undergradly.
Major · Visual & Performing Arts

A catchall film and photo major for programs that don’t fit a named CIP

Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other (CIP 50.0699) is a small catchall code covering film, video, and photographic arts programs that don’t map cleanly to Photography, Cinematography, or Documentary Production. About 1,269 students complete it across 38 institutions, and bachelor’s graduates show $45,384 in five-year tracked wages.

Schools offering
38
Annual completions
1,269
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$44k

About this major

Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other (CIP 50.0699) is a catchall code the federal classification uses for film, video, and photographic arts programs that don’t fit the named CIPs — Photography (50.0605), Cinematography and Film/Video Production (50.0602), Film/Cinema/Media Studies (50.0601), or Documentary Production (50.0607). The official definition reads simply: any instructional program in film/video and photographic arts not listed above. In practice, schools assign this code to hybrid still-and-motion programs, experimental media tracks, and specialty curricula that blend camera craft across formats. Specific content varies considerably by institution, so the course catalog, faculty bios, and senior thesis archive matter far more than the CIP label.

The major fits students who want hands-on visual work — operating cameras, editing footage, building lighting setups, developing a portfolio or reel — and who are open to a program whose track may not slot neatly into a single named discipline. Comfort with critique-driven studio courses helps, since most programs alternate technical labs with regular peer and faculty review of work-in-progress. Self-direction matters too: in catchall programs, students often define their own concentration through electives and capstone projects.

On scale, 1,269 students complete this CIP each year across 38 institutions — small relative to the named siblings. Top concentrations include Full Sail University (269 completions), UC Santa Cruz (158), Arizona State University (140 plus 88 at the Digital Immersion campus), Los Angeles Film School (125), and the School of Visual Arts (53). Bachelor’s completers report median five-year earnings of $45,384; associate’s completers report $33,535. The named BLS career listed in the packet — postsecondary art, drama, and music teachers at $80,190 — is a master’s-required, long-term destination rather than an entry point.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Art, drama, and music teachers, postsecondary $80k +1.7% Master's degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$44k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$34k

Bachelor's

$45k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you already make visual work — short films, photo essays, edits, motion pieces — and want a program structured around producing and critiquing it; if you’re drawn to a hybrid practice across stills, motion, and emerging formats rather than a single named track like Photography or Cinematography; if you can absorb regular critique without taking it personally and revise quickly; if you accept the $45,384 bachelor’s five-year earnings figure as a reasonable early-career baseline; and if you’re willing to research individual programs carefully because catchall CIPs vary widely between institutions.

Think twice if you want a structured, named curriculum — Cinematography and Film/Video Production (6,935 completions) or Photography (1,496) signal a clearer track to employers and graduate programs than a 50.0699 degree. Reconsider if you need a high-stability W-2 job from year one, since most early destinations (camera operators, editors, photographers, producers) are project-based and freelance-heavy. Pause too if your interest sits squarely in stock photography, basic product imagery, or generic short-form content — those are the segments most exposed to generative AI displacement. And factor in geography: production work concentrates in LA, NYC, and Atlanta, and many of the strongest cohorts (Full Sail, LA Film School, SVA) sit inside those markets for a reason.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Full Sail University Winter Park, FL 34 235 269
University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA 0 158 158
Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ 0 140 140
Los Angeles Film School Hollywood, CA 0 125 125
Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ 0 88 88
University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC 0 76 76
Georgia Gwinnett College Lawrenceville, GA 1 59 60
School of Visual Arts New York, NY 0 53 53
Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI 0 39 39
Ithaca College Ithaca, NY 0 28 28
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Cinematography and Film/Video Production

6,935 completions/yr

Film/Cinema/Media Studies

4,438 completions/yr

Photography

1,496 completions/yr

Photographic and Film/Video Technology/Technician

443 completions/yr

Documentary Production

29 completions/yr

Considering this direction?

We've taken a hard look at the debt, earnings trajectory, and degree-level tradeoffs for the Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other field. Read our verdict before you commit.

Is Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other worth it? Read verdict
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this major actually cover?
The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in film/video and photographic arts not listed under the named codes. In practice, schools use 50.0699 when a degree blends camera-based image-making across stills, motion, and emerging formats — for example, hybrid photo/video programs, experimental media, or specialty tracks that don’t fit Photography (50.0605), Cinematography and Film/Video Production (50.0602), or Documentary Production (50.0607). Specific program content varies considerably by institution, so the syllabus and faculty bios matter more than the CIP label.
How does this compare to Cinematography and Film/Video Production or Photography?
It’s smaller and less standardized. Cinematography and Film/Video Production (50.0602) graduates 6,935 students per year and is the dominant named code for narrative and commercial film work. Photography (50.0605) graduates 1,496 and centers stills. Film/Cinema/Media Studies (50.0601) graduates 4,438 and leans more analytical. This Other catchall graduates 1,269 across 38 schools — often hybrid or specialty programs that didn’t fit those buckets. If your interest is firmly stills, Photography is the cleaner pick; if firmly motion, Cinematography is.
Do I need a bachelor’s, or is an associate’s enough?
Both degree levels exist in this CIP, with a meaningful earnings split. Associate’s completers report median five-year earnings of $33,535, while bachelor’s completers report $45,384 — a roughly $11,800 gap. Neither figure is high. The associate’s makes sense if you want to start working freelance fast and build a reel or portfolio. The bachelor’s pays off when you want longer portfolio runway, faculty access, and the option to pursue postsecondary teaching later (which itself requires a master’s).
What kinds of jobs do graduates actually land?
The packet lists postsecondary art, drama, and music teachers ($80,190 median, 1.7% growth) — but that role requires a master’s, usually an MFA, and is a long-term destination, not an entry-level one. Realistic destinations for early-career graduates include camera operators, film and video editors, photographers, producers, and content creators — most project-based and a mix of W-2 and 1099 work. Many graduates also pivot into video editing, post-production, social-media production, motion graphics, and photo retouching, where craft skills translate into steadier employment.
How is generative AI changing this field?
Honestly, it’s reshaping a lot of the entry-level market. Generative video tools (Sora, Runway, Veo) and image generators are eating into stock footage, basic product photography, generic concept imagery, and short-form social content — the work many graduates used to take while building reels. Less exposed are weddings, portraits, photojournalism, live events, narrative cinematography, and documentary work where being there with a camera and a relationship to subjects is the product. The honest read: pick a sub-genre where presence and timing matter, and treat AI tools as skills to add rather than threats to ignore.
How competitive is the early-career market?
Fierce, and pair any growth headlines with reality. Camera, editing, and photography roles depend heavily on portfolio, reel, and network — internships and unpaid or low-paid project work are common in the first one to three years. The 38 schools graduating into this CIP add to a pool that already includes 6,935 Cinematography grads and 1,496 Photography grads each year. Top concentrations cluster at Full Sail University, UC Santa Cruz, ASU, Los Angeles Film School, and SVA — geography matters because production and editorial work concentrates in LA, NYC, Atlanta, and a handful of other metros.