文字：Billy Murray

翻译：OUYI

成为一名成功摄影师，其过程是说的容易做起来难。尽管总有些人能轻而易举的掌控传媒界，但对我们大多数人来说，则需要有献身精神、工作经验和良好教育。随着各种摄影课程在美国不断涌现，选择一个适合自己的课程变得非常困难。同时伴随着高昂的学费——以及不断增加的学生贷款利率——因此最好能一次性选到合适自己的课程。所以，我们把摄影课程的选择范围缩小到15所美国院校内，相信一定能帮您做出最好的选择。

Becoming a successful photographer is easier said than done. While there is always a select few who seem to effortlessly master the medium, for most of us it requires dedication, work and education. But with a variety of photography programs across the U.S., choosing the one that’s right for you can be tedious. And with such high tuition costs—not to mention rising student loan rates—it’s probably best to get it right the first time. So, we’ve narrowed it down top 15 college and university photography programs in the U.S that we felt stood out to help you better make your choice.

01 加利福尼亚艺术学院

California Institute of the Arts

高标准渐进式课程，教导学生们成为独立艺术家，课程内容是对传统艺术实践概念的挑战，另外也确立了在当代文化问题中的代表性立场。相对艺术世界的其余部分来说，在摄影世界中没有任何事情是永恒不变的，因此本课程鼓励辩论和尝试。学校同时为学生提供本科和硕士艺术课程。

This highly progressive program educates students to become independent artists where courses are built to challenge the conventional notions of artistic practice, in addition to the bringing the position of representation in contemporary culture to question. Since nothing is ever stable in photography’s relation to the rest of the art world, the program encourages debate and experimentation. The college offers both BFA and MFA programs.

02 罗切斯特理工学院

Rochester Institute of Technology

与许多提供普通摄影教育的大学课程不同，罗彻斯特理工学院为学生在不同的研究领域内，提供多种摄影专业。其中包括广告摄影、美术艺术摄影和摄影新闻报道，甚至还有生物显微摄影。

Unlike most undergraduate photography programs that offer a more general photo education, RIT offers a variety of different photography majors in specific areas of study. This includes advertising photography, fine art photography, photojournalism and even biomedical photographic communications.

03 芝加哥艺术学院

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

芝加哥艺术学院为学生提供硕士和本科课程，课程教师都有卓越的成绩和丰富的实践经验。在本科生高级研讨班中，对学生的培养重点放在专业发展上面，这一方面是其他学校欠缺的，同时安排本科生与研究生共同合作。

The SAIC program offers both graduate and undergraduate courses, along with a faculty filled with distinguished and practicing artists. In its senior seminar class for undergrads, students focus on professional development—an area that many other schools lack—and are paired with graduate students for collaborations.

04 罗德岛设计学院

Rhode Island School of Design

罗德岛设计学院的课程内容，主要是对社会、文化以及历史方面进行探索，内容涉及摄影方面的文化持续体。课程的大部分内容是教导学生如何阅读一张照片。在第一学期内，学生主要学习数码打印、网页工程和视频。学生在课程结束时，需要在校园画廊里展览自己的作品。在学校的网站中有这样一句话：“在这样的探索中，摄影即是一种语言，也是一种艺术。”

The RISD BFA program explores the social, cultural and historical aspects in regards to the cultural continuum of photography. A big portion of the program is learning how to “read an image,” and by junior year students are taught digital printing, web projects and video, finishing the program with exhibits at on-campus galleries. “Within this exploration, photography is examined both as language and as craft,” reads the college’s site.

05 新墨西哥大学

University of New Mexico

课程提供了涉及摄影方面的多领域课程，其中包括视频、电影、声音、表演和装置艺术。学校倡导“自律是成功至关重要的标准”，根据学校网站，学校拥有包括数字教室、计算机实验室以及使用先进技术的暗房，这些设施广泛用于影片处理和银基打印。优秀学生还有机会接触到灯光设备、中画幅和大画幅照相机以及数码相机。无论是本科课程还是硕士课程，教学重点都是发展学生的美学和智力，让学生获得成长。

This program offers an interdisciplinary approach to photography including video, film, sound, performance and installation. While “self-discipline is crucial and standards of achievement are high,” according to the college’s site, facilities include digital classrooms, computer labs and state-of-the-art darkrooms for film processing and silver-based printing. Advanced students also have access to lighting equipment, medium format and view cameras,and DSLRs. In both BFA and MFA programs emphasis is placed on the student’s personal growth through aesthetic and intellectual development.

06 纽约视觉艺术学院

School of Visual Art

纽约艺术学院，是那些想在纽约取得摄影本科学位的学生们的最佳选择，学校的先进设备在下午四点才对外开放。更不用说，学生在毕业年时，将分别安排与来自纽约众多艺术现场的导师们配对。Julie Saul, Yossi Milo, Yancey Richardson以及Daniel Cooney是学校最近的一些毕业生中的代表人物。

With cutting-edge facilities that are open until 4 a.m., SVA is known as the best choice for students looking to earn a BFA in photography in New York City. Not to mention, students in their senior year are paired with mentors that are invited from NYC’s abundant art scene, while some of their recent graduates are currently represented by Julie Saul, Yossi Milo, Yancey Richardson and Daniel Cooney.

07 耶鲁大学艺术学院

Yale School of Fine Art

受到学生青睐的硕士艺术课程每年只招收9名学生，在每学期的期末考试中，学生都要接受审查小组的考核。本课程同时注重摄影的广泛定义，使学生对传媒业产生更加深刻的理解。

This highly selective MFA program admits only nine students per year, while students are subject to a critique panel for a final review each term. This program also focuses on a broad definition of photography as a lens based medium.

08 加州大学（洛杉矶分校）

University of California(Los Angeles)

加州大学摄影课程，十分重视摄影历史和叙事的研究。其课程结合摄影专业，重点进行装置和视频艺术的研究。

Photography history and narrative studies are strongly emphasized in the UCLA undergraduate photo program, along with a focus on installation and video art in conjunction with photography.

09 加州艺术学院

California College of the Arts

学校将大学生课程分成了三部分：学生艺术世界观的构成、对理想主义的指导和批判，以及发展学生的摄影生涯。学校鼓励学生积极参加弯曲摄影工作室、艺术画廊和杂志社的实习。

For undergraduates, this program is broken down into three parts: the framing of students’ artistic worldview, instruction and critique from real-world visionaries and developing a photography career. Students are encouraged to participate in internships with Bay Area photography studios, art galleries and magazines.

10 哥伦比亚大学(IL)

Columbia College (IL)

哥伦比亚大学摄影课程，是全国最大最有竞争力的课程之一，学校拥有超过两百个包含数码影像实验室的工作站，多于150个有暗房，以及高度复杂的扫描设备和其他更多的设备仪器，从这一点就可以看出其实力不俗。

The Columbia College undergraduate photography program is one of the largest and most competitive in the nation. But with facilities that include a digital imaging lab with more than 200 workstations, darkrooms along with over 150 enlarging stations, highly sophisticated scanning equipment and more, it’s easy to see why.

11 亚利桑那州立大学

Arizona State University

且不说亚利桑那大学在兄弟会中的声誉，其本科摄影课程在全国是最好的摄影院校课程之一，根据美国新闻和世界报道的统计，自2002年起，本校的研究生摄影课程已经在全国内排进了前二十名

Despite its frat-bro reputation, the BFA photography program at ASU is considered one of the finest institutions in the country, and its graduate photography program has been ranked in the top twenty in the country by U.S. News and World Report since 2002.

12 马里兰艺术研究学院

Maryland Institute College of Art

在马里兰艺术研究学院的本科摄影课程中，为学生提供了从黑白数码印刷，到非传统流程和工作室灯光照明技术的研究和探索项目。不得不说学校的每一名春季毕业生，在竞争迈尔摄影旅行奖学金方面都有很强的竞争力，该奖学金为高级摄影专业毕业生，提供了一个可在美国旅行或者出国参加摄影项目的机会

MICA’s BFA photography program explores a variety of disciplines from black and white digital printing, to non-traditional processes and studio lighting techniques. But it’s highly competitive, as each spring seniors compete for the Meyer Photography Traveling Scholarship which gives a senior photography major the opportunity to travel in the United States or abroad for a photographic project.

13 亚利桑那大学

University of Arizona

亚利桑那大学的本科课程，允许学生在完成他们的摄影学位的同时，还可以参加K-12教师资格考试。同时为学生提供传统的黑白暗房技术、数字和其他成像技术、颜色进程、大型摄影、视频和表演课程。

The UVA bachelors program allows students to pursue a K-12 teacher certification along with their photography degree, offering courses in traditional black and white darkroom techniques, digital and other image-forming technologies, color processes, large-scale photography, video and performance.

14 马塞诸塞艺术与设计学院

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

在学校的本科课程中，学生会把摄影媒介，当做一种纯艺术门类来进行探索。学校在整个过程中将重点培养他们的个人观点、卓越的技术以及尝试等方面。以黑白电影作为开始——像其他类似的学校一样——随后将重点转移到拓展项目和个人作品开发方面。同时还设有特殊主题的选修课程，例如风景、纪录片和肖像画等。

In this BFA program, students explore the photography medium as a fine art with an emphasis on personal vision, technical excellence and experimentation. Beginning with black and white film—which is similar to most other schools—focus later shifts to extended projects and portfolio development. There are also electives available for specific themes such as landscape, documentary, portraiture and more.

15 弗吉尼亚联邦大学

Virginia Commonwealth University

在学生开启其专业艺术家、多媒体专家、编辑、或商业摄影师的生涯时，本课程将首先传授他们关于技术性和艺术性方面的技巧。在专修领域中的相当广泛的范围内，本课程十分注重培养个人的艺术表达。学校提供艺术本科和艺术硕士学位，根据美国与世界新闻报道的统计，该学校的硕士摄影课程在所有公共摄影课程中排名第四。

Students in this program are taught technical and artistic skills to begin their careers as professional artists, multimedia specialists and editorial or commercial photographers. With a fairly wide range of concentration areas, this program places a great deal of emphasis on individual artistic expression. The university offers BFA and MFA degrees, while the graduate program was ranked 4th among public programs for photography and film by U.S. News & World Report.