Minor in Entertainment Design & Technology

In 2016 I was awarded a sabbatical leave to do field research in Los Angeles, CA in order to develop the foundations of what eventually became the Theater Department's Minor in Entertainment Design and Technology. 

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The Department of Theater received approval for the new Minor in Entertainment Design and Technology during the 2018-2019 academic year. The new minor program is a unique course of study tailored towards students with an interest in theater and entertainment design and technology, but for whom a comprehensive major in theater is not appropriate or possible. It will be structured in such a manner that students from across the university will be able to explore skills and practices suited towards in-demand careers in the entertainment industry, while still earning a bachelor’s degree in another more traditional discipline.

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The Entertainment and Media industries continue to employ a large number of new workers as the industry grows – from backgrounds as diverse as music, communications and media, fine arts, marketing, business and theater. Many of these new jobs are in technical and creative arts disciplines including scenery, lighting, sound, video, costumes, make-up and management/production.

 

Graduates with theater degrees have often found careers in these areas of a diverse set of industries including television, film, live events, concerts, clubs, theme parks, and houses of worship. By opening up the possibility for a more diverse group of students to learn skills associated with these employment opportunities, the department has been able to build upon the successful placement of graduates into these industries while increasing the number of students enrolled in our traditionally small-section courses in design and technology.

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Building off of the interest in this minor, the department is currently in the process of developing a new interdisciplinary minor and Major field of study in Entertainment and Media Production, intending to serve students interested in pursing careers in the Entertainment & Media industry.