Media Arts: Photography
Associate in Science Photography · Allan Hancock College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Award Type: Associate in Science
The light- and lens-formed image has supplanted the written word as the dominant medium of communication in the 21st century. An AS degree in photography is the doorway to a career in commercial, editorial or artistic photography.
The graduate of the Associate in Science in Media Arts: Photography will:
- Demonstrate proficiency in camera handling to produce images that show knowledge of photography's visual and expressive elements (composition, light and color), using standard professional equipment and production processes.
- Analyze and understand how images reflect and shape our culture and assess the contributions made in the field by people from diverse cultures and backgrounds.
- Identify and explain terminology, materials, principles, and practices within the discipline of photography and apply them to the production of work for vocational and personal needs.
- Evaluate and analyze personal work and the work of others during critique that will allow one to process criticism, absorb ideas, and apply new found insights to future work.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A major of 34 units is required for the degree. | ||
| Required core courses (19 units): | 19 | |
| FILM 110 | Introduction to Motion Picture and Video Production | 4 |
| GRPH 110 | Introduction to Graphic Design | 3 |
| PHTO 101 | History of Photography | 3 |
| PHTO 110 | Basic Photography | 3 |
| PHTO 170 | Digital Photography | 3 |
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
| ART 108 | Design 1 on the Computer | 3 |
| ART 110 | Design 1 | 3 |
| Plus a minimum of 9 units selected from the following: | 9 | |
| PHTO 120 | Materials and Processes | 3 |
| PHTO 130 | Advanced Black and White Photography | 3 |
| PHTO 140 | Introduction to Color Photography | 3 |
| PHTO 150 | Introduction to Commercial Photography | 2 |
| PHTO 151 | Portrait Photography | 2 |
| PHTO 152 | Introduction to Drone Piloting and Imaging | 2 |
| PHTO 179A | Intro to View Camera | 2 |
| PHTO 189 | Independent Projects in Photography | 1 |
| Plus a minimum of 6 units selected from the following: | 6 | |
| ART 101 | Art Appreciation | 3 |
| ARTH C1200 | Survey of Art from the Renaissance to Contemporary | 3 |
| ART 106 | Art of the 20th Century | 3 |
| ART 107 | Introduction to Digital Art | 3 |
| ART 110 | Design 1 | 3 |
| FILM 101 | Film as Art and Communication | 3 |
| FILM 102 | Hollywood and the American Film | 3 |
| FILM 111 | Intermediate Motion Picture and Video Production | 4 |
| GRPH 112 | Digital Imagery | 3 |
| MMAC 101 | Introduction to Multimedia | 3 |
| PHTO 380 | Black And White Photo Lab 1 | 0.5 |
| PHTO 381 | Black And White Photo Lab 2 | 1 |
| PHTO 382 | Color Photo Lab 1 | 0.5 |
| PHTO 384 | Digital Photo Lab 1 | 0.5 |
| PHTO 385 | Digital Photo Lab 2 | 1 |
| General Education | ||
| In addition to completing the program requirements, students are also required to complete general education courses. Students may follow the AHC GE or the Cal-GETC pathways to meet these requirements. Students intending to transfer to a four-year university should use the Cal-GETC GE pathway. To see what major courses and general education requirements you need to fulfill, visit your myHancock account and select the DegreeWorks button in the Academic Profile widget. For more information and guidance, and to receive a detailed education plan, make an appointment with an academic counselor. | ||
| Total | 34 | |