The School of Visual Arts Masters in Digital Photography is an intensive one-year degree program that addresses the technical and creative needs of professional photographers, photographic educators, and visual arts professionals who are looking to advance their skills in digital image capture, asset management, and high-quality output. The program welcomes those who wish to embrace the challenge of mastering the latest tools and techniques to create technically perfect and aesthetically compelling images.

The program benefits greatly from both its outstanding faculty and its location in the heart of the photo district in New York City. Our instructors are working professionals with extensive expertise in professional photography and digital-imaging technologies. In addition, a variety of guest lecturers from the industry complement the core faculty to further enrich each student’s learning experience.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be thoroughly versed in digital imaging tools, terms and techniques; including workflow strategies, color management applications and current business practices; making our graduates highly employable and prepared for the rigors of contemporary digital imagemaking. Our graduates are ideal candidates to work in digital photography studios and labs; coordinate and manage digital facilities in schools and workshops; and be on the technical, aesthetic, and conceptual forefront of photography in the 21st century. We welcome those individuals who are ready to embrace the challenge of creating images that define the highest standards of technical flawlessness, personal expression, intellectual investigation, and conceptual rigor.

The online/summer residency program is based on the identical rigorous curriculum with many of the same faculty of the fulltime residency program and is ideal for anyone who has a deep passion for exploring the confluence of photographic aesthetics and digital technology but cannot relocate to New York for a year. The program will be conducted online during the fall and spring semesters and will culminate in an intensive 9-week summer session in New York City, where students will produce a thesis project including the prints and collateral materials for the group exhibition. To be successful in the online learning environment, it is essential to be disciplined in terms of reading, completing the assignments, and participating in the class discussions. Just as the residency classes, the online classes are limited in size and will challenge each student to fully apply themselves to creating outstanding contemporary images. SVA offers housing options for the Summer Residency students.

The Master of Professional Studies (MPS) degree is an accredited graduate degree designed for professionals who seek a rigorous program to advance and sharpen specific skills with emphasis on real-world application and solutions. An MPS degree is ideal for working professionals to develop marketable skills to meet evolving career demands and expand promotional opportunities.

The MPS in Digital Photography program is ideal for professional photographers and photographic educators to delve into numerous aspects of Photographic Digital Workflow. Many of our students have under graduate degrees in photography, are working professionals, or are educators who understand the importance of remaining current in this quickly evolving field.

An MPS degree is based on intensive practical work and experience. Our classes concentrate on production and real world solutions that are applicable to working photographers practicing their art and craft in the 21st century. All class and thesis projects are solely captured, processed, and output digitally.

Talent, Curiosity, and Diversity define our student body. Our students embody a wide variety of photographic experience and interest including; photojournalism, fashion, fine art, commercial, landscape, and portrait photography. They come from around the world and we have accepted students from England, Turkey, Switzerland, New Zealand, Korea, South Africa, and of course the United States into the program. They are diverse in age, religion, and gender orientation - all of which enriches their photography, classroom experience, and lasting personal relationships that are forged throughout the year. Most importantly, our students are independent thinkers, creatively curious, and very hard workers who appreciate the intellectual and creative challenges our faculty and curriculum offers all of them to become better photographers.

Katrin Eismann, chair