Photojournalism Option - Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA
Photojournalism Option
Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA
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- Photojournalism Option - Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA
RIT's photojournalism degree prepares you to produce non-fiction visual reporting that tells the stories of people, social issues, and events for modern media outlets.
Overview for Photojournalism Option - Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA
Why Study Photojournalism at RIT
Industry Exposure: The School of Photographic Arts and Sciences brings various visiting professionals, events, and talks.
Gain Real-World Experience: Gain hands-on experience in the classroom and through paid work opportunities like internships and co-op.
The photojournalism degree teaches students to create and publish still photographic reporting and moving and interactive media that document our diverse culture, evoking both the every day and momentous circumstances of contemporary life and society. This option is part of the Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA program.
RIT’s Bachelor's Degree in Photojournalism
The photojournalism option allows flexibility and individual specialization where students can focus on their primary interest. Students take required courses in:
- Photojournalism fundamentals
- Picture editing
- Multimedia, including sound, video gathering, and video editing
Students then may choose to take extra courses in an area in which they want further specialization, including:
- Picture editing
- Still photojournalism fieldwork
- Multimedia storytelling
Students contribute to the creation of special publications centered on community activity and awareness, and provide staff support to RIT’s student-run magazine, The Reporter. Students also have the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., and New York to meet with potential employers that represent the wide spectrum where photojournalists currently work.
National Press Photographers Association
Photojournalism students are the driving force in the school's National Press Photographers Associate (NPPA) student chapter. Students regularly attend activities sponsored by the NPPA, including regional and national conferences. The chapter manages a yearly contest of student work that is judged by alumni who also share their experiences in photojournalism and review student portfolios. The chapters also hosts guest speakers. The RIT student chapter was awarded the nation’s top chapter by the NPPA in 2016.
Apply for Fall 2025
Early Decision I and Early Action deadlines are November 1.
Meet us on campus
Learn about academics, co-op and internships, financial aid, and more.
Careers and Experiential Learning
Typical Job Titles
Director of Photography | Multimedia Editor | Multimedia Journalist |
Multimedia Producer | Photojournalist | Picture Editor |
Picture Researcher | Visual Archivist |
Cooperative Education and Internships
What’s different about an RIT education? It’s the career experience you gain by completing cooperative education and internships with top companies in every single industry. You’ll earn more than a degree. You’ll gain real-world career experience that sets you apart.
Co-ops and internships take your knowledge and turn it into know-how. Co-op in the College of Art and Design provides hands-on experience that enables you to apply your artistic capabilities in dynamic professional settings while you make valuable connections between classwork and real-world applications.
Photojournalism Internships: Students apply for internships as photographers, videographers, editors, and producers with some of the nation’s most respected digital and print publications, as well as other types of organizations. Visual storytelling is central in a rapidly evolving world and the types of positions for which our students apply continues to expand dramatically. In these positions, students work collaboratively and have the opportunity to learn from leading industry professionals. Students receive assistance from their professors, as well as from the Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education, in identifying and applying for internships. Internships provide real-world work experience, which is an invaluable part of students’ educational experience.
Career Opportunities in Photojournalism
Photojournalism graduates go on to work for some of today’s leading digital and print publications, as well in other types of organizations that capitalize on our students' visual storytelling skills. Our graduates are regularly recognized for their outstanding work. Eleven alumni have won a combined 15 Pulitzer Prizes for their work in visual journalism. View the work of our Pulitzer Prize-winning alumni.
In addition to photographers and videographers, many graduates are employed as picture editors, website producers, content curators, archivists, social media producers, and filmmakers. A significant number of graduates also become self-employed freelance photographers, videographers, and editors who work with news and editorial organizations, picture agencies, production companies, non-profits, government agencies, and other types of organizations.
Creative Industry Days
Connect with Design Industry Leaders
RIT’s Office of Career Services and Cooperative Education hosts Creative Industry Days, which connects students majoring in art, design, film and animation, photography, and select computing majors with companies, organizations, creative agencies, design firms, and more. Creative Industry Days are a series of events that allow you to network with company representatives and interview directly for open co-op and full-time employment positions.
Featured Work and Profiles
Multimedia Storytelling
As a photojournalist for a major daily newspaper, David Wallace ’01 Photojournalism Option (Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA) has produced compelling stories honored with prestigious awards.
Melding human connection with visual storytelling
Vincent Alban ’23 (photojournalism), the 2022 and 2023 College Photographer of the Year, views journalism as an opportunity to be a power for good in the world. By melding human connection with visual...
Pulitzer Prize Legacy
William Snyder
RIT photojournalism alumni have a strong legacy of journalistic excellence, highlighted by the many Pulitzer Prizes they have been recognized with.
'Absence and Presence'
Vincent Alban's capstone project about gun violence issues won a host of student and professional competitions.
Photographing Bills Mafia
Clay Patrick McBride
RIT faculty and students captured the unique pre-game traditions and unbridled passion of Buffalo Bills fans for a story and picture essay featured in Sports Illustrated.
Alumna advocates for women in sports
Meg Oliphant '16, a photographer who covers professional sports, the Olympics and more, started Women's Sports Archive, a photo service that exclusively offers women’s sports images.
Admissions and Financial Aid
This option is part of the Photographic and Imaging Arts BFA. Please visit the degree program page for admission requirements.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
100% of all incoming first-year and transfer students receive aid.
RIT’s personalized and comprehensive financial aid program includes scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment programs. When all these are put to work, your actual cost may be much lower than the published estimated cost of attendance.
Learn more about financial aid and scholarships
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Contact
School of Photographic Arts and Sciences