pawel baranski , Jan 20, 2012; 01:38 p.m.
I'd like to go deeper with my photography education. Most of books on the market are about techniques, and the few about something else usually merely scratch the surface.
I'd like to know how education on university looks. What kind of resources are you using, what books are you reading. I'm sure that useful books about photography don't end at Freeman's series (actually i wouldn't be suprised if no one would even care about these books at university).
JDM von Weinberg 
, Jan 20, 2012; 01:52 p.m.
Many, perhaps even most, American universities will have some kind of photography programs. Look at the particular schools you might be interested in to see what they offer.
These cover a broad range of different kinds of photography-- some programs are parts of schools of art, while other are centered on photo-journalism. So right off the bat, you need to decide what kind of programs you're interested in.
There are also a broad range of technical schools that offer two- and four-year photography programs. These advertise and can be found on line, as well. My daughter attended the Seattle Art Institute for a two-year technical training before she went on to a baccalaureate program for a regular BA degree in art and art history. [I know, I know].
Some schools may be more stimulating than others.;)
ross b , Jan 20, 2012; 02:46 p.m.
I am a Registered Nurse and only took 1 class in Photography the entire time. It's been years since I graduated. However it depends on the schools you want but for a place such as San Jose or San Francisco state you would need 48units in your Major (Photography) and 120 units total for a BS. You are required to study a wide range of topics for a Bachelors degree. At San Francisco state it will cost $6000 plus a little for 1 year. This does not include books, housing etc and would be without financial aid. The new thing is to buy your books for a Kindle or Nook. It's cheaper that way. There are scholorships, Pell Grants and such but you must fit within the rules of each situation. You can also use the class textbooks that are kept in the Library. You cannot check them out but if you study in the library you can just use the text books there. People do that for sure to save money.
The course of study in PHotography would be up to you actually. You need the units but you can decide the direction you want to go with your studies. Obviously a BS degree in Photography would be a feather in your cap when applying for a job.
Stephen Lewis 
, Jan 20, 2012; 02:46 p.m.
JDM - that's priceless :)
Alan Zinn , Jan 20, 2012; 03:39 p.m.
Pawel,
Are you looking for an art school or a tech school? The best schools have few, if any, text books. The instructors teach state-of-the-art and the books can't keep up. They should also have courses on the professions and robust intern programs to make them worthwhile. Take one course before you decide. A two year program is best to get started if you don't have a BA already. Interview students.
Louis Meluso , Jan 20, 2012; 04:37 p.m.
My Alma Mater, Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, was a very good, rather intense experience. Their motto: Learn By Doing! You worked like the devil because you were paying a lot for the privilege of working with remarkably creative and inspirational teachers in a state-of-the-art facility. While they have a world class library, you ain't paying for just books. You are challenged to be the best. There was both a high level of competition and great camaraderie. Imagine an extended Army Boot Camp...for photography. If you make it through, you come out a different person/photographer than when you went in. You learn by doing...and doing...and doing.
JC Uknz , Jan 20, 2012; 04:52 p.m.
+1 YAWN :-)
I hope these photography graduates are not like the useless graduates in other disciplines that I suffered with in my working life.
Maury Cohen , Jan 20, 2012; 05:04 p.m.
Pawel,
I graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA, USA.
They main specialty is advertising photography, and their approach is to provide a technical foundation over the first 3-4 trimesters, on which creative approch is built in later classes. Most instructors are working photographers in the field, so focus is very current.
Fred Latchaw 
, Jan 20, 2012; 06:51 p.m.
I studied photography for one year at the University of Washington; Photojournalism (School of Communications), and Architectural Photography (School of Architecture) there were not associated with the degree in photography. I had a brief interview with the dean of that program, who told me frankly that a degree in photography would only qualify me to teach photography at the University. The Photography program was a part of the School of Art, and only a portion of the students who signed up for the program were invited to continue the next year. As I thought it unlikely for me to continue beyond two years, I lost interest. At least I got some good darkroom experience!
andrew gardiner , Jan 20, 2012; 07:23 p.m.
Hi Pawel, many years ago I studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths University in London, and for a good portion of time there studied Photography. I can certainly reccomend some of our reading for you if you are eager to look at the subject in more depth.
Although alot of people reccomend Susan Sontag - she's quite easy to read and you certainly can't go wrong starting there. But by far the most insightful volume I can suggest is Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes. Written by an important French writer, its a fairly straightforward investigation into photography both from a philisophical point of view but it is also deeply personal. It is a book that has been enormously influential over the years to photographic artists ( I think he wrote it in the 60s) and some of his terms have even entered the general photographic discourse ( eg: 'the punctum' and the 'studium' of a photograph). Both are always in print and available on Amazon.
Hope this helps, I strongly reccomend Uni if its at all possible.I know its alot harder now in financial terms ( I was lucky in that when I went in the UK it was all free then, no fees and a grant to live off for three years!) It is very different now here. However its not the only way by any means - many,many great photographers start off as studio assistants and so on, and there are even advantages to that route. But for me personally it changed my life and I really got alot out of it.
