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Associate of Arts Degree
Photography

The Associate of Arts Degree provides students with a foundational knowledge of important conceptual and technical aspects of fine art photography with the goal of preparing students to transfer to a four-year university. The courses in this degree emphasize photography as a means of communication and personal expression, with an emphasis on cultural significance and visual literacy.

Students planning to prepare for a four-year degree in Photography should consult the lower division requirements of the university to which they plan to transfer

Please contact the Student Success Team for this program if you have any questions.

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Sample Education Plan

This sample education plan for the 2024-2025 catalog year represents one possible pathway through the program. Each university (UC, CSU, private, and others) has their own transfer requirements; please see a counselor to create an education plan that is customized to meet your needs. Additional course descriptions may be found in the College Catalog.
Select sample path/map:
CourseUnitsTypically Offered
1st Semester
Select one: ART 105 / ART 105H (RHC GE 7a)M3.0
ART 105 - Survey of Western Art: Prehistory through the Middle Ages (3.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to: UC (*Credit limit) CSU
(*Students will receive credit for only one of the following courses: ART 105 or ART 105H)

This course presents a broad overview of prehistoric, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, early Christian, Islamic, and Medieval art and architecture. The course is appropriate for students pursuing a degree in Studio Art or Art History, or seeking to fulfill General Education requirements in Fine Arts and Humanities.

ART 105H - Survey of Western Art: Prehistory through the Middle Ages Honors (3.0 units)

Prerequisite: ENGL 101
Advisory:It is advised that students be able read college-level texts.
Transfers to: UC (*Credit limit) CSU
(*Students will receive credit for only one of the following courses: ART 105 or ART 105H)

This course presents a broad overview of prehistoric, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, early Christian, Islamic, and Medieval art and architecture. The course is appropriate for students pursuing a degree in Studio Art or Art History, or seeking to fulfill General Education requirements in Fine Arts and Humanities, and is designed for those who meet Honors Program requirements.

ART 120 - Two-Dimensional DesignM3.0
ART 120 - Two-Dimensional Design (3.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This introductory course is open to all students interested in learning basic design principles as they apply to two-dimensional media. Through lectures, written assignments, and studio projects using materials such as ink, paper collage, and paint, students learn how to orchestrate the fundamental elements of two-dimensional images like line, shape, texture, value, and space. In addition to developing a visual vocabulary for personal creative expression, students explore design concepts as they relate to effective visual communication across art, design, and culture.

PHTO 110 - Introduction to Digital PhotographyM3.0
PHTO 110 - Introduction to Digital Photography (3.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to: UC,CSU

This introductory course covers the processes, principles, and tools of digital photography. Topics include the development of technical and aesthetic skills, elements of design and composition, camera technology, materials and equipment, and contemporary trends in photography. Students are required to supply their own mirrorless or digital single-lens reflex (D.S.L.R.) cameras. The course is suitable for students pursuing an Associate of Arts in Photography as well as non-majors who have an interest in learning basic digital photography skills.

ENGL C1000 - College Composition and Research (RHC GE 1b and 8a)GE3.5
ENGL C1000 - College Composition and Research (3.5 units)

Previously ENGL-101

Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or eligibility for college composition.
Transfers to:UC, CSU

This composition course enables students to generate logical, coherent essays that incorporate sources necessary for academic and professional success. Students become proficient in researching, evaluating, and incorporating sources, and in learning critical reading and thinking skills through expository and persuasive reading selections before applying these skills to creating original documented essays. The writing workshop component of the course is designed to assist students with improving and refining their writing and language skills: Students complete writing workshop activities that enhance their ability to compose logical, well-supported arguments that exhibit grammatical fluency and correct citation styles. Students meet with composition instructors through individual or small group conferences that address students’ specific writing concerns. This course is designed for students who wish to fulfill the General Education requirement for Written Communication.

RHC GE 4 - American InstitutionsGE1.0

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Total Semester Units:13.5 
2nd Semester
ART 130 - Freehand Drawing IM3.0
ART 130 - Freehand Drawing I (3.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This course for art and non-art majors interested in developing basic drawing skills is an introduction to observational drawing and composition. In the course, students develop the ability to perceive and define shape, contour, volume, space, and light using a variety of drawing media and subject matter. Emphasis is on clarity of observation and the ability to order and translate 3D form and space into 2D drawings.

PHTO 130 - Beginning PhotographyM3.0
PHTO 130 - Beginning Photography (3.0 units)

Advisory:ART 120
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This course is designed for students who wish to study the basic technical and conceptual approaches to contemporary photography. Traditional black and white photography techniques are explored, with special emphasis on the basic use of the 35 mm camera and enlarger as well as the processing of black-and-white film and printing paper. Students are required to provide their own 35 mm camera with manual controls.

ART 121 - Three-Dimensional DesignM3.0
ART 121 - Three-Dimensional Design (3.0 units)

Advisory: ART 120
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This introductory course is open to all students interested in the fundamentals of visual thinking as they apply to all three-dimensional media. The course provides an introduction to the concepts, applications, and art historical contexts related to three-dimensional art, and includes the basic elements and principles of three-dimensional design. Students explore topics such as planes, volume, and texture through the creative use of different materials like foam board, wire, or wood.

PHTO 140 - Introduction to LightingM3.0
PHTO 140 - Introduction to Lighting (3.0 units)

Advisory:PHTO 110 or TV 135
Transfers to: UC,CSU

In this course students use cameras to explore the creative use of light, and to produce works that apply to basic lighting principles with natural, continuous, or strobe light sources. Topics include an introduction to lighting vocabulary, design, and exposure control, and light modifiers are covered through concept-driven assignments. Relevant examples of lighting from historic and contemporary photography as well as the cinematic arts are presented throughout. This course is intended for all students working with camera-based media whose work requires the use of light to convey meaning, define a subject, or tell a story.

Select one: MATH 150 / FIN 101 (RHC GE 2)GE3.0
Notes:
While the above course(s) are recommended, students may take any of the following courses to fulfill this requirement:  FIN 101, MATH 060, MATH 073, MATH 130/H, MATH 140, MATH 150, MATH 160, MATH 170, MATH 175, MATH 180, MATH 190/H, PSY 190.

MATH 150 - Survey of Mathematics (3.0 units)

Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or completion of an intermediate algebra course.
Transfers to: CSU, UC

In this course students will learn to read and understand quantitative information, solve practical problems, and make sound decisions using numbers. Topics include consumer applications, logic, probability, statistics, algebra, and geometry. This course is for students who need a quantitative reasoning course for graduation or transfer.

FIN 101 - Introduction to Financial Planning (3.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to read college-level texts.
Prerequisite:Enrollment requires appropriate placement (based on high school GPA and/or other measures), or completion of an elementary algebra course.
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This course provides an overview of the fundamentals of financial planning, and is designed to provide students with tools needed to achieve their personal financial goals. Students learn to make informed decisions related to spending, saving, borrowing, and investing by applying quantitative reasoning concepts. Course topics include the financial planning process, budgeting, cash flow, debt consolidation, investing, and retirement planning.

RHC GE 3 - Physical EducationGE1.0

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Total Semester Units:16.0 
Summer 1
RHC GE 5 - Natural Sciences with LabGE1.0

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Total Semester Units:1.0 
3rd Semester
Select one: ART 106 / ART 106H M3.0
ART 106 - Survey of Western Art: Renaissance to Contemporary (3.0 units)

Advisory:It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to: UC (*Credit limit) CSU
(*Students will receive credit for only one of the following courses: ART 106 or ART 106H)

This course provides an overview of the history of Western art from the 14th century through the Modern Era, including Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Early Photography, Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Modernism, Postmodernism, and major art developments of the 20th and 21st centuries. The course is appropriate for all students pursuing the degree in Studio Art or Art History, or seeking to fulfill general education requirements in Fine Arts and Humanities.

ART 106H - Survey of Western Art: Renaissance to Contemporary Honors (3.0 units)

Prerequisite: ENGL 101
Advisory:It is advised that students be able to read college-level texts.
Transfers to: UC (*Credit limit) CSU
(*Students will receive credit for only one of the following courses: ART 106 or ART 106H)

This course provides an overview of the history of Western art from the 14th century through the Modern Era, including Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicism, Romanticism, Realism, Early Photography, Impressionism, Post Impressionism, Modernism, Postmodernism, and major art developments of the 20th and 21st centuries. The course is designed for students who meet Honors Program requirements, and is appropriate for all students pursuing the degree in Studio Art or Art History, or seeking to fulfill general education requirements in Fine Arts and Humanities.

Select one: PHTO 111 / PHTO 131 M3.0
PHTO 111 - Intermediate Digital Photography (3.0 units)

Prerequisite: PHTO 110
Transfers to:UC,CSU

This course is designed for students who have successfully completed PHTO 110, and have a working knowledge of basic camera control and photographic composition. It will cover use of digital cameras, metadata, workflow organization, global and local image editing and manipulation, color theory, and basic lighting techniques using flash and strobe. Emphasis will be placed on using photography as a means of communication and personal expression. Students are required to supply their own DSLR or mirrorless cameras capable of shooting in RAW file format.

PHTO 131 - Intermediate Photography (3.0 units)

Prerequisite:PHTO 130
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This course is designed for students who have successfully completed Beginning Photography and want to study more advanced technical and conceptual approaches to contemporary black and white photography in a 35 mm film-based, wet lab environment. Techniques such as the use of studio lighting, light meters, toners, hand coloring, and solarization are explored, with special emphasis given to understanding the conceptual framework for the production and analysis of both personal and commercial photographic imagery. Students are required to provide their own 35 mm camera with manual controls.

RHC GE 7b - HumanitiesGE1.0

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RHC GE 3 - Physical EducationGE1.0

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Total Semester Units:8.0 
4th Semester
PHTO 131 - Intermediate PhotographyM3.0
PHTO 131 - Intermediate Photography (3.0 units)

Prerequisite:PHTO 130
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This course is designed for students who have successfully completed Beginning Photography and want to study more advanced technical and conceptual approaches to contemporary black and white photography in a 35 mm film-based, wet lab environment. Techniques such as the use of studio lighting, light meters, toners, hand coloring, and solarization are explored, with special emphasis given to understanding the conceptual framework for the production and analysis of both personal and commercial photographic imagery. Students are required to provide their own 35 mm camera with manual controls.

GDSN 178 - Digital Imaging DesignM3.0
GDSN 178 - Digital Imaging Design (3.0 units)

Advisory: NART 285; It is advised that students be able to engage in written composition at a college level and read college-level texts.
Transfers to: UC, CSU

This introductory graphic design course uses bitmap software as the principal digital tool. Topics include the principles and elements of design, typography, color, photo/raster/bitmapped-based scanning, vector graphic integration, time-based design, image formats, optimization, retouching, adjustments, compositing, blending, color, conceptual, narrative and time-based techniques, technical and creative methods and styles employed by graphic designers, introductory critical concepts, and professional practices. The course includes exercises, projects, and portfolio building, with an emphasis on professional standards. This course is for students interested in obtaining a degree or certificate in graphic design or transfer, and those seeking to pursue a career in graphic design or related professions.

RHC GE 6 - Social and Behavioral SciencesGE1.0

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RHC GE 8 - Oral Communication and Critical ThinkingGE1.0

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ElectiveEL3.0

Select any course that is numbered 40 or above. Please see a counselor to discuss course options.

Total Semester Units:11.0 
Total Units for Photography AA program 49.5 
Notes:
  • AP exams and courses taken outside of Rio Hondo College may fulfill general education and/or major requirements. Please check with a counselor.
Legend:
M Major course; course may also meet a general education requirement
GEGeneral Education course
ELElective Course
Advising Sheet:
Click or tap here to open the program's advising sheet.

Program Learning Outcomes

1

Rio Hondo photography majors will create properly exposed photographs that demonstrate effective control of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO settings in various lighting situations.


2

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the safe and proper use of equipment including cameras, darkroom, lighting, and digital equipment.


3

Students will identify basic principles of photographic composition and apply these elements in the creation of photographic images.


4

Students will recognize and identify important historic photographic genres based on their formal and conceptual elements.


5

Students will demonstrate visual literacy by verbally analyzing both the formal and conceptual properties of photographic works utilizing appropriate photographic vocabulary.


6

Students will create a portfolio of photographic work that demonstrates an understanding of print finishing and presentation.


About RHC

Rio Hondo College, serving the communities of El Monte, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, South El Monte, and Whittier for over 50 years.

Contact

Rio Hondo College
3600 Workman Mill Road
Whittier, CA 90601

Phone: (562) 692-0921
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