The core photography courses within the undergraduate curriculum train independent artists with an understanding of the particular nature of the medium of film photography. Courses offered to the art student and the non-art major cover the creative practice and history of the medium as it relates to broader issues in the visual arts. The curriculum is designed to foster individual creativity in a challenging atmosphere of practice, critique and discussion. The classes and labs are taught by professional artists including the 5 full-time photography faculty and 8 adjuncts from the Los Angeles art community.

Four courses form the studio component of the curriculum. They proceed from a two-semester foundation in technical procedures and conceptual issues and feed intro a series of advanced projects and topics classes. Advanced classes are designed to accomodate and facilitate directed student investigations of individual objectives. The history and theory component of the area's offerings include lecture/discussion-oriented courses in conjunction with the art history department. The various histories of photography as science, commerce, social and fine art are studied in their relationship to issues of representation in contemporary art.

Undergraduate course descriptions available at http://roski.usc.edu/courses_undergraduate/

The art school is equipped with two complete photo lab facilities offering the student the widest possible choices in procedures. Black and White and Color processes are available and all lab equipment and processing chemistry is provided.

The program in photography is designed to aid in the development of students who are going to be professional artists and seek advanced degrees or careers in art. In addition, however, all classes are available to non-art majors from any discipline in the University. Often students from other disciplines find they have a great deal to contribute and to learn in the studio art area and discover an affinity to art through photography.

For digital photography, please see the Intermedia Area.