More and more universities are offering online courses for their degree programs. Extending courses and degrees to a broader group of students who might be unable to relocate for a few years has helped bolster enrollment at many institutions of higher learning across the country.
But often, online degree programs are in fields like business, marketing, education, and computer systems or information technologies. If you’re interested in getting a degree in art or a liberal arts education, you may be wondering if it’s possible to get a photography degree online. It is, but here’s what you should keep in mind about online photography programs.
Why choose an online degree
There are many reasons to choose an online degree program. One of the most common reasons is flexibility. Enrolling in an online degree program lets you complete coursework on your own schedule, which can be very helpful for people seeking an education while still working a full or part-time job.
Plus, online degrees are generally much less expensive than attending a traditional college, as room and board are not expenses which are factored into your tuition. For some students, taking an online learning self-assessment is also much more preferable to traditional entry exams.
The photography skills covered in a college classroom
Some universities offer online photography degrees, while others are a bit more split. That’s because some skills are much easier to cover within a college classroom.
One reason for this is access to equipment. If you’re learning traditional film photography, it can be hard to gain access to a dark room, not to mention getting your hands on the chemicals necessary to develop the film. Even courses in lighting can become tricky without access to expensive lighting equipment.
However, if you are able to invest in the gear necessary to pursue your interest in photography outside the classroom, an online photography degree may be a good fit.
Photography skills to practice outside the classroom
If you have the necessary equipment, it’s easy to practice photography outside the classroom. In fact, even in traditional college programs, you will likely do most of your work outside of a classroom anyway. Editing photos, practicing a variety of composition techniques, and capturing high-quality photographs can all be done as part of an online degree program.
Most programs also focus on various aspects of the photography business, such as maintaining a portfolio, working with clients, and managing invoices. These skills can certainly be learned online.
Interesting ways to print your work
Just because you may not be printing your photos in a dark room doesn’t mean they can’t look great. There are plenty of online websites that offer professional printing services for handling high-quality prints of digital photos.
Working with digital photographs also affords you the ability to do some truly exciting things with the medium, such as printing on canvas and other materials. Whether you’re looking for canvas photo prints to showcase your hard work or spice up an existing photo, printing online is the way to go.
Although photography is an incredibly hands-on medium, there are still ways to study it online. Many online photography degree programs specifically focus on work with digital cameras and photo editing software — all tools that you can purchase and use at home.
There are still plenty of other ways to print your work without easy access to a dark room, making an online degree in photography very attractive for someone who’s already working a full-time job.
