Fine Arts BFA - Photography Concentration

The Department of Art at UB approaches photography as a continuously shifting field of technical, aesthetic and conceptual conditions. The photography curriculum is conceptually driven, emphasizing experimentation and interdisciplinary exploration. We teach students to conscientiously and critically address photography’s broad cultural and social presence, embracing both newly-emerging forms and historical precedents and processes. Students in the concentration will be exploratory creators, motivated and open to multiple possibilities of expression. Informed by historical development, contemporary concerns and anticipating the future of photography, students engage in the analysis of form, intent and meaning. These skills can then be applied to both advanced academic research contexts and/or more everyday (on-demand) industry roles.

The BFA degree focuses on intensive work in Photography, supported by a smaller, more defined program of general studies in the liberal arts. Students in the BFA also take a 2-semester capstone course, resulting in a senior thesis exhibition. Because this option includes the development of a cohesive body of work, the BFA is considered particularly relevant for students who wish to continue on to an MFA program.