FAQs

The Professional Photography Program begins in either September or January each year. We begin accepting applications for the fall in October and do so until all seats are filled for the coming intake.

Plan to have all of your documentation submitted to the college no later than May prior to the fall that you hope to begin the program.

After 28 students are accepted, we start a wait list. Generally, only a few waitlisted students are accepted.

The minimum program admission requirements are outlined here: https://langara.ca/programs-and-courses/programs/photo-imaging/admission-requirements.html.

The application instructions are listed at: http://www.langara.bc.ca/programs-and-courses/programs/photo-imaging/application-info.html.

1. High school Diploma and Transcripts (original and certified translations if original is not in English) if you are 19 years old or younger
2. Academic IELTS 6.5, or TOEFL 80 (R/W20, L/S 18), or BC English 12, or LEAP 8, or LET 2
3. A successful interview with a program faculty member, at which time applicants will demonstrate their ability to communicate effectively verbally, visually, and in writing. The interview also includes your portfolio review.

Once the college has received all of your application paperwork, you will email the department chair to schedule an interview.

Part of the interview process includes a portfolio of your photography work. This can be a traditional printed portfolio, a website, Instagram feed, or images hosted online. There is no requirement for how many images your portfolio must contain, or the theme of your work. It should simply represent your involvement with photography so far. Your images will be part of the discussion about your career goals, personal aesthetic and your photographic knowledge.

Professional Photography program applicants must complete one of the English language requirements outlined on this page: https://langara.ca/admissions/requirements/english-language-requirements/index.html. The Professional Photography program falls under category 2.

If the program is full for the coming intake, consider taking on some personal photography projects to enhance your portfolio.

If you have never taken a photography course before, consider enrolling in PHOT1100 as an overview of the discipline and to establish strong fundamental skills.

Applications for the Professional Photography program begin 11 months prior to the start of each term. If the program is not visible in the list of registration options, it means all seats are full for the coming intake. Please choose a different intake term (Fall or Spring).

As a high school student, it is not possible to complete all of the required application steps before you graduate because graduation is one of the requirements for entrance into the Professional Photography program.

However, you can request an application interview where you will be asked to share your photography portfolio, with the possibility of securing a spot upon graduation from high school.

The program holds 4-5 seats for students who are still in high school.

The Professional Photography program consists of a minimum of 61 credits over the two years (four semesters), or part time over three years (six semesters). For domestic students the total tuition is about $18,700. This includes Langara College student fees.

Langara’s “Cost of Study Tool” shows the individual breakdowns for each semester. https://langara.ca/admissions/cost-of-study-tool/index.html

The Professional Photography program consists of a minimum of 61 credits over the two years (four semesters), or part time over three years (six semesters). For international students the total tuition is about $43,800 CDN. This includes Langara College student fees.

The program costs for international students are outlined on this page: https://langara.ca/registration-and-records/tuition-and-service-fees/international-student-fees.html

Langara has an excellent international education department that can help with a variety of tasks for international students. Their website is: https://www.langara.ca/global/ 

Your own laptop with enough power to run multiple large programs and handle large working files, 2 external 2-terabyte hard drives, and adapter cables. The Photography department is Mac-based.

The Professional Photography program requires students to have an extensive list of equipment to complete assignments. This equipment is also likely to be used after college in your professional career.

The following is an overview; more detail and purchasing suggestions are provided upon acceptance to the program.  

Camera Kit (camera, lenses, and accessories)

A DSLR or mirrorless camera that can shoot tethered with Adobe Lightroom or Capture One software. Students can complete assignments successfully using a variety of recognizable brands. Good quality lenses, sturdy tripod, camera bag. X-Rite Colorchecker Passport. Miscellaneous photography accessories.

Laptop Kit

The Photography department is exclusively Mac-based. Some of our required software and hardware will not run on a Windows computer. 2 external 2-terabyte hard drives, adapter cables.

Software

Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) all apps, word processing software like Pages or Word. Capture One Pro, ColorChecker Passport software: ColorChecker Camera Calibration, i1Profiler for the i1 Display Pro

Optional Software: lens profile creator, data transfer software

Studio Kits

Various small items that are used in a professional studio are required by students. These items include tape, batteries, props and other small items.

No. Not under the current Government of Canada rules.

Due to the demanding workload of classes, labs and homework assignments, Professional Photography students are advised against full-time employment during the school term.

Many students manage part-time jobs while in the program, however these require substantial flexibility.

Graduates of the Professional Photography program have built careers in almost every facet of the photographic/imaging industry. Many new graduates find work as lab technicians, digital imagers and photographer’s assistants. Over time, most of our successful alumni build careers as freelancers and/or open their own photography-related businesses.

To complete the Professional Photography program diploma in 4 terms (2 years), plan the following study schedule.

https://langara.ca/programs-and-courses/programs/photo-imaging/program-curriculum.html

To complete the Professional Photography program diploma in more than 2 years, a custom schedule can be designed in consultation with the program Chair.