Theatre BFA
College of Fine Arts
Emphases: Performing Arts Design Program
Arts Pass
Bennion
Center
Learning Abroad
Office of
Undergraduate Research
Courses
Getting Started
- Meet with an advisor to create a course plan
- Start with theatre core courses
- Enroll in Design I course in your area of interest
- Complete math & writing requirements
Making Progress
- Check in with your advisor regularly to discuss your course plan & explore extracurricular opportunities
- Continue major coursework specific to PADP emphasis (refer to catalog & talk to advisor)
- Generate a degree audit to track your progress on GEs & degree requirements
- Work with your faculty mentor to select theatre & directed electives and enroll in appropriate individual projects courses
Finishing Up
- Take final individual projects II course
- Complete theatre & directed electives
- Finish remaining GEs & degree requirements
- Review degree audit & meet with advisor
Community
Getting Started
- Attend CFA's welcome event ArtsBash & events hosted by the SAC
- Explore student clubs on campus at the Get Involved Fair
- Browse our events calendar & attend shows with friends
Making Progress
- Participate in department productions
- Get involved in student-driven work
- Attend guest artist talks, workshops & lectures
- Find a job on campus
- Use ArtsPass to visit museums like the UMFA & attend cultural events
- Go see shows in the community & find opportunities to network
- Join ArtsForce to connect with other CFA students at events & workshops
Finishing Up
- Consider an internship with a professional arts organization
- Take on a leadership role in SAC or a student group
- Join the Alumni Association and Forever Utah
Knowledge & Skills
Getting Started
- Explore academic resources like Marriott Library, Writing Center, & Learning Center
- Check out the CFA's Create Success Initiative
- Grow your skills in class/student projects
Making Progress
- Attend ArtsForce workshops, talks, lectures & panels to learn more about working in the arts
- Explore student research opportunities in OUR
- Participate in faculty research - talk to your professors or area head
- Meet with the CFA's internship coordinator to develop an internship plan
- Apply for a FAF grant to seek financial support for student-driven extracurricular experiences
Finishing Up
- Discuss career/grad school options with your professors
- Attend an academic or professional conference in your field
- Complete your professional portfolio in THEA 4960
Transformation
Getting Started
- Take GEs that meet requirements & fuel your creativity
- Check out student projects and/or ways to get involved in a production crew
- Apply for scholarships in the dept./college
Making Progress
- Take advantage of office hours to get to know your professors & discuss your interests
- Participate in productions on campus & find opportunities to shadow or work on productions in the community
- Apply to experience our London Learning Abroad Program or explore other study abroad programs
- Participate in a workshop or training through the Counseling Center or Center for Student Wellness
Finishing Up
- Submit an original play or musical for development in the New Plays Workshop
- Share about your capstone project on the dept.'s news page
- Participate in graduation ceremonies & events
Impact
Getting Started
- Use your ArtsPass to access events
- Consider taking a CEL-course
- Meet with an advisor or Student Success Coach to discuss your interests & set goals for your time in college
Making Progress
- Get involved with Youth Theatre at the U during the summer
- Participate in ArtsForce events & activities
- Volunteer to work with SAC
- Consider running for a position in ASUU
- Check out the ArtsBridge Scholar program
- Get involved with the department's justice, equity, diversity, & inclusion committee
- Go on an alternative break and/or engage in service projects with the Bennion Center
Finishing Up
- Develop a research project through UROP & present at the Undergraduate Research Symposium
- Propose an event, workshop, or project for funding by the FAF grant program
Careers
Getting Started
- Meet with a pre-professional advisor and/or career coach to explore your interests
- Consider major/minor programs that complement your degree
- Apply for an Emerging Leaders Internship
Making Progress
- Attend talks by guest artists & other dept. events to network and learn about career opportunities
- Work on department productions & update your resume regularly
- Begin thinking about your online professional profile & ways to showcase your work
- Consider having your resume/professional documents reviewed by a Career Coach in the CPDC
- Explore grad school programs, if interested
Finishing Up
- Refine your resume & professional materials
- Apply for jobs and/or graduate school
- Attend career fairs & expos
- Connect with the department & college's alumni networks
Start Your Career Journey
Find support at the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC)
About the Major
If you would like to pursue your passion for dramatic expression and creative exploration, consider studying performing arts design at the University of Utah. As one of four emphases of the Theatre BFA degree, the Performing Arts Design Program (PADP) provides you with the highest quality education, training, and practical experience in the study of design for the performing arts. As a PADP student, you will complete the Theatre core requirements and take foundational classes in costume, scenery, lighting, and sound design. You will also work with a faculty mentor who advises you in selecting courses and design projects that suit your interests and future career goals. The PADP’s customized curriculum allows you the flexibility to dive deeper into one or more areas of design such as lighting, scenery, costume, sound, and/or wigs and makeup, and our program promotes the investigation and use of new technology in performing arts design. Our faculty members are working professionals who have extensive experience designing for regional theatre, opera, dance, film, television, theme environment design and corporate design. Through rigorous academic instruction, introduction to the expectations and performance standards in the field, and individual mentoring from working professional theatre artists, the Theatre BFA in Performing Arts Design prepares you for professional work in your chosen field of design, or further education in graduate programs.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of the central elements of theatrical process and production.
- Analyze, contextualize, and communicate ideas about dramatic texts or performances from a broad range of traditions and periods, including our own.
- Communicate design ideas and realities both orally and visually, through competent sketching, rendering, drafting, model-building, and/or digital media.
- Demonstrate understanding of the total design process, including the progression of raw materials through multiple design "shops" and the roles that various craftspeople play in the creation of a finished product.
- Conceptualize and execute designs that are consistent with the overall artistic concepts of department productions in one area of emphasis (e.g., set, costume, sound, light).
Plan & Prepare
At the U, we plan for our students to have an exceptional Educational Experience identified by four broad categories we call the Learning Framework: Community, Knowledge & Skills, Transformation, and Impact. This major map will help you envision, explore, design, and plan your personalized Exceptional Education Experience with the Learning Framework at the core. In addition to assisting you in planning your coursework and navigating the requirements of your major, this map will help you incorporate other kinds of experiences to expand your knowledge, support your development, and prepare you for the future you want.