Semester Requirements
Christye Sisson, Program Chair
(585) 475-4228, cpspph@rit.edu
Program overview
The photographic and imaging technologies major combines photography, visual communications, and science. The program prepares students for careers in various institutions such as forensic labs, pharmaceutical companies, and military bases, or in ophthalmic photography, the only form of diagnostic photography. Because of the unique blend of courses, recent graduates have been very successful in finding positions not only in biomedical imaging but also in the electronic imaging field as technical service representatives, multimedia producers, and Web publishers.
Options
The program offers two options for students to choose from: biomedical photographic communications or imaging and photographic technology.
The biomedical photographic communications option prepares you for a photographic career in forensics, research, hospitals, and other biological settings such as ophthalmic (eye) clinics and veterinary centers as well as in other life science situations.
Your foundation courses provide practical experience with traditional and digital photographic equipment and processes—
as well as video. Medical and biological subject matter is included. In upper-level courses, you’ll explore the use of computers in electronic imaging, desktop publishing, graphics, and multimedia. You’ll spend at least three months in cooperative education, gaining paid, professional work experience in a medical or research setting within the United States. The option also provides the educational background for the registered biomedical photographer (RBP) certification after you enter the profession. Your course work also can be tailored to assist you in preparing for the certified retinal angiographer (CRA) exam.
The imaging and photographic technology option prepares you for careers in a technical, industrial, or scientific environment.
The curriculum combines a foundation in traditional photographic materials and processes with specialized studies in areas as diverse as photo instrumentation, optics, color measurement, high-speed/time-lapse photography, and video production. Computing, programming, electronic imaging, and multimedia are emphasized starting in your first year. Technical courses provide you with hands-on exposure to state-of-the-art tools and techniques. You also may choose a variety of technical and photographic electives such as holography, scanning electron microscopy, architectural photography, nature photography, and more. Six months of cooperative education are required.
Curriculum
Photographic and imaging technologies (biomedical photographic communications option), BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| PHPS-101 | Photography I | 4 |
| PHPS-106 | Photographic Technology I | 3 |
| LAS Foundation 1: First-Year Seminar | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 7A, 7B | 6 | |
| LAS Perspective 1, 2 | 6 | |
| PHPS-102 | Photography II | 4 |
| PHPS-107 | Photographic Technology II | 3 |
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: Writing Seminar | 3 |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| PHPS -201 | Scientific Photography I | 3 |
| PHPS -206 | Careers and Professional Practices | 3 |
| PHPS -211 | Advanced Principles of Photographic Technology | 3 |
| LAS Perspective 3, 4, 5, 6 | 12 | |
| PHPS-202 | Scientific Photography II | 3 |
| PHPS-207 | Vision, Perception and Imaging | 3 |
| PHPS-212 | Fundamentals of Layout and Design | 3 |
| PHPS-499 | Cooperative Education (summer) | Co-op |
| Third Year | ||
| PHBM-316 | Digital Media I | 3 |
| PHBM-317 | Digital Media II | 3 |
| Choose one of the following specialization sequences: | 6 | |
| PHBM-311, 312 | Magnified Imaging Systems, I, II | |
| PHBM-321, 322 | Ophthalmic Photography I, II | |
| PHBM-326, 327 | Publications and BPC Bulletin I, II | |
| LAS Electives | 9 | |
| LAS Immersion 1, 2 | 6 | |
| Business Elective† | 3 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| LAS Immersion 3 (WI) | 3 | |
| LAS Electives | 12 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Photo Electives‡ | 6 | |
| PHPS-402 | Photographic and Imaging Technologies Capstone (WI) | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 124 | |
Please see New General Education Curriculum–Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
† Business elective can be any course in the E. Philip Saunders College of Business.
‡ Photo electives include Surgical Photography (PHPS-307), Historic Processes (PHPS-306), Scanning Electron Microscopy (PHPS-316), Forensic Photography (PHPS-302), Panoramic Photography (PHPS-311), Web Publishing (PHPS-315), Nature and Natural Science Photography (PHPS-303), Underwater Digital Photography (PHPS-321), Advanced Underwater Digital Photography (PHPS-322).
Photographic and imaging technology (imaging and photographic technologies option), BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| PHPS-101 | Photography I | 4 |
| PHPS-106 | Photographic Technology I | 3 |
| LAS Foundation 1: First-Year seminar | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 7A, 7B | 6 | |
| LAS Perspective 1, 2 | 6 | |
| PHPS-102 | Photography II | 4 |
| PHPS-107 | Photographic Technology II | 3 |
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: Writing Seminar | 3 |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| PHPS -201 | Scientific Photography I | 3 |
| PHPS -206 | Careers and Professional Practices | 3 |
| PHPS -211 | Advanced Principles of Photographic Technology | 3 |
| LAS Perspective 3, 4, 5, 6 | 12 | |
| PHPS-202 | Scientific Photography II | 3 |
| PHPS-207 | Vision, Perception and Imaging | 3 |
| PHPS-212 | Fundamentals of Layout and Design | 3 |
| PHPS-499 | Cooperative Education (summer) | Co-op |
| Third Year | ||
| IMPT-306 | Applied Color Theory | 3 |
| IMPT-302 | Color Measurement | 3 |
| Choose one of the following specialization sequences | 6 | |
| IMPT-306, 302 | Imaging Systems Technology/Color Management Technology | |
| IMPT-321, 322 | Programming for Imaging and Photo Technology/Digital Image Processing | |
| IMPT-312, 307 | High Speed Imaging/Non-conventional Imaging | |
| LAS Electives | 9 | |
| LAS Immersion 1, 2 | 6 | |
| Business Elective† | 3 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| LAS Immersion 3 (WI) | 3 | |
| LAS Electives | 12 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Photo Electives‡ | 6 | |
| PHPS-402 | Photographic and Imaging Technologies Capstone (WI) | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 124 | |
Please see New General Education Curriculum–Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
† Business elective can be any course in the E. Philip Saunders College of Business.
‡ Surgical Photography (PHPS-307), Historic Processes (PHPS-306), Scanning Electron Microscopy (PHPS-316), Forensic Photography (PHPS-302), Panoramic Photography (PHPS-311), Web Publishing (PHPS-315), Nature and Natural Science Photography (PHPS-303), Underwater Digital Photography (PHPS-321), Advanced Underwater Digital Photography (PHPS-322).
Cooperative education
At least two cooperative education placements (six months) are required before graduation. Co-ops are full- or part-time positions and offer an opportunity for students to gain experience in their field. They are generally completed between the second and third academic years. The Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services can assist students in identifying co-op placements and opportunities.
Additional information
Career opportunities
An employment survey conducted by the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences indicates the need for graduates with imaging and photographic technology backgrounds will exist well into the future. Recent graduates are employed as applications engineers; imaging/photographic technologists; technical sales representatives; technical illustrators; high-speed photographers; corporate, industrial, advertising, and commercial photographers; and research associates in the private, government, and entrepreneurial sectors.
The Technical Photography Student Association promotes professional and social interaction among students and professionals from the imaging and photographic technology industry. The association regularly invites alumni in professional imaging fields to present lectures and demonstrations.
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Click to view program requirements in the Quarter Calendar
Quarter Curriculum - For Reference Only
Effective fall 2013, RIT will convert its academic calendar from quarters to semesters. The following content has been made available as reference only. Currently matriculated students who began their academic programs in quarters should consult their academic adviser for guidance and course selection.
Program overview
RIT has the only program in the nation that grants a bachelor of science degree in biomedical photographic communications, which combines photography, visual communications, and science. The program prepares students for photographic and imaging careers in various institutions such as forensic labs, pharmaceutical companies, and military bases, or in ophthalmic photography, the only form of diagnostic photography. Because of the unique blend of courses, recent graduates have been very successful in finding positions not only in biomedical imaging but also in the electronic imaging field as technical service representatives, multimedia producers, and Web publishers.
During the first two years of the program, students receive a solid foundation in digital photography and desktop and Web publishing. Included in these classes are topics such as close-up and high-magnification photography, studio lighting, ethics, ophthalmic photography, and imaging technologies. Students also take biology, liberal arts, and general education courses. In the third and fourth years the curriculum becomes more flexible, allowing students to choose elective courses and build a photographic concentration from a wide variety of courses taught in the College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, the College of Science, and the B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. This flexibility, coupled with the personal attention of faculty advisers, allows students to focus on their career and educational goals. It is not uncommon for students to continue their studies in graduate school programs in imaging, medicine, or information technology.
Careers
Since 1968, various visual communication companies have actively recruited most of the program’s nearly 600 alumni. Many of our graduates have become directors and leaders in their respective institutions and companies. Today, the biomedical photographic communications program boasts a placement rate of well over 85 percent.
Curriculum
Semester conversion
Effective fall 2013, RIT will convert its academic calendar from quarters to semesters. Each program and its associated courses have been sent to the New York State Department of Education for approval of the semester plan. For reference, the following charts illustrate the typical course sequence for this program in both quarters and semesters. Students should consult their academic advisers with questions regarding planning and course selection.
Biomedical photographic communications, BS degree, typical course sequence (quarters)
| Course | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| 2061-xxx, xxx, xxx | Biomedical Photo I, II, III | 15 |
| 2076-211, 212, 213 | Materials and Processes of Photography | 9 |
| 2061-213 | Survey of Biomedical Photography | 1 |
| General Education | 4 | |
| Math or Science‡ | 8 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 12 | |
| 1720-050, 052 | First-Year Enrichment | 2 |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
| Cooperative Education (summer) | Co-op | |
| Second Year | ||
| 2061-301, 302, 303 | Applications of Scientific Photography I II, III | 12 |
| 2061-311, 313 | Preparation of Biomedical Visuals I, III | 6 |
| General Education | 8 | |
| Open Elective | 4 | |
| Math or Science‡ | 4 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 12 | |
| Wellness Education† | 0 | |
| Cooperative Education (optional) | Co-op | |
| Third Year | ||
| 2061-316 | Digital Media in Biomedical Photography I | 4 |
| 2061-361 | Web Design Using Photography | 4 |
| 2061-403 | Advanced Photography in Biomedical Communication | 4 |
| Open Electives | 12 | |
| Math or Science‡ | 8 | |
| General Education | 4 | |
| Liberal Arts* | 12 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| 2061-501, 502, 503 | Photographic Concentration | 12 |
| 2061-401 | AV Production I | 4 |
| 2061-402 | Advanced Photography in Biomedical Communication | 4 |
| General Education | 18 | |
| Open Electives | 4-6 | |
| Total Quarter Credit Hours | 191 | |
* Please see Liberal Arts General Education Requirements for more information.
† Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
‡ The math or science requirement includes: Human Biology I, II, or III (1004-211, 212, or 213) (8 credits); Medical Terminology (1026-301) (3 credits); or Human Biology I, II, III (1004-211, 212, or 213) (8 credits).
Program modification
Effective fall 2013, the BS program in biomedical photographic communications will become an option in the photographic and imaging technologies program. This change will not affect currently matriculated students.
Photographic and imaging technologies (biomedical photographic communications option), BS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| PHPS-101 | Photography I | 4 |
| PHPS-106 | Photographic Technology I | 3 |
| LAS Foundation 1: First-Year Seminar | 3 | |
| LAS Perspective 7A, 7B | 6 | |
| LAS Perspective 1, 2 | 6 | |
| PHPS-102 | Photography II | 4 |
| PHPS-107 | Photographic Technology II | 3 |
| ENGL-150 | LAS Foundation 2: Writing Seminar | 3 |
| Wellness Education* | 0 | |
| Second Year | ||
| PHPS -201 | Scientific Photography I | 3 |
| PHPS -206 | Careers and Professional Practices | 3 |
| PHPS -211 | Advanced Principles of Photographic Technology | 3 |
| LAS Perspective 3, 4, 5, 6 | 12 | |
| PHPS-202 | Scientific Photography II | 3 |
| PHPS-207 | Vision, Perception and Imaging | 3 |
| PHPS-212 | Fundamentals of Layout and Design | 3 |
| PHPS-499 | Cooperative Education (summer) | Co-op |
| Third Year | ||
| PHBM-316 | Digital Media I | 3 |
| PHBM-317 | Digital Media II | 3 |
| Choose one of the following specialization sequences: | 6 | |
| PHBM-311, 312 | Magnified Imaging Systems, I, II | |
| PHBM-321, 322 | Ophthalmic Photography I, II | |
| PHBM-326, 327 | Publications and BPC Bulletin I, II | |
| LAS Electives | 9 | |
| LAS Immersion 1, 2 | 6 | |
| Business Elective† | 3 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| LAS Immersion 3 (WI) | 3 | |
| LAS Electives | 12 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Photo Electives‡ | 6 | |
| PHPS-402 | Photographic and Imaging Technologies Capstone (WI) | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 124 | |
Please see New General Education Curriculum–Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) for more information.
(WI) Refers to a writing intensive course within the major.
* Please see Wellness Education Requirement for more information.
† Business elective can be any course in the E. Philip Saunders College of Business.
‡ Photo electives includeSurgical Photography (PHPS-307), Historic Processes (PHPS-306), Scanning Electron Microscopy (PHPS-316), Forensic Photography (PHPS-302), Panoramic Photography (PHPS-311), Web Publishing (PHPS-315), Nature and Natural Science Photography (PHPS-303), Underwater Digital Photography (PHPS-321), Advanced Underwater Digital Photography (PHPS-322).
Cooperative education
At least one cooperative education experience or internship is required for graduation. Co-ops are an opportunity for students to gain experience in their field and are generally completed between their second and third academic years. Co-ops are full- or part-time paid positions usually eight to 10 weeks in length. The Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services can assist students in identifying co-op placements and opportunities.