compared to NYU, Pratt, SVA, etc. CUNY tuition is a bargain. currently its a hobby, but since the IT field is dead I am considering going for it. I already have an AAS in comp prog so I would just have to do the dept. courses.

how many professional photogs in the field have a college degree? Is a BFA/BA more desirable than an AAS? If so, why?

are photographers like chess and piano players, you either have it or you dont. yes, you can teach anyone how to play chess or the piano, but that wouldnt make him/her a great chess or piano player no matter if you went to Juliard. likewise, is a portfolio and experience more important than a college degree in the field?

-I would think that a degree in photography would be more beneficial to someone in photography related sales, tech support, etc... rather than a photographer. Skills from the program should still be beneficial to a photographer though.

-there are some painters who lacked learned skill but had a drive and talent, and they are usually known as 'primitive's

Its been my observation that each generation 'deconstructs' or bastardizes music to be different and perhaps rude to the previous.

but in photography, there is a lot to learn, stuff you need to know, the old "rules" you are not aware of that kill images while you are breaking rules you want to.

College can be a great place to hang out and gradually work your way into it, but I find that you spend too much time with other students who are in your same situation, many of whom are just drifting through life, and your instructors tend to be art grant failures or commercial guys who didn't make it so they now teach, or worse, recently graduated students.

depending on your particular aim in your work, I am sure that you would do better taking workshops from some of these specialty schools, like the Sante Fe, Rocky Mountain, etc where you are in an intensive small group lead by someone acknowledged to be tops in the field, and your fellow students tend to be a more highly motivated group, half are usually experienced pros getting a refresher, an eye opener, a tune up. I've taken a several over the years, I swear I learned more in one week than I did in two years at a community college.

there is a whole folder of links in the z-prophoto mailing list page at yahoogroups.com to many of those, plus some PPA affiliated schools and workshops.