Develop Your Voice Within Your Own Community
This intensive program spans a full calendar year (January - December), blending guided online classroom study with independent fieldwork focused on creating a long-form documentary project. Participants will gain a deep understanding of developing and constructing a visual narrative, enriched by dialogue with a global community of photographers. Students are encouraged to explore both local and global perspectives in their storytelling.
Header image by Nina Kostamo Deschamps (DOC Online ’22)
Image by Fabeha Monir (DOC Online '22)
Meet the Chair
Karen Marshall
Chair of the Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism Program
Karen Marshall, is a documentary photographer whose work focuses on the psychological lives of her subjects within the social landscape. Her seminal project Between Girls, that articulates the coming of age of a group of urban middle class teenagers, following them from high school into adulthood 30 years later was published by Kehrer Verlag in 2021. Read More
Program Highlights
The Documentary Practice and Visual Storytelling Online program offers a unique opportunity for students and professionals worldwide to engage in a rigorous, year-long journey tailored for the online environment. This intensive program spans a full calendar year (January 2026 - December 2026), blending guided classroom study with independent fieldwork focused on creating a long-form documentary project.
Participants will gain a deep understanding of developing and constructing a visual narrative, enriched by dialogue with a global community of photographers. Students are encouraged to explore both local and global perspectives in their storytelling.
Program Structure
- Term 1 (January-May): Introduces visual literacy, ethics, and research fundamentals with an emphasis on story development to build a solid groundwork for the documentary project.
- Term 2 (June-August): Dedicated exclusively on independent fieldwork, students develop their long-term projects under mentor guidance, with no classes scheduled.
- Term 3 (September-December): Students refine and contextualize their projects through collaboration with peers and international faculty, resulting in a cohesive body of work.
Class Structure
- Class Schedule: Live classes are held weekday mornings (9 AM – 1 PM EST) for approximately 8-10 hours per week via Zoom.
- Program Commitment: Expect an immersive experience, averaging 11-17 hours per week, including live sessions, assignments, and independent fieldwork.
Student Work
Key Areas of Study: Course List
- The Core Seminar: Critiques, lectures, reading, research, visual literacy, photography assignments, story development, sequencing, editing, and contextualizing of work.
- Reading The Light: The basics of On Camera Flash
- Old Media, New Media: Archives and the Documentarian
- The Visual Artifact: Evidence and Inspiration
- The Loom: Weaving Media
- History of Visual Storytelling
- Reappropriating the Narrative
- Documenting Vulnerable Communities: Exploring Ethics and Partnerships
- Looking In: The Conversation Between Our Images and Ourselves
- Stories On The Web: Crafting a Narrative Beyond The Still Image
- Story and Process
- Play With Fanzines! - Ideas Landing on Paper
- Digital Workflow Intensive
- Environmental Portraits on The Street
- Photographing What Is Familiar
- Writing for the Photographer
- Ruminations on Community
- Realms On The Field Lecture series
- Inside Photo Editing
- Individual mentorship
Program Overview
Tuition and Scholarship
Online Programs
Annual Tuition: $12,500
Application Fee: $60
Total Cost: $12,560
On-Site Programs
Annual Tuition: $36,000 $26,000*
Annual Lab Fee: $1,500
Equipment Insurance Fee: $142
Slideroom Application Fee: $60
Total Cost: $27,702
*Thanks to an extension of a significant gift, ICP will continue offering a $10,000 tuition reduction, covering the 2026–27 academic year for the onsite One-Year Certificate Programs. This will be the final year this tuition reduction is available. Tuition for both the Creative Practices and Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism programs will remain $26,000, plus fees (standard annual tuition for ICP’s One-Year Certificate Programs is $36,000).
Scholarship Opportunities
ICP offers a range of merit-based scholarships and fellowships for both domestic and international students enrolled in our One-Year Certificate Programs. These awards are designed to recognize and support individuals who demonstrate outstanding talent, creativity, and achievement in the field of photography.
All scholarship and fellowship applications are processed through ICP’s Slideroom application portal. Visit icp.slideroom.com to begin your application.
Current Scholarship Opportunities
1. ICP Director’s Fellowship
2. Leica Scholarship at ICP
3. Alberto Contreras Scholarship
4. American Vision Scholarship
5. Jan Mulder-Pacific Scholarship
For more details on all scholarship and fellowship opportunities, please visit here.
How to Apply
Application Deadlines
ONLINE - Priority Deadline for Admission and scholarship consideration is October 18th, 2026. Application will be open on May 1st for the academic year of 2027.
ONSITE - We are currently accepting applications on a rolling admission basis for FALL 2026. Application will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, with decisions made as space permits. ICP's onsite One-Year Certificate programs start August 24, 2026.
Application Checklist
Portfolio
A portfolio of 15-20 photographic images. Each image should be a jpeg not exceeding 5mb and no larger than 1280 x 1280 at 72ppi. Videos up to five minutes in length may also be submitted. Please test all digital materials before submitting.
Statement of Purpose
A one-page Statement of Purpose with less than 500 words describing your reasons for applying to the program and elaborating on the influences on your work, its current direction, and your research interests.
English Language Proficiency Requirement
In addition to the general admission requirements, all international applicants whose primary/native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in written and spoken English. International applicants must submit valid English language proficiency test results taken within the past two years. We permit applicants to submit one of the following tests: TOEFL, IELTS and Duolingo English Test.
Proof of High School Completion
Copy of Transcript or Diploma from High School, College, University or any equivalent. This document must be in English.
Resume or CV
A summary of education, professional, and other relevant experiences.
Letters of Recommendation
Submit two letters of recommendation attesting to the applicant's personal and artistic strengths. Recommenders should be familiar with the applicant's work and may include professionals from any field, such as employers, professors, mentors, or practicing artists—not necessarily limited to photography. Recommenders are encouraged to assess the applicant's academic abilities, creative vision, and potential for success in the program.
Application Fee
$60 Application Fee.
Meet our Faculty
Study with a diverse faculty of top practitioners and professionals in the photography and visual storytelling fields. Explore Our Faculty
Alumni Highlights
ICP’s Alumni Highlights features graduates making an impact in photography, visual culture, and image-making worldwide. Explore