software and printers. The digital photography classroom is equipped with high-end professional studio lighting, seamless cloth and paper backgrounds, and dedicated lecture, critique and production spaces, everything you need to create and execute your vision.
Photography is a form of communication, and it is a language that each photographer creates for themselves. By studying photography in Susquehanna University’s liberal arts setting, you can combine your artistic vision and cultural aesthetic with your academic interests ranging from ecology to social justice to history to anthropology. Or, you could merge your photographic interests with journalism, creative writing or graphic design, just to name a few majors that would create a robust professional portfolio as you enter the creative job market. Additionally, before you graduate, you and your fellow photographers will mount a public exhibition of your work in The Lore Degenstein Gallery, where you will gain experience in a professional gallery with museum standards.
The Lore Degenstein Gallery exhibits artwork by both student and professional creators. It also hosts an annual national juried Figurative Drawing and Painting Competition, further elevating its collection and giving emerging artists a chance to shine.
Explore the courses you’ll take on your journey to earning a degree in photography at Susquehanna.
When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
The minor in photography requires five courses, totaling 20 semester hours, with a grade of C- or above. Required courses are ARTS-243 Digital Photography; ARTS-244 Advanced Photography; one elective course chosen from ARTS-113 Drawing, ARTG-251 Computer Applications in Graphic Design and ARTS-341 Topics in Photography; and one art history course chosen from ARTH-215 History of Photography, ARTH-310 Modernism and the Avante-garde, ARTH-412 Contemporary Art and ARTH-313 Women in Art.
Introduces the principles, theories and aesthetics of two-dimensional artwork. Emphasizes the exploration of a variety of artistic media, development of creative concepts, and understanding of form and composition. Required as a beginning course for all art and graphic design majors. 4 SH.
Introduces the principles, theories, and aesthetics of three-dimensional artwork. Emphasizes conceptual expression, as well as understanding of the physical world of form, space, and texture as related to art objects. 4 SH.
Introduces the principles, theories and aesthetics of drawing. Focuses on visual perception and delineation incorporating traditional and nontraditional drawing media. Also addresses life drawing and conceptual expression. 4 SH.
Introduces the principles, theories, and aesthetics of painting. Focuses on understanding color, composition, light, illusion, abstraction, and other visual expressions using oil and/or acrylic paint. Prerequisite: ARTS-111. 4 SH.
Introduces the principles, theories, and aesthetics of printmaking. Focuses on aesthetic intentions and techniques of producing multiple prints through various processes such as woodcut, linocut, monotype, collograph, and etching. Prerequisite: ARTS-111. 4 SH.
Introduces the principles, theories and aesthetics of black and white photography. Focuses on the fundamentals of observation, composition, camera use and darkroom work, including film processing and printing. Requires a 35mm camera (SLR) with manual override. 4 SH.
Introduces the principles, theories, and aesthics of digital photography. Focuses on the fundamentals of observation, composition, and camera use, as well as digital image manipulation and printing using computer software. Requires a minimum 5-megapixel digital camera. 4 SH.
Advanced course that expands upon the principles, theories, and aesthetics of photography and photographic processes introducted in ARTD-241 or ARTD-243. Requires a 35mm camera (SLR) with manual override or a 5-megapixel digital camera. Prerequisite: ARTS-243. 4 SH.
This course will vary in content with each offering as areas of particular relevance in studio art are explored. Each course title under this offering will bear a specific subtitle indicating the content to be presented. May be repeated with permission of the department head when course content changes. Prerequisite: ARTS-111. 4 SH.
This course will vary in content with each offering as areas of particular relevance in photography are explored. The course will require either a 35mm SLR camera with manual override or a 5-megapixel minimum digital camera, depending on the nature of the course topic. Each course title under this offering will bear a specific subtitle indicating the content to be presented. May be repeated with permission of the department head when course content changes. Prerequisite: ARTS-243. 4 SH.
Independent work in advanced studio art or graphic design projects with faculty supervision and guidance. (May be repeated.) Prerequisites: Junior or senior standing and department head’s permission. 1-4 SH.
Required capstone course for studio art majors, to be taken during the senior year. Students will complete a cohesive body of artwork and exhibit to the public. Students will work with a faculty member to select and professionally present their art, write an artist statement and produce an exhibition catalog and announcement. Prerequisite: Senior standing. 4 SH. Capstone. CC: Team Intensive.
Internships offer a valuable experience for all art department majors and are traditionally taken during the summer between the junior and senior years or during the academic year. Art history majors may work with a museum, gallery or other art institution; studio art majors may intern at professional studios, galleries or museums; and graphic design majors normally take internships with design firms or advertising agencies. Some interns work for the university’s Lore Degenstein Gallery. Prerequisite: Department head’s permission.
