- Community of interest
- Business, Cosmetology, Arts & Design
- Award
- Certificate
- Program code
- PROFESSIONALPHOTO.CC
- Department
- ARTX Skill Builders
- CIP code
- 50.0605: Photography.
- TOP code
- 1011.00 - Photography
Program detailsAward, code, department, CIP/TOP
Program Snapshot
- Community of interest
- BCAD Business, Cosmetology, Arts & Design
- Award
- Certificate
- Program code
- PROFESSIONALPHOTO.CC
- Department
- ARTX Skill Builders
- CIP code
- 50.0605: Photography.
- TOP code
- 1011.00 - Photography
Next Steps
Certificate — expand to learn about this award
A short-cycle credential built around a specific skill or job role. Useful as an entry point to a field, a step toward a larger credential, or a way to round out an existing degree.
Financial aid note. Courses taken solely to complete a Certificate of Completion are not eligible for financial aid.
Semester-by-Semester Map
Term 1
Class Schedules
course details
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.
course details
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.
Term 2
Class Schedules
course details
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.
Prerequisite: PHO 4
course details
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.
Prerequisite: PHO 4
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.
Example roles: 1
- Photographers
Graduate School Paths
Advanced roles commonly associated with graduate, professional, or post-baccalaureate study.
Example roles: 1
- Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
Local Job Market
PhotographersSOC 27-402112 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Archway Physician Recruitment 7
- Summit Recruiting Group 2
- Aladdin Bail Bonds 1
- Golden State Farm Credit 1
- Source Medical, LLC. 1
Where the postings are
- Oroville, Butte County 11
- Chico, Butte County 1
Sample current postings
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, PostsecondarySOC 25-11213 nearby openings
Top employers in sample
- Nevada City School of the Arts 3
Where the postings are
- Nevada City, Nevada County 3
Sample current postings
Posting counts come from Adzuna's index of US job boards, covering the last up to 60 days within up to 50 miles of ZIP 95965. Coverage and salary visibility vary by employer. Empty searches expand the radius and posting window before the section gives up.
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.
Live wage data was not available from the BLS helper for the mapped occupations, so some pay fields may be blank.
Last generated 2026-07-05T17:09+00:00