FAQs

The Professional Photography program begins in September of each year. We begin accepting applications 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)
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.

You can also enroll in some of the Langara classes required for the diploma program that are open to arts and sciences students. These classes include: AHIS1219, MATH1120, CMNS1122 (or CMNS1115), PUBL1100, and BUSM1901.

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 in October of each year. If the program is not visible in the list of registration options, it means all seats are full for the coming September intake. Please check again in the fall.

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 in high school.

The Professional Photography program consists of 66 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 66 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. 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.

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. Note taking software like Evernote or Google Docs. Capture One Pro, ColorChecker Passport software: ColorChecker Camera Calibration, Fetch, Carbon Copy Cloner, i1Profiler for the i1 Display Pro

Optional Software: lens profile creator, data transfer software

Studio Kits

Speedlights, a sturdy light stand, Pocket Wizard, batteries. Items used in photographic shoots suck as makeup artists, clothing, equipment rentals, backgrounds and props.

Final Semester Kit

Costs associated with putting on the grad show and creating a portfolio might include print and framing costs, portfolio book, printing for portfolio, domain name and website hosting.

Recommended items for the Professional Photography program:

These items are available to sign-out from the college, but students may wish to purchase their own: monitor profiling device, light (exposure) meter, Manfrotto hex plate, graphics tablet, photo mechanic, external monitor.

Yes. Under the current rules, after graduation, Professional Photography students are eligible to apply for a 3-year post graduation work permit.

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.

The Continuing Studies Certificate program (CS) provides an amazing education for anyone interested in photography. Most graduates become advanced amateurs, while some do go on to work in the industry. CS classes happen in the evenings and on the weekends.

You have some choice in course selection and anyone who enrolls in the course is accepted.

You can begin taking CS courses at any time of the year (September, January or May). The total cost of the Photography Certificate program is about $11,000 (~$575 per course). The program co-ordinator is Jim Balderston <jbalderston@langara.ca>.

The Regular Studies Professional Photograph program (RS) is designed to train graduates to work in the photographic industry. Some decide not to start a career in the field and would be considered advanced amateur photographers. RS classes happen during the day, Monday to Friday.

Students in the RS program must apply to be a part of the program. Applicants require an interview and portfolio.

In general, applicants must have two of the following three qualities: Strong academic abilities, strong photographic aesthetic, and strong technical photographic skills.

The total cost is about $18,700 (~$130 per credit) for domestic students and about $43,800 for international students.

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 6 terms (3 years), an extended schedule can be designed in consultation with the program Chair.