Digital Imaging

Effective: Fall 2022
Certificate of Achievement Program Map
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This program map from the 2024-2025 catalog year represents one possible pathway to complete this program. Your pathway may vary depending on your transfer plans and also previous college credit, including AP Test scores, concurrent enrollment courses and high school articulated courses.

I'm ready to get started. What do I do next?

  1. Review this program map to get an overview of the required courses
  2. Meet with a counselor to develop your customized student education plan www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling
  3. Use DegreeWorks, an online student education planning tool, to track your progress toward graduation www.chabotcollege.edu / admissions / degreeworks
Program Description

The Certificate of Achievement in Digital Imaging provides foundational skills using photography and digital media with industry standard editing techniques for the Adobe Creative Cloud. Emphasizing professional practices for print and web based media, the degree provides students the opportunity to broaden their digital skill sets or focus on a specialized field.

Core program courses provide a foundational knowledge of the Adobe Creative Cloud and essential digital imaging techniques. Elective courses allow students the flexibility to select an area of emphasis that develop digital compositions technically and conceptually based on their own individual aesthetic. Throughout the program students will have the opportunity to participate in art exhibitions and develop a professional portfolio that can be used to enter the creative industry.


What can I do with this major?

Upon successful completion of the certificate students will develop the digital imaging skills, professional competencies, and portfolio of work required to enter the creative industry. Including the following career opportunities:

  • Commercial Photographer
  • Graphic Designer
  • Portrait Photographer
  • Web Designer
  • Product Photographer
  • UI Designer
  • Multimedia Artist
  • Food Photographer
  • Commercial Designer
  • Automotive Photographer
  • Social Media Designer
  • Wedding Photographer
  • Freelance Digital Artist.

There are 313 annual openings in the East Bay and 822 annual openings in the Bay Area region for students with digital imaging skills.


Learning and Career Pathway
  • Arts and Design

Icon Key

= Critical Course = Prerequisite for Other Courses = Prerequisite Required = Required for Major GE = General Education

Semester 1

9 units

PHOT 1A
Digital Photography I

3 units
Introduction to the processes, principles, and tools of digital photography. Course provides an overview of digital camera functions for automatic and manual exposure, image creation and capture, file management, and image editing. Students may use any appropriate digital camera including; DSLR, mirrorless, point & shoot or smartphone. Topics include the development of technical and aesthetic skills, elements of design and composition, camera technology, materials and equipment, and contemporary trends in digital photography. May not receive credit if PHOT 50 has been completed successfully.
Course Details:
  • Transfers to CSU
    • Terms Offered: Fall, Spring, Summer

    DIGM 1
    Introduction to Digital Art

    3 units
    Introduction to fundamental concepts, practices, and theories of digital art production. Topics include integration of traditional design, color, and compositional principles with contemporary digital tools.
    Course Details:
    Terms Offered: Spring, Fall

    Major Elective #1

    3 units
    GE
    Choose one course from the list of major electives below
    See the full list: (Click here)

    Semester 2

    7.5-9 units

    Major Elective #1

    3 units
    Choose one course from the list of major electives below
    See the full list: (Click here)

    Major Elective #2

    3 units
    Choose one course from the list of major electives below
    See the full list: (Click here)

    Major Elective #3

    1.5-3 units
    Choose one course from the list of major electives below
    See the full list: (Click here)

    Major Requirements

    PHOT 1B
    Digital Photography II

    3 units
    Digital Photography II is an intermediate digital photography course that is a continuation of Introduction to Digital Photography. Students will practice techniques that build on those learned in PHOT 1A for image capture and exposure, along with using DSLR and mirrorless camera systems. Batch processing and editing techniques working with multiple photographs in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom will be used to create digital compositions. Emphasis is on mastering basic photographic principles and concepts, and creative problem solving using strong visual communication techniques.
    Course Details:
    1. Prerequisite: PHOT 1A
      2. or
    2. Prerequisite: PHOT 50
    Terms Offered: Fall, Spring

    PHOT 3A
    Introduction to Studio Lighting

    3 units
    Introduction to basic studio lighting skills using electronic flash, static, and strobe applications. Course will familiarize students with lighting techniques for portraiture, product and still-life photography, in a studio setting with specialized equipment and digital cameras. Digital production techniques and processes including basics of shooting, editing and output for digital photographs. Professional setups and standard practices, as well as alternative lighting solutions will be covered. May not receive credit if PHOT 64A has been completed successfully.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 1A
      2. or
    2. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 50
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    PHOT 3B
    Advanced Studio Lighting: Portraiture

    3 units
    Advanced studio lighting course that emphasizes technical and conceptual aspects of portrait photography. Students will explore lighting and design methods specific to portraiture. Advanced strobe lighting techniques will be used in the studio and on-location to create dynamic portraits.
    Course Details:
    1. Prerequisite: PHOT 3A
      2. or
    2. Prerequisite: PHOT 64A
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    PHOT 3C
    Advanced Studio Lighting: Product & Still Life

    3 units
    Advanced studio lighting course that emphasizes technical and conceptual aspects of product and still-life photography. Students will explore lighting and design methods specific to still-life. Advanced strobe lighting techniques will be used in the studio and on-location to create dynamic product shots.
    Course Details:
    1. Prerequisite: PHOT 3A
      2. or
    2. Prerequisite: PHOT 64A
    3. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 3B
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    PHOT 4A
    Color Theory for Photographers

    3 units
    This course will cover the basics of color science, color theory, language of color, color primaries and color relationships, applied using digital photography techniques. Students will study the principles, theories and applications of additive and subtractive color in photography. These concepts will be framed in a way that is relevant for photographers in composition, control of mood, emotional content, and image processing. Topics will include major historical and contemporary color systems, production of projects using applied color and the elements of color and design as they apply to photography. May not receive credit if PHOT 61 has been completed successfully.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 1A
      2. or
    2. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 50
  • Transfers to CSU
    • Terms Offered: Rotating

    PHOT 4B
    Advanced Color Photography Methods

    3 units
    Advanced color photography course that builds on the methods and techniques presented in Color Theory for Photographers. Photographers will achieve an advanced understanding of how to use color relationship principles with digital color management, controlling color from capture to print. Emphasis will be on exploring how light and color function together. Course discussions will present artists that use color as a central theme with an awareness of color's creative potential.
    Course Details:
    1. Prerequisite: PHOT 4A
      2. or
    2. Prerequisite: PHOT 61
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    PHOT 5A
    Photography Portfolio

    3 units
    Photography Portfolio is a capstone course for students to create a body of work that reflects their individual style. Students enrolling in the course should be experienced photographers comfortable working with advanced camera and photo editing techniques. Students may work with any photographic medium of their choice. They will print and display photos as part of a class exhibition at the end of the course. Emphasis will be on developing a cohesive portfolio of photographs that can be used to further a photographic career. May not receive credit if PHOT 62 has been completed successfully.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 1A
      2. or
    2. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 50
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    PHOT 5B
    Photography Exhibition

    3 units
    An advanced course for photographers to focus on creating a large body of work suitable for exhibition. Photographers will professionally prepare prints and photographs. Additionally, all work must be matted, framed, and ready to hang for gallery exhibition. Emphasis will be on the safe handling of artwork in a gallery environment and archival methods for preparation, exhibition, and storage of work. Photographers who successfully complete the course will have the opportunity to exhibit their work in the Chabot Art Gallery.
    Course Details:
    1. Prerequisite: PHOT 5A
      2. or
    2. Prerequisite: PHOT 62
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    Photoshop Course (Choose PHOT 6A or DIGM 6A)

    3 units
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    PHOT 6A
    Photoshop

    3 units
    Introduction to the use of Adobe Photoshop for retouching, editing, and compositing digital images. Students take their original photography and artistically adjust contrast, exposure and color balance to create enhanced compositions. Students also take a number of photos and composite the images into an artistically balanced and well-designed composition.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 1
    2. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 1A
      3. or
    3. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 50
    Terms Offered: Summer, Fall, Spring
    or

    DIGM 6A
    Photoshop

    3 units
    Introduction to the use of Adobe Photoshop for retouching, editing, and compositing digital images. Students take their original photography and artistically adjust contrast, exposure, color balance, to create enhanced compositions. Students also take a number of images and composite images into an artistically balanced and well-designed composition.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: PHOT 1A
    Terms Offered: Spring, Fall, Summer

    PHOT 6B
    Advanced Photoshop

    3 units
    Advanced course in Adobe Photoshop that expands on the use of digital image manipulation, advanced imaging effects, layer and file organization and color management for students familiar using the Creative Cloud. Industry standard practices will be covered using vector illustration techniques, photo-realistic painting, and non-destructive retouching and editing techniques for photography. Course discussions will feature digital artists that explore the use of Adobe Photoshop and the Creative Cloud in their artwork.
    Course Details:
    1. Prerequisite: PHOT 6A
      2. or
    2. Prerequisite: DIGM 6A
      3. or
    3. Prerequisite: PHOT 66
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    DIGM 2
    Introduction to Graphic Design

    3 units
    Introduction to the essential visual elements of graphic design. Exploration of the principles, concepts, and protocols used for effective visual communication. Cultivation of the designer’s creative process and problem-solving skills. Emphasis on strong conceptual development and solid craftsmanship through design execution. Projects explore creative development of graphic design ideas from start to finish.
    Course Details:
    Terms Offered: Fall

    DIGM 4A
    Digital Illustration

    3 units
    Introduction to the principles of illustration using digital tools. Through lectures, demos and assignments students are exposed to and practice digital illustration skills for design, editorial, and animation. Emphasis is placed on the use of vector-based tools for artistic drawing and graphic design. Students explore the relationship of digital illustration with the field of Graphic Design, Animation and Fine Art.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: ART 2A
    Terms Offered: Fall, Spring

    DIGM 5
    Typography

    3 units
    Typography explores the art, process, and technical approach to ideating and producing successful typography for visual communication and design. Students use vector based tools to create, modify, place and design compositions using typography as the main design element. Topics include the anatomy, classification, legibility, meaning, readability, history, and historical changes of typography.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 2
    Terms Offered: Fall

    DIGM 7
    Design and Layout

    3 units
    Design and Layout focuses on digital and print layouts using design elements and principles. Students create layouts using Gestalt principles, creative concepts, color separation and typography. The course explores the history of layout in various media, digital vs print process, copyright issues, and working with various printers for final project output.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 2
    Terms Offered: Spring

    DIGM 8A
    Graphic Design Studio

    3 units
    Graphic design studio focuses students on integrating principles of design, typography, art practice, and layout with digital tools to create design projects that are iteratively investigated, revised and artistically rendered. Students practice design creation using elements and principles of design. Students create, revise and present design projects using various digital tools and mediums.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 2
    Terms Offered: Spring

    DIGM 8B
    Graphic Design Studio II

    3 units
    Students are partnered with a volunteer client and work to ideate, create, revise and complete a graphic design project. Students experience the types of problems they would need to solve as professional graphic designers. Illustrates the needs that might be expressed by art directors, creative directors, and project leads, providing students with a process for meeting those needs.
    Course Details:
    1. Prerequisite: DIGM 8A
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    DIGM 10A
    Introduction to Animation

    3 units
    The history and evolution of technical aspects of animation are examined. Students explore animation principles using analog media, including, phonotropes, stop motion animation, claymation and flip books. Digital aspects of animation are also explored to create short mini animated sequences.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 11
    Terms Offered: Fall

    DIGM 11
    Video Editing

    3 units
    Introduction to the art of digital video editing using industry standard software. Students explore the theory and practice of various editing styles in order to gain a better understanding of how stories are constructed in the editing room. Through demonstrations and hands-on experience, students learn advanced editing techniques with an in-depth examination of the art of the edit. Strong emphasis is placed on post-production techniques that improve the sound and image quality of the videos.
    Course Details:
    Terms Offered: Spring, Fall

    DIGM 12A
    Motion Graphics

    3 units
    Motion Graphics is an introductory course to motion graphics for students who have a strong foundation in typography and design. This course introduces the theories, techniques, and practices of motion graphics. Students use design elements and principles to create motion graphics that communicate a message or story. Vector graphics, photography, sound, video and animation are integrated together to design compelling motion graphics.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 11
    2. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 4A
    Terms Offered: Spring

    DIGM 13
    2D Animation

    3 units
    2D Animation is a course that takes the student through the basic concepts and methods for creating 2D animations using 2D animation technology. Students explore the 12 principles of animation using 2D software tools to create short-form animations and tell visually compelling stories. Students will create a complete animated piece for their portfolio.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 10A

    DIGM 14
    3D Modeling & Animation

    3 units
    Students learn how to create and model 3D objects and characters using materials, textures, surfacing, and lighting. Students then create 3D scenes and animate objects and characters in these scenes using 3D industry-standard animation software.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 10A
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    DIGM 15
    Web Design Fundamentals

    3 units
    Introduction to the basic design elements required to create a visually compelling website or user experience. Emphasis on design and layout, vector based graphics, and style consistency. Students learn to create a style guide to ensure continuity of design throughout the build process.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 2
    Terms Offered: Fall

    DIGM 16
    Interactive Web Design

    3 units
    Students use various software technologies to create media-rich websites. Websites are built using HTML and CSS. Students use multimedia software programs to include vector graphics, photographs, fonts, and video and motion graphics. Website design aesthetics and usability are emphasized as a core component of building websites.
    Course Details:
    1. Prerequisite: DIGM 15
    2. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 6A
    3. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 4A
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    DIGM 17
    Interactive Web Design II

    3 units
    Introduction to JavaScript, a scripting language used to add interactivity to web pages. Covers the aspects of JavaScript most useful to web designers: basic object-oriented programming techniques; using the Document Object Model to control page elements such as windows, links, forms, and images; working with free JavaScript libraries such as jQuery.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 16
    2. Prerequisite: DIGM 15
    Terms Offered: Rotating

    DIGM 20
    Digital Portfolio and Promotion

    1.5 units
    Development of an artist's/ designer's portfolio and strategies for self-promotion in the art and design industries. Students will work to revise existing projects, create advanced projects and select and organize projects for promotion. Includes use of effective techniques of presentation. Includes creation and revision of resume, business card, and template based website.
    Course Details:
    1. Strongly Recommended: DIGM 8A
    Terms Offered: Spring
    Total Units: 16.5-18 units
    This program map is not a guarantee of course availability or financial aid applicability.