Explore our Photography academic resources, designed to support your academic aspirations.
Curriculum Guide

Visual Media Arts Department

CLAS Advising Center

What Can I Do With This Major? (External Resource)

Unlock career potential in Photography! Discover resources to maximize your professional trajectory.

Career Assessment - PathwayU

Jobs via Handshake

Photography Career Information

Career Communities

Sample Photography Internship Sites

Internships provide a way for you to get hands-on, supervised experience in the world of work. You are able to apply the concepts you are learning in the classroom to a work environment.

• Geskus Photography
• The Treetops Collective
• Grand Valley State University Roller Hockey Club
• Community enCompass
• GVSU Laker Store Allendale
• Youth Empowerment Project
• Brenda Hoffman Photography, LLC
• Mary’s Free Bed
• The Grand Rapids Press
• The Grand Rapids Drive

 General Information on Internships

Join A Student Organization

Get involved with a student organization related to your major. Student orgs are a great way to get connected and explore career options!

• Desert Southwest Workshop
• The Lanthorn
• Fish Ladder
• Regular Trips to the Art Institute and the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago
• Society for Photographic Education Conferences
• Organization for Professional Writers

Student Organizations

Relevant Courses and Certificates for Building Skills

Developing the relevant skills that employers seek is an essential component of a student's education. GVSU students should consider strategic elective courses and certificates to pair with their major in order to gain additional skills.

• Technical equipment skills
• Software editing skills
• Composition, scale, lighting, and coloring skills
• Empathetic communications skills to connect and convey ideas
• Storytelling skills
• Ability to create a cohesive vision
• Meeting deadlines
• Capacity for physically demanding work

Great Electives to Consider

Community Service Opportunities

Seek volunteer opportunities related to the field you're exploring as a way of testing out future careers.

The Civic Engagement Center keeps a list of current volunteer opportunities updated on their website. There are ongoing opportunities on a continuous basis, as well as on-campus and off-campus opportunities posted as they become available.
 

Civic Engagement Center

Photography Abroad Options

Through study abroad you’ll also set yourself apart from other job-seekers and graduate-school applicants in an increasingly competitive market.

Imagine capturing the soft morning light spilling over the temples of Kyoto, or documenting street life in Lisbon through your lens. Imagine exploring visual storytelling in Iceland’s stark landscapes or experimenting with analog techniques in a darkroom in Prague. Through study abroad, photography students gain access to new cultures, perspectives, and environments that can deeply influence their artistic voice. You'll not only build a diverse and globally-informed portfolio, but also gain the kind of real-world experience that sets you apart in a competitive field—whether you're applying for jobs, exhibitions, or graduate programs.

Photography Study Abroad

Explore Internships Abroad

Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Pursuing academic, creative, and research experiences and projects outside the classroom is an excellent way to learn new skills and build a body of work in your field.

Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship

Getting Started

Fellowship Opportunities

Fellowships are high-impact, potentially life-changing opportunities for students and alumni, opening doors to careers in public service, advanced academic study, foreign service, international teaching, and other career and service pathways into meaningful and fulfilling lives.

Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships

Finding a Fellowship

Where Alumni Have Landed

• Photographic Imaging Systems Technician– Grand Valley State University
• Technical SEO Specialist – Top of the List
• Owner – Double Exposure Photography
• Product Data Analyst – Steelcase
• Photographer – Barn Sanctuary
• Owner – Callaghan Food and Set Styling
• Recruitment Team Lead– WilsonHCG
• Professional Photographer– Kait.Cole Photography and Design
• Photographer– Thomas White Media
• Marketing Manager – OST
• Student Ministries Group Director – East Paris Campus Ada Bible Church
• Content Manager – Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy
• Aerial Photographer – West Michigan Real Estate company
• Graphic Artist – City Sign Erectors
• Commercial Drone Aerial Photographer – Michigan Drone Pros
• Mountain Region Employment Specialist – Easter Seals Colorado
• Principal– Lara Parent Photography
• Art Director – Print Lab
• Digital Marketing Specialist– Wolverine Worldwide

You have built a strong foundation in photography through your undergraduate studies. Now it may be time to refine your skills, expand your creative perspective, and pursue new professional opportunities. Graduate school offers several exciting options for photography majors:

• Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Photography: As the terminal degree for visual artists, the MFA prepares you for a professional career as a photographer, educator, or curator. Programs emphasize studio practice, critical theory, and photographic history.
• Master’s in Arts Education: Ideal for those interested in teaching, this degree combines studio-based learning with coursework in educational theory and pedagogy.
• Interdisciplinary Programs: Many graduate programs integrate photography with areas such as digital media, museum studies, or social practice. These are great options if you want to combine your creative work with broader fields of interest.