The program is interdisciplinary in nature, requiring students to take courses in photography, filmmaking, editing, news writing and multimedia production to sharpen their creative and professional opportunities as photojournalists, documentarians, commercial and fashion photographers, and editorial photographers.

The program is among few in the New York metropolitan area that requires students to take no less than 18 required courses in photographic production, and St. John's University is the only New York metropolitan university or college to offer a specific degree in the field of photojournalism, having been endorsed by The New York Daily News and the premier photo agency.

Career Outcomes

By the time they graduate, students in the B.S. Degree Program in Photojournalism will have met the following academic and personal objectives of the program:

  • Master photographic production and gain the knowledge of the history of photography and the cultural influence the medium has had (and continues to have) on societies.
  • Students develop the aesthetic skills to communicate ideas photographically, while honing journalistic and artistic voices so to communicate both visually and through the written word.
  • Learn how to research news worthy issues, and make decisions on the validity of the subject matter, and develop individual photographs and a long-form series.
  • Demonstrate how to act ethically, and within the law, when covering a subject or issue.
  • Master an individual artistic approach to making images through vigorous experimentation and exploration of various photographic styles.
  • Master the ability to critically "read" photographs for aesthetic quality and ability to convey meaning.
  • Demonstrate an advance level of aesthetic and theoretical approaches to commercial, fashion and art photography.
  • Demonstrate an advance ability to write critically about modern society, individuals, communities, and social and political beliefs.
  • Master the skills to produce, direct and edit documentary films, as well as create multimedia packages for video, the web and traditional print-based applications.
  • Master a defined artistic statement that conveys an aesthetic philosophy.
  • Learn how to apply for a grant to produce a long-formed photgraphic series.
  • Complete a comprehensive and professional portfolio.