The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in performing arts – design and technical theatre is a professional degree focused on theatre design and technology, including training in the areas of costuming, scenery, lighting and leadership. Additional courses include history and theory complimented by applied courses and mentorship in production design, technology, management and professional internships.
Interviews and portfolio reviews are required for acceptance into the design and technical theatre program.
Program Requirements
A minimum total of 120 credit hours is required for the BFA in design and technical theatre with a minimum overall grade point average of 2.000 (2.500 for department scholarship consideration). A C or better is required for all major required courses, including THEA and/or DANC electives. Students must complete 45 credit hours of upper-division courses. In addition to meeting the requirements of the WSU General Education Program and the requirements of the School of Performing Arts, students in the BFA in design and technical theatre must take the following courses:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education | ||
| Select courses to meet General Education requirements 1 | 34-35 | |
| School of Performing Arts Core | ||
| THEA 180E | Performing Arts Seminar | 1 |
| THEA 150P | Production Experience | 1 |
| THEA 150R | Production Processes | 1 |
| THEA 280 | Inclusion in Performing Arts | 1 |
| THEA 368 | Collaborative Community Project | 1 |
| THEA 370 | Professional Practices for the Performing Arts | 2 |
| THEA 499 | Capstone Project | 1 |
| Acting Course | ||
| THEA 243 | Acting 1 - Foundations | 3 |
| Design and Technical Theatre: Foundation Courses | ||
| THEA 228 | Script Analysis | 3 |
| THEA 231 | Foundations: Theatre Design and Technology | 3 |
| THEA 272 | Stage Management | 3 |
| THEA 285 | Period Styles | 3 |
| THEA 300 | Design Drawing, Rendering and Drafting | 3 |
| Design and Technology Courses | ||
| THEA 244 | Stagecraft and Scenic Technology | 3 |
| THEA 245 | Stage Lighting Technology | 3 |
| THEA 253 | Costume and Wardrobe Technology | 3 |
| THEA 344 | Scene Design | 3 |
| THEA 346 | Lighting Design | 3 |
| THEA 357 | Costume Design | 3 |
| Design and Technical Theatre: Applied Courses | ||
| THEA 380A | Practicum: Stagecraft | 1 |
| THEA 380B | Practicum: Costume | 1 |
| THEA 451 | Portfolio Review (take two semesters for 1 credit hour each) | 2 |
| THEA 480 | Theatre Internship (Two semesters required for 3 credit hours each. Internships must be with two different professional theatre companies.) | 6 |
| Select 6 additional credit hours from the following three courses | 6 | |
| Directed Projects - Stage Management (repeatable for a maximum of 12 credit hours) | ||
| Design Project (repeatable for a maximum of 12 credit hours) | ||
| Theatre Internship (repeatable for a maximum of 15 credit hours) | ||
| Theatre History | ||
| THEA 323 | Theatre History I | 3 |
| THEA 324 | Theatre History II | 3 |
| Design and Technical Theatre: Electives | ||
| Select 17 credit hours from the following courses | 17 | |
| Stage Makeup | ||
THEA 350A-Z | Workshops in Theatre | |
| Directed Projects - Stage Management (repeatable for a maximum of 12 credit hours) | ||
| Independent Projects in Theatre | ||
| Practicum: Stagecraft | ||
| Practicum: Costume | ||
| Practicum: Management | ||
| Design Project (repeatable for a maximum of 12 credit hours) | ||
| Scene Painting | ||
| Theatre Internship (repeatable for a maximum of 15 credit hours) | ||
| Foundation 2-D Design | ||
| Foundation Drawing | ||
| Foundation 3-D Design | ||
| Vector Applications | ||
| Pixel-Based Applications | ||
| Play and Art History | ||
| Bodies and Art History | ||
| Power and Art History | ||
| Dress and Art History | ||
| Theories of Art and Culture | ||
| Introduction to Life Drawing | ||
| Digital Studio | ||
| Introduction to Painting Media | ||
| Introduction to Sculpture and Extended Media | ||
| Digital 3-D Tools in Sculpture | ||
| An Introduction to Entrepreneurship in the Arts | ||
| Introduction to Media Aesthetics and Analysis | ||
| Introduction to the Recording Studio | ||
| Aural Skills for Audio Engineers | ||
| Introduction to Music Technology and Industry | ||
| Film History | ||
| Figure Drawing for Animators | ||
| Introduction to Sound for Digital Media | ||
| Audio Science and Acoustics | ||
| Modern Audio Production | ||
| Props and Character Design | ||
| Microphones | ||
| Immersive Audio | ||
| Live Sound Design | ||
| Analog Audio | ||
| Open Electives | ||
| Select enough electives to reach 120 credit hours | 2-3 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 120 | |
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Required major courses may also count towards General Education requirements. Students will need to select additional electives to reach 120 credit hours required for graduation with assistance from an advisor.
Applied Learning
All students in a School of Performing Arts bachelor degree track or concentration are required to complete an applied learning or research experience to graduate from the program. The requirement can be met by completing a formal capstone project. Students create a major project whether self-generated, an extension of coursework, or through advanced participation in producing a public performance. Through the capstone experience, students develop and demonstrate, in a hands-on, real world context, the skills, knowledge and competencies required in their area of emphasis. Students in the School of Performing Arts develop a diverse portfolio of experiences, materials and intellectual properties through a broad offering of applied experiences in their four years. The capstone project provides a practical context for academic, experiential and personal growth through the college experience. The final, real product of the SPA's program of applied learning is a young professional prepared for the future.