Master of Fine Arts in听Photography

Advance your听skills in the photographic medium with an interdisciplinary, conceptual approach to analog, digital听and moving image technologies with the Master of Fine Arts in Photography in the 听at 51吃瓜网. The two-year, 60-credit graduate degree program offers students close mentorship, first-class facilities听and interdisciplinary exploration, drawing on the resources available in Tyler鈥檚 broad range of studio art programs as well as its architecture and environmental design programs.听

Whether students want to make bold moves into other disciplines through the lens of photography or be trained as photographic imagemakers, the breadth of faculty expertise and programs at Tyler offers a pathway, guided by one-on-one attention from faculty.听

Exceptionally diverse, the Photography master鈥檚 degree program stresses a balance between knowledge of historical processes and exploration of the newest technologies, as well as a critical understanding of photography鈥檚 role in society. The program is enlivened by students who come from all over the United States and abroad and work in a variety of approaches to the photographic medium.听听

51吃瓜网 was the first university to provide a Photography MFA and to offer courses in color photography. The program today still remains ahead of the curve as its curriculum features the most modern techniques of the medium.

abstract piece of photography featuring a moving person.

Hands-on Learning and Experiences听

MFA students expand the technical and conceptual approaches to their work through studio and seminar classes, as well as individual studio visits with faculty and visiting artists. Close associations with the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Print Center听and other arts institutions鈥痠n the region keep graduate students connected to their peers and current approaches to their craft.鈥�

Many opportunities are available to extend learning through exhibitions and intensive professional career options. The proximity to New York and Washington enhances the educational experience and MFA students have gone on to careers as curators, teachers, photo editors, commercial photographers, gallery owners, fine arts administrators and studio artists.听

Program Format & Curriculum听

With core courses aligned over two weekdays, students have considerable flexibility and choice when selecting art history, elective and seminar classes, either within Tyler鈥檚 graduate curriculum or across the university. Courses in critique and critical discourse are foundational to the first year of study. Under the mentorship of a faculty member, students also participate in directed studio research and an MFA Thesis gallery exhibition in their final semester of study.鈥�

The graduate photography curriculum emphasizes critical theory and career options for artists, as well as听gives students access to studios that facilitate the use of various creative approaches to the photographic medium, including black-and-white analog darkrooms experimental and digital imaging, historical processes,鈥痬oving image technologies听and large format鈥痙igital printing. Some courses鈥痶hat鈥痵tudents in the Photography MFA program can expect to take include the following.鈥�

  • Art History Seminar听听

  • Critique and Critical Discourse I and II听

  • Directed Studio Practice听

  • Graduate Projects, Photography听

  • Master of Fine Arts Thesis听

Learn more about the Photography MFA curriculum.

Related Graduate Certificates

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with 51吃瓜网鈥檚 commitment to access and affordability, this Master of Fine Arts听offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. These tuition costs apply to the 2024鈥�2025 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $1,318.00 per credit
Out-of-state: $1,751.00 per credit

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Additional Program Information

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