Theatre Design & Technology

Bachelor of Fine Arts
Hands-on experiences mounting plays and musicals start your first semester.

Your B.F.A. in Theatre Design and Technology from Nazareth equips you with the skills, four-year resumé, topnotch portfolio, professional credits, and critical contacts for success in this networking-heavy industry. Choose an emphasis in costume design, lighting design, or set design and enjoy opportunities to explore other areas of technical theatre. Build and paint scenery, create costumes from beginning sketches to a fitted garment, and prep stage lights and props. Fulfill show positions such as carpenter, head electrician, wardrobe and makeup crew, or assistant designer in our state-of-the-art Arts Center and Callahan Theater.

Course curriculumStudent outcomesCost of attendance

student working on theater stage lighting rig
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Tailor to match your interests, such as theatre history, play analysis, acting fundamentals, or art history

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Get start-to-finish experience in carpentry, lighting, costumes, scenic painting, and makeup.

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Start working behind the scenes on performances during your first semester

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Work with local professional theatre companies

stage crew painting set for theater production
Naz student at theatre tech board in darkened theater
students sewing in backstage costume shop

Career Paths

  • Costume designer, scenic designer, lighting designer, sound designer
  • Theatre technician
  • Scenic artist
  • Wardrobe supervisor
  • Head electrician
  • Props artisan
  • Stage manager
  • Sound design
  • Technical director
Employers
  • Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
  • National tours of My Fair Lady and Grinch
  • Euroco Costumes
  • Busch Gardens
  • The Juilliard School
  • Universal Studios
Graduate schools
  • Yale University
  • Boston University
  • Tisch (NYU School of the Arts)
  • Syracuse University

99%

of new Nazareth grads are employed or in grad school within six months of graduation

1,631

high-impact experiential learning experiences completed by the undergraduate class of 2024

$4,000

Our SPARK Grant provides up to $4,000 for you to pursue internships, research, and study abroad. SPARK details »

Internships

  • Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. (ETC)
  • Geva Theatre Center
  • Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

Apply & provide portfolio

A portfolio review is required for this major. View portfolio details and register »

Behind the scenes

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    Program Director
    Alumna Samantha Eisensmith, technical theatre major, lighting, set & costume design degree program

    Alumni Spotlight

    “My major truly was wonderful. All of the professors are very interested in individualizing the program around each student. They made it possible for me to both have practical experience outside of the program as well as get involved in the major itself as much as I wanted. If you're having a hard time deciding about which school you want to go to, and/or you're not totally set on what you want to do in the arts industry, this university will help you try every field imaginable. Naz is a great place to choose.”

    Samantha Eisensmith ’25, entertainment stage technician at Walt Disney World