College of Communication and Information
School of Visual Communication Design
www.kent.edu/vcd

Contact Information

• School Director: Daniel Alenquer | vcd@kent.edu | 330-672-7856
• Speak with an Advisor
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Fully Offered

• Delivery:
  • In person
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers

• Fashion Photographer
• Wedding Photographer
• Travel Photographer
• Commercial Photographer
• Photo Editor/Retoucher
• Portrait Photographer
• Scientific Photographer
• Wildlife Photographer
• Sports Photographer

Description

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography provides the student with a comprehensive program of study, balancing a liberal arts education with studio offerings in digital photography. Grounded in formal, technical and conceptual skills building, the Photography major focuses on the profession of photography as it relates to commerce. The program builds a photography professional through experiential learning opportunities, as well as through required courses in design.

Programs in the College of Communication and Information are, by nature, innovative, interdisciplinary and collaborative, which is critical to both professional and scholarly disciplines. Students are educated to work at the intersections of communication, information and technology. Through a core of diverse theory- and practice-based courses, students learn basic concepts that apply across the range of college programs and develop a sense of professional expectations and build toward interdisciplinary thinking and application.

There are many study abroad/away opportunities. For more information contact the Office of Global Education.

Accreditation

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

Admission Requirements

Admission to this major is selective.¹ The School of Visual Communication Design recognizes that competence in visual design, as well as intellectual capacity, are necessary qualities in students who plan to prepare for a career in visual communication design or photography. Therefore, the right is reserved to require evidence of achievement in photography and related areas from all students aspiring to enroll for the first time as majors in the school. Early admission is recommended.

The school director may impose additional requirements considered reasonable and necessary. Each transfer student will be evaluated individually in terms of his or her ability to perform within the program. A transfer applicant’s strengths and deficiencies will be considered and his or her transfer credits will reflect that consideration.

¹ Effective spring 2023, admission to the program will no longer be selective.

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campus to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. Check with a regional campus admissions office to determine application requirements, as they may differ among campuses.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score, minimum 48 PTE score or minimum 100 DET score; or by completing the ESL level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the ethics (and legal issues) closely associated with fields of visual communication.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of traditional hands-on skills relative to craftsmanship.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the basic use of digital technologies as they relate to their areas of study.
4. Demonstrate an ability to create visual response to communication problems, including understanding of photography, composition and the construction of meaningful images.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Minimum 1 credit hour of VCD 40192 is required for the program. Students can apply a maximum 4 credit hours of VCD 40192 toward their degree program.

²

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

³

Students can choose COMM 15000 or MDJ 20001 as a College of Communication and Information Core Elective if NOT already taken.

⁴

If MDJ 20001 is completed, then 3 credit hours of Kent Core Social Sciences and 6 credit hours of Kent Core Additional is required. If COMM 15000 is completed, then 6 credit hours of Kent Core Social Sciences and 3 credit hours of Kent Core Additional is required.

⁵

A maximum of 4 credit hours of Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) courses may be applied toward the degree program.

Progression Requirements

• Students must receive a minimum B- in VCD 13001 before enrolling in VCD 23001. VCD 13001 may be taken a maximum three times until a minimum B- grade is achieved.
• Students must maintain a 2.500 major GPA in order to continue taking VCD courses. Failure to do so at the end of one semester will result in a written warning with the option of repeating certain VCD courses in order to meet minimum grade and GPA requirements to continue. Failure to do so at the end of two consecutive semesters will result in not being permitted to enroll in VCD courses. Students in this situation will be contacted by an academic advisor to create an alternative plan of study with a new major.

Graduation Requirements

• A minimum B- grade may be required in some courses.

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.