Most employers of photographers, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), look for candidates with a college degree. Photography programs typically offer bachelor of arts, bachelor of fine arts, master of arts, or master of fine arts degrees. Associate degrees and certificate programs are also common.

Personal career goals should largely shape the degree program one seeks out. Those interested in photography's commercial purposes, such as in advertising or studio work, would benefit from a program tailored to those needs. LaGuardia Community College in New York, for example, offers an associate of arts degree in commercial photography, which includes significant coursework in computer photography and commercial aspects of the industry.

Many programs concentrate on the fine arts aspect of photography and offer the bachelor and master of fine arts degrees. The Academy of Art in San Francisco offers a program that includes study of concept, technique, metaphor, and other artistic elements of photography. Some schools offer associate of fine arts degrees, as well.

Another path for photographers is to specialize in photojournalism. Western Kentucky University is one such school that offers a bachelor of arts in photojournalism. Photojournalism degree programs generally offer a balance of photography courses with journalism courses and prepare students for to work in the news media.

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