Photography Program Map

The Photography program provides students with a working knowledge of black-and-white and color photography, and fundamental laboratory and technical skills required for entry-level employment. The curriculum is designed to teach students to become independent professional photographers or to work as technician/photographers for others. Photography is a two-year Associate Degree program. Photography is used in virtually every field in this media-conscious age. Public relations and advertising firms, newspapers, magazines and the fashion industry are among the more traditional employers. Camera and lab skills also are required for portraiture, wedding and scientific photography. Staff photographers are employed by industrial and architectural firms, hospitals, telecommunication and record companies, galleries and schools, as well as state agencies. Photographers also are needed for aerial surveying for land and/or agricultural development projects. Working photographers encounter challenges requiring their technical skills and artistic innovation. Jobs involve scheduling photographic assignments for a variety of clients.

Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP

Community of interest: BCAD Business, Cosmetology, Arts & Design
Award: AS Degree
Program code: 01334.00AS
Department: Photography/Ceramics
CIP code: 50.0605: Photography.
TOP code: 1012.00 - Applied Photography*

Map Class Schedule

Program Schedule Report Meet with a counselor

Photography

AS Degree

The Associate of Science is typically awarded for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs. Like every Butte College associate degree, it has two parts: a general-education curriculum that gives you a broad base of knowledge, and an academic program where you specialize.

About General Education. GE is an integrated program of learning designed to foster intellectual curiosity, cultural understanding, critical thinking, creative reasoning, oral and written communication, and the capacity for ethical reasoning. By graduation, you'll have developed the ability to think critically, communicate clearly, apply quantitative reasoning, understand how the major academic disciplines ask their questions, comprehend diverse cultures and historical periods, and assess ethical problems — alongside the depth you build in your major.

See the 2025-26 Catalog for official program details

Semester-by-Semester Map

Term 1

Class Schedules

15–18 units

PHO 1

History of Photography

3 units

Meets Area 3A

This course focuses on the history of photography from its origins to current day. Students will learn about the primary artistic and stylistic movements and historical trends in photography as well as gain an understanding of key photographic technical terms. Students will also learn about the unique visual language of photographs and how to evaluate the aesthetics of photographic images.

PHO 2

Introduction to Photography

3 units

This course is an introduction to the processes, principles, and tools of photography. Topics include the development of technical and aesthetic skills, elements of design and composition, camera technology, materials and equipment, black and white film, darkroom skills, and contemporary trends in photography.

PHO 4

Beginning Digital Photography

3 units

An introductory digital course presenting the origins and history of photography, camera and lens use, exposure, metering, printing procedures, print presentations, composition and standards of quality. Emphasis is placed on print quality along with content, composition and personal expression.

General Education: Area 1A

English Composition

Baccalaureate-level academic writing — expository and argumentative. The foundation for every other course you'll write in.

General Education: Area 2

Mathematical Concepts and Quantitative Reasoning

College-level mathematics or quantitative reasoning — the toolkit behind science, business, and informed citizenship.

Term 2

Class Schedules

15 units

PHO 6

Intermediate Black and White Darkroom Photography

3 units

This course introduces students to the formation, construction, and presentation of gallery-ready black and white photographs. Students will make professional quality prints while they perfect their own personal style and expression. Students will use film to learn the Zone System, basic sensitometry, advanced printing techniques, and archival preservation techniques. Students will also develop advanced proficiency in the use of digital cameras, scanners and inkjet printers to produce black and white prints. Students will also study historical and contemporary photographic trends.

PHO 8

Commercial and Studio Photography

3 units

This course introduces students to the basic aspects of commercial photography, including planning, production, and editing of images for a variety of applications including industrial, medical, technical, product display, architectural, portrait, food and fashion modeling. Students will also learn to use digital cameras and studio lighting systems to produce commercial quality photographs. Students will learn the basics of creating and editing images using studio lighting equipment, outdoor photography techniques and digital editing software to produce commercially ready photographs. Students will work with models, props and locations in the production of images.

PHO 15

Intermediate Digital Photography

3 units

This course provides continued exploration in the advanced theories, vocabularies and techniques of digital photography. Emphasis will be on current issues in photography, portfolio development and advanced image editing and manipulation. Students will learn the basic theories of illumination and the utilization of a variety of light sources. Students will learn to manipulate color and black-and-white images, layers, special effects, photo restoration/colorizing, and filters to prepare images for print and web distribution.

General Education: Area 1B

Oral Communication and Critical Thinking

Baccalaureate-level oral communication and/or critical thinking — speaking with structure to a live audience, analyzing arguments, identifying assumptions.

Elective (any course numbered 1-99 or C1000-C1999)

Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.

Term 3

Class Schedules

14 units

PHO 11

Alternative Photographic Processes

3 units

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of non-silver alternative photographic processes with emphasis on technical skills, aesthetic values, and critique of photographic work. Students will learn skills related to safe chemistry usage, scanning, Photoshop manipulation of digital negatives, paper coating and contact printing techniques. Historical and contemporary trends in non-silver alternative photography will also be discussed.

General Education: Area 4

Social and Behavioral Sciences

The systematic study of people as members of society — cultural anthropology, cultural geography, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology — and the methods these disciplines use to ask their questions.

General Education: Area 6

Ethnic Studies

The histories, experiences, and contributions of the four autonomous disciplines: Black / African American / Africana studies, Native American studies, Chicano/a/x and Latino/a/x studies, and Asian American studies.

Graduation Requirement Choice (See GE Guide)

Elective (any course numbered 1-99 or C1000-C1999)

Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.

Term 4

Class Schedules

16–18 units

PHO 14

Introduction to Photographic Portfolios and Books

3 units

This course introduces students to the production of professional portfolios, hand bound books and digital online publications. A broad practical and contextual introduction to book design will be covered as well as advanced digital imaging techniques. Students will also learn to plan, develop and implement photographic projects with particular emphasis on conceptual thinking and the development of individual style.

PHO 99

Work Experience-PHO

0.5–8 units

Work experience is an experiential course where students apply what they have learned in the classroom to a work environment. The course offers students the opportunity to develop technical skills, explore possible career choices, build confidence, network with people in the field, and transition into the world of work. Work experience may include paid or unpaid employment. Students may earn one semester unit of college credit in this course for every fifty-one hours of work experience. Students may enroll in this course up to 8 unit(s) to complete the entire curriculum of the course. A maximum of sixteen units can be earned in work experience courses during a student’s enrollment with Butte College.

Prerequisite: Permission of Work Experience Education instructor and employment supervisor

General Education: Area 5

Physical and Biological Sciences

The physical universe, its life forms, and its natural phenomena — astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, oceanography, physics — taught alongside the scientific method that makes them work.

Elective (any course numbered 1-99 or C1000-C1999)

Only necessary if the 60 units needed to graduate have not been completed. Consider taking a Cal-GETC General Education course. Visit www.assist.org to see options.

Career Connections

2-Year Degree Paths

Entry points students may pursue after associate-level study, technical preparation, or licensure pathways.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset point cleanly to an immediate 2-year outcome for this program.

4-Year Degree Paths

Roles that more often open up after transfer and a bachelor's degree.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset are grouped into the 4-year pathway for this program.

Graduate School Paths

Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.

No locally mapped occupations in the current dataset are grouped into the graduate-school pathway for this program.

Source Notes

Course sequencing is generated from the Acadia Program Mapper cache. Career groupings use local CIP-to-SOC mappings and BLS occupation data when available. Confirm education plans with Counseling and Advising.

No NCES/IPEDS CIP-to-SOC mapping was found for this program's CIP code.

Last generated 2026-06-12T23:19+00:00

Program Snapshot

Next Steps

2-Year Degree Paths

4-Year Degree Paths

Graduate School Paths

Source Notes