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Studies & Degrees in Digital Photography

Digital photography is the practice of capturing, editing and delivering images with digital cameras and software. A course teaches how the camera works, exposure, composition and lighting, and then the "digital laboratory": processing, retouching, archiving and preparing images for print or screen. The course syllabus at Campus Training in Spain shows the usual sequence: basic concepts, composition and photographic language, a short history of photography, lighting, photographic specialities, the digital laboratory and a final photographic project.

Most of the learning is practical. Students shoot assignments, edit them and build a portfolio, which is what clients and employers ask to see.

Qualifications and levels

Photography can be studied at very different levels, and many courses do not lead to an official qualification. It is worth checking exactly what each school awards.

  • Short and private courses. Training centres offer courses of a few hundred hours with their own certificate. The Curso de Fotografía Digital of Campus Training has 400 hours of training, online and in person, with up to 300 hours of work placement. The centre states that it does not lead to an official qualification; it prepares for the Spanish professional certificate IMS441_3 Producción Fotográfica. The photography school of ERAM, in Salt (Girona), runs courses from basic training upwards and a specialisation course in photography that is a Fundació UdG own qualification.
  • Vocational training (FP) in Spain. The official route is the higher cycle (grado superior) Técnico Superior en Iluminación, Captación y Tratamiento de Imagen, in the professional family Imagen y Sonido, which lasts 2,000 hours. TodoFP lists photographer, press photographer and digital photo retoucher among the occupations it leads to.
  • University degrees. Photography is usually part of a broader degree. ERAM teaches the official bachelor's degree (grado) in Comunicación Audiovisual y Multimedia, which covers cinema, design, photography, 3D and interactive media.
  • United States. Community colleges include photography in two-year programmes. The Visual Communications programme at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Oregon, has 96 credits and takes a minimum of two full years; it offers degrees in graphic design and multimedia arts, with classes in photography among others.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 12 active schools for digital photography: seven in Spain, four in the United States and one in Mexico. The Spanish schools are mostly private training centres, such as Campus Training, CCC Centro de Estudios and Aranda Formación in Madrid and Imásd Forma in Vigo, together with ERAM in Salt and ESAT - Escuela Superior de Arte y Tecnología in Valencia. The US schools include the University of Miami, Emmanuel College in Boston and Chemeketa Community College. The Mexican school is CINEARTE in Puebla.

Courses in Spain and Mexico are taught in Spanish and those in the United States in English. Several Spanish centres teach online or in a blended format, which suits students who cannot move; for a practical subject, ask how shooting practice, equipment and feedback on your work are organised.

Careers

Photographers work in portrait, wedding and event photography, in commercial and product photography, in the press, and as retouchers and image editors. Self-employment is the norm: according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 67 percent of photographers in the United States were self-employed in 2025. The BLS projects employment of photographers to decline 1 percent from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,700 openings a year to replace people who leave the occupation.

No degree is legally required. The BLS notes that photographers typically need a high school diploma, that many take classes or earn a certificate or degree to improve their skills, and that they often start as an assistant to a professional photographer. Some employers may require or prefer a bachelor's degree in photography, photojournalism or a related field.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree to work as a photographer?

No. According to the BLS, photographers typically need only a high school diploma, and many take courses or a certificate to improve their skills. A portfolio matters more than the title of the qualification.

Is a private photography course an official qualification in Spain?

Usually not. Campus Training, for example, states that its course does not lead to an official qualification. The official vocational route is the 2,000-hour higher cycle in Iluminación, Captación y Tratamiento de Imagen.

How long does it take to study digital photography?

From a few months to several years. Examples are a 400-hour course at Campus Training, a 2,000-hour FP higher cycle in Spain and a two-year, 96-credit programme at Chemeketa Community College.

Can I study digital photography online?

Yes, some centres offer it. The Campus Training course is taught online and in person. Check how practical work is supervised before enrolling.