Through the Summer High School Program in Photography and Imaging, you will focus on using photo-based image-making for storytelling, communication, creative expression, personal exploration, and digital output. The course will address contemporary photographic culture and emphasize the development of individual voices and vision through assignment prompts and self-directed projects and research.
Note: The Tisch Summer High School Program is not a leisure camp. While the average program runs daily, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm, including academic classes, professional training, and/or studio and production time, students will often be just as busy in the evenings and weekends which also include curricular events and opportunities to work individually or collaborate with peers on assigned projects.
“Even if you are at any level of photography or what focus you are on, you leave after those four weeks with such a feeling. Personally, after this experience, I felt as if I could go through a course like this, I could do anything. And I did; I joined so many clubs and activities because after this program I felt that I can truly put effort and create my art.” — Nicole Motta
Students take the following 4-unit course.
(Within the Department of Photography and Imaging at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, these 4 units count towards studio credit)
PHTI-UT 1700 | 4 units
This course introduces students to 35 mm manual cameras, proper black-and-white film exposure, and darkroom printing, as well as color slide film, scanning, basic Photoshop, and digital color printing. Students are expected to photograph both during and outside of class hours. The students’ photographic work is exhibited in the Tisch Gulf and Western Gallery and at community settings.
Classes take place 7 days a week. This sample schedule is based on previous summers to give prospective students an understanding of the highly structured and rigorous training offered in the Summer High School Photography and Imaging Program. This is an overview of one of the four weeks in the program. Students accepted and confirmed for the program will be given their actual schedule on orientation day.
Monday
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Group check-in; discussion of readings; individual progress meetings; split filter printing demo
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lunch
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Individual Progress Meetings and Open Lab
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Open Lab to finish projects
11:00 p.m. Curfew
Tuesday
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Open Lab for printing
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lunch
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Project critique
11:00 p.m. Curfew
Wednesday
10:00 a.m. Introduction to Digital SLRs, digital work-flow, Photoshop, photo processing software and digital printing
11:30 a.m. Trip to Harlem
12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch in Harlem
12:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Tour of Harlem galleries.
3:00 p.m. Head back to NYU
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Digital printing demo and discussion of Lighting and Portraits self assignment.
11:00 p.m. Curfew
Thursday
10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Review: Digital SLRs, digital work-flow, Photoshop, photo processing software and digital printing.
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lunch
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Slideshow (artists who have used portraits and the concept of self in their work) and Lighting Demo
3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Lab time
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Open Lab
11:00 p.m. Curfew
Friday
9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Field trip: Bronx Museum & Bronx Documentary Center.
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Dinner in the Bronx
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. NY Yankees vs. NY Mets game
11:00 p.m. Curfew
Saturday and Sunday 11:00 p.m. Curfew
Field-trip Assignment: International Center of Photography (ICP) & The Whitney Museum of American Art; Open Lab & Library Research for Critical Analysis Paper; Studio Lighting Demo
Summer 2026
Sunday, July 5, 2026 - Saturday, August 1, 2026
Additional important dates are available on the Tisch Admissions Calendar.
Summer 2026
Breakdown of costs:
Tuition for 4 units (credits): $8,008
Additional Fees Include:
Program Fee (activities facilitated by Residential Life & Housing): $200
Housing for 4 weeks: TBA
10 meals a week for 4 weeks: $824
*As this is a residential program, students are automatically enrolled in the 10 meals a week plan for the length of the program. Students have the option of increasing their meal plan if they wish.
Program Specific Fees:
Photography and Imaging Lab Fee: $474
Photography and Imaging Ticket Fee: $474
Please review the Tisch Special Programs cancellation policy.
Students accepted to the Tisch Summer High School program live in NYU housing. Per NYU policy, students must be at least 15 to reside in housing for this program.
Tisch has a limited number of scholarships for high school students to attend the Tisch summer programs. Scholarships are given to students who demonstrate the most financial need.
Review the Tisch Summer High School Scholarships page for more information.
The summer 2026 application is closed.
Open to high school sophomores and juniors.
Please read through the Summer High School Application Requirements page before starting your application.
