BU is an independent institution that services over 30,000 students. Within BU, photography is located under two arms—as a photojournalism major within the College of Communication and an elective under the College of Fine Arts. Nearly a half century old, the Photojournalism program prepares students to become top professionals in the newspaper and magazine worlds. Programs are supported by a host of venues, including the BU Art Gallery, Sherman, and 808 galleries.

www.bu.edu/com
www.bu.edu/cfa

CDIA offers extensive, practical, hands-on, career-oriented education in the rapidly emerging digital arts fields of Photography, Digital Filmmaking, Graphic and Web Design, Recording Arts, and 3D Animation. Located in Waltham, with a new center opening in Washington, D.C., CDIA offers year-long certificate programs, both full-time and part-time, as well as shorter flexible workshops.

www.bu.com

CDIA offers extensive, practical, hands-on, career-oriented education in the rapidly emerging digital arts fields of Photography, Digital Filmmaking, Graphic and Web Design, Recording Arts, and 3D Animation. Located in Waltham, with a new center opening in Washington, D.C., CDIA offers year-long certificate programs, both full-time and part-time, as well as shorter flexible workshops.

www.cdiabu.com

Located in downtown Boston, Emerson is the only comprehensive college or university in America dedicated exclusively to communication and the arts in a liberal arts context. Students can take photography through the Visual and Media Arts Department, which offers a BFA and BA in media production or studies, and courses in film, audio, video, or new media. The student group, Developed Images, showcases work via publications, events, and community service.

www.emerson.edu

Located just 20 miles north of Boston with 1,700 students, Endicott College provides programs linking classroom skills with off-campus experience. The School of Visual and Performing Arts offers a concentration in photography through the Visual Communications or Studio Arts departments. Students undergo a rigorous foundation program focusing on digital and analog processes and all students are required to undertake three internships.

www.endicott.edu

Peter Ruokis, untitled, 2009, Archival Inkjet Print, Photography, Senior, Fitchburg State College

Fitchburg State is located 50 miles west of Boston and has a student body of over 5,000. It offers a four-year liberal arts based BS degree in Communications Media with a concentration in photography. Boasting well-equipped facilities, Fitchburg trains students in traditional and digital photography as well as in graphics, film, video, electronic media, and communications. Fitchburg also offers an intensive national internship program.

www.fsc.edu/commedia/

Melissa Alderton, Untitled, 2009, Archival Inkjet Print, Hallmark Institute of Photography

Established in 1975 and located in Western Massachusetts, Hallmark provides a real world, serious approach to professional photographic education. With a unique and intense 10 month-training period, Hallmark's method is bolstered by an 11 to 1 student/instructor ratio along with an emphasis on technical, artistic, and business skills. Hallmark also offers the most up-to-date technology, a highly-experienced and qualified staff, and a logical and realistic set of standards and processes.

www.hallmark.edu

With a 135-year history at the forefront of art and design, MassArt is one of the leading colleges of its kind in the United States. It is the nation's first and only independent public art college and was the first art school in the country to grant a degree. Massachusetts College of Art and Design offers bachelor's degrees in twenty-two areas of study as well as a range of graduate and certificate programs. It's photography program, which offers both BFA and MFA degrees, is recognized as one of the best in the country, with internationally recognized faculty including Laura McPhee and Abelardo Morell.

www.massart.edu

MIT students can explore art within a social context through the Visual Arts Program (which also offers a MS in Visual Studies); participate in collaborations between artists and scientists through the Center for Advanced Visual Studies; and develop their talents through the Student Art Association. Photography is offered under the School of Architecture and Planning, but cross-disciplinary connections are always encouraged. Programs are enhanced by exhibitions at the List Visual Arts Center and MIT Museum.

web.mit.edu/arts

NEIA, located in Brookline Village, has offered a market-driven curriculum and industry-experienced faculty for over fifty years in design, film, and video production. In addition to its associate and new BS degree program in digital photography, the school's Center for Professional Development offers a certificate in digital photography.

www.artinstitutes.edu/boston/index.asp

NESOP, located in Kenmore Square, has been creating marketable artists since 1968. Its supportive, intense two-year Professional Photography program addresses the technical and artistic aspects of photography, giving NESOP students flexibility and business knowledge necessary to succeed in the industry. NESOP also offers an extensive Evening Workshop Program and rents darkroom space.   

www.nesop.com

A small college located in Brookline, Newbury combines general education with a professional focus, offering bachelor, associate, and certificate degrees. Photography classes are offered under the School of Arts, Sciences and Design and are often taken by students in the Graphic Design or Communication BA programs.

www.newbury.edu

Katie Ging, Untitled, 16 x 20 inches, Digital Arts Major, Junior, Northeastern University

Photography lives within the Department of Art + Design at Northeastern and is an integral part of the new BFA degree in Digital Art. Other degrees offered include a BFA in Graphic Design, BA in Art, and a dual major in Multimedia Studies. Photo students take primarily digital imaging courses with some analog, combined with historical and theoretical studies. Keeping with Northeastern's commitment to practice-oriented education, most students elect five years of cooperative education. A new agreement with SMFA allows Northeastern students to cross register.

www.art.neu.edu

Jennifer Cawley, Untitled, 2009, Archival Inkjet Print, 17 x 25 inches, MFA candidate, Rhode Island School of Design

RISD includes 2,200 students from around the world. Located in Providence, the school offers pre-college certificates and a BFA in photography, a certificate program in Digital Photography, an MFA program in photography ranked 3rd in the nation by US News and World Report, as well as a dual AB/BFA degree from both RISD and Brown University. Photo students are encouraged to explore still and time-based formats, from video to multimedia installation to traditional film.

www.risd.edu

SMFA is a comprehensive art school that benefits from being associated with a larger institution, Tufts University. Degree options include a Diploma degree; BFA degree (which combines intensive studio arts with academic studies at Tufts); Five-Year Combined degree that awards students two degrees (a BFA and a BA or BS); and an MFA degree. The SMFA actively encourages cross-medium experimentation, allowing for a broad range of approaches to the photographic arts.

www.smfa.edu

Simmons is a nationally-distinguished, small undergraduate women's college whose Fenway location enables students to interact with the city culturally and professionally. Backed by a liberal arts education with work experience, photography students in the Department of Art & Music can be part of a major or minor in Art or Arts Administration. The Trustman Art Gallery also offers exposure to internationally-recognized artists.

www.simmons.edu/academics/undergraduate/art_music

One of the five branches of the Massachusetts state university system, UMass Lowell is located 25 miles northwest of Boston and serves over 13,000 students. Located under the Art Department, photography is part of a humanities-inspired four-year BFA art program that is heavily cross-disciplinary. A group of dedicated photo students make up an organization named the Friends of Photography.

www.uml.edu/Dept/Art