Photojournalism

Major

Why choose a photojournalism degree from CMU?

As a photojournalism major, you'll become a skilled photographer and photo editor in the only program of its kind in the state. Our top-tier and accredited journalism program will train you in reporting, storytelling, photography and editing. You'll also gain hands-on experience through internships, service-learning projects and more.

You'll receive guidance and mentorship from faculty with nearly 100 years of collective experience. Some of them have won state, national and international awards. In small classroom settings, you'll develop a portfolio of work to demonstrate your experience to future employers.

Our department offers you access to over $50,000 worth of state-of-the-art photographic equipment and software. These resources can help you acquire the technical and creative skills for many sought-after careers.

You’ll also have the opportunity to acquire real-world experience from internships with local and national organizations. Plus, you can join CMU’s very own campus newspaper Central Michigan Life and/or online feature publication Grand Central Magazine.

You’ll join a community of students and alumni who have been Pulitzer Prize finalists and won major awards, including the Hearst Award and College Photographer of the Year International award.

Many of our graduates pursue careers in sports and travel photography, magazine publishing, advertising and more. Alumni have gone on to work at The Washington Post, The San Antonio Express-News, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, MLive, Buffalo News, Associated Press, National Geographic and more.

Photojournalism program highlights

As a photojournalism student here, you'll:

• Join a top program: Be part of one of the top photojournalism programs in the country — CMU has the only Photojournalism major in Michigan.
• Build a professional portfolio: Develop a portfolio demonstrating your theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience as a photographer or photo editor to pursue careers after graduation.
• Learn from industry experts: Learn from award-winning faculty with nearly 100 collective hours of professional experience.
• Join a network: Join a community of accomplished and award-winning students and alumni.
• Gain real-world experience: Intern with an organization and/or work for CMU's very own campus publications.
• Have access to cutting-edge resources: Gain access to state-of-the-art photography and visual editing equipment and software. CMU offers students current industry standards like Photo Mechanic and the Adobe Creative Cloud.