Summer Intensive
• Intermediate computer navigation skills.
• High school diploma or GED certificate.

Professional Studies:
• Ability to confidently operate your camera in manual mode.
• Solid understanding of digital capture, image processing and management, and working with artificial lighting.
• Portfolio of 10 – 20 images required for Professional Studies courses.*

* Waived if enrollee is a Summer Intensive graduate by start of course.

Advanced Intensive:
• Solid understanding of digital capture, image processing and management, and working with artificial lighting.
• Intermediate computer navigation skills.
• Strong working knowledge of Adobe® Photoshop® and Adobe Lightroom.®
• High school diploma or GED certificate.

Financial Aid:
• Loans are available through SLM Financial.
• Summer Intensive, Professional Studies and Advanced Intensive are approved
for veteran’s benefits by the State Approving Agency.

What Kind of Work Can I Expect When I Finish the Career Training Program?
Summer Intensive (SI), Professional Studies and Advanced Intensive (AI) graduates work in every area of photography, including portraiture, wedding, photojournalism, commercial photography, studio assisting, fine art photography, digital labs and manufacturer/industry occupations. See more information.

“Every day you will learn more from your instructors and peers than you could ever imagine, plus you will leave with friendships that will last you a lifetime.” –Kristiana M., Virginia

Career Training Program Information

People
Every day, photographers around the world make their living by creating images. None of them were chosen to have this life—they chose it themselves. Each one—at some point—realized that with hard work and the right tools, they could have their dream job. If you share the goal of working as a professional photographer, and are willing to work hard to achieve it, photography is well within your reach too. Building a career does not happen overnight, nor does it happen on its own. It requires patience, persistence and the best education possible.

Career Training at RMSP gives you that education and enables you to achieve your goals.
When you enroll in our Career Training program, you do so after exploring many options and devoting time and energy to your decision. We understand and respect the fact that when you join us at orientation, you trust us with your future career. We rely on the abilities of our instructors and assistants—the backbone of RMSP. As unique as they are experienced—and personable as they are professional—each one is chosen because they are highly accomplished photographers and have proven to be remarkable in the classroom. Individually, they teach you the nuts and bolts of photography. Collectively, they teach you how to make photography your life. Supporting our instructors’ efforts is an energetic team of assistants who work with you to ensure you get the help you need. All of our assistants, several instructors and even members of our full-time staff are graduates of the program themselves. This means that you are surrounded by a community of like-minded people who understand the importance of the goal you are working toward.

Perspective
Do I have the time? Can I afford it? Can I really become a professional photographer? While there is no one better equipped to answer these questions than you, we can help by providing some perspective on our program.

From orientation to graduation, the three sessions that make up Career Training span 20 weeks. The progressive curriculum means that you can enter the program as a beginner and finish with professional, marketable skills in a fraction of the time of a two- or four-year school. Our courses are called “Intensives” for a reason. Classes are held up to 10 hours a day, including evenings that are often filled with guest lectures and special events. Immersion-style learning is the cornerstone of our educational philosophy and we believe it is hands-down the best way to teach photography. By removing distractions and creating an environment where all of your energy can be focused on achieving your goal, you accomplish more in a shorter amount of time.

A photography education is an investment in yourself and your future. When you complete our program you earn a Certificate of Completion, indicating that you successfully finished the program. More importantly, you possess professional skills, knowledge and experience that allow you to start working immediately upon graduation. As many of our graduates who now are making all or part of their living as professional photographers can attest, the education they received from RMSP is invaluable.

To learn more about what Career Training can do for you, please contact us for a list of recent graduates who are excited to talk to you about the RMSP experience.

Place
Our idea of a classroom is more than four walls and a ceiling; it’s snow-capped mountains and a Big Sky. Our vision of a photo studio isn’t limited to a room full of props and equipment; we prefer a dock on the lake or the banks of a river. Our interpretation of home isn’t a street address; rather, it’s where friendships are made, encouragement prevails and energy is contagious.

Missoula is where you will live for the duration of the program. This college town is situated in Western Montana where the summer months bring long, warm days and a flurry of activity to town, while fall welcomes a change of colors to the Garden City. From the moment you arrive in Missoula, you are welcomed as a member of our bustling community. Farmers’ markets, weekly music events and First Friday gallery walks bring people together on a regular basis. Frequent concerts, festivals, baseball and football games also contribute to the buzz of the town. In a two-block radius of RMSP’s front door there is a healthy selection of watering holes as well as Thai, Cajun and sushi restaurants.

Missoula is a stimulating environment in which to learn anything, but it is the perfect environment to learn something as creative as photography.