California Institute of the Arts

The California Institute of the Arts stands as one of the most influential spaces for contemporary art education, providing a truly interdisciplinary environment where photography plays a central role. Within the School of Art, students are encouraged to break away from conventional boundaries and explore how photography intersects with other creative disciplines, from film and video to installation and performance. The Photography and Media Program, offered at both undergraduate and graduate levels, is designed to foster both technical mastery and critical engagement with the cultural, social, and historical dimensions of the medium.

The MFA in Photography and Media is particularly distinctive, offering a two-year curriculum that emphasizes experimentation, rigorous critique, and independent practice. Students are challenged to consider how images shape today’s world while developing their own artistic voice. Coursework includes seminars on theory, history, and contemporary issues in photography, combined with hands-on studio practice. Graduate critiques and independent study with faculty mentors provide a platform for in-depth dialogue, allowing students to refine both the conceptual and formal aspects of their work.

Facilities at CalArts support a wide range of photographic practices, from analog and darkroom processes to advanced digital imaging. The Photo Lab provides extensive resources, including equipment checkout and access to communal studios, while each MFA student is assigned a private studio space accessible around the clock. This infrastructure, combined with small class sizes and intensive faculty mentorship, ensures that every student receives the support needed to advance their practice.

The program is guided by a faculty of working artists whose practices span photography, film, installation, writing, and social practice, and who exhibit their work across museums, galleries, and community venues. Visiting artists and critics further enrich the program, offering students exposure to diverse perspectives and professional networks. Graduates leave CalArts with the skills, vision, and connections to succeed as fine artists, documentarians, educators, and innovators in the field of photography and beyond.