Theatre and Entertainment Technology—BS

Set the Scene for a Career in Theatre and Entertainment Technology

Picture this: you master the art of the backstage and land your dream job in the entertainment industry at a leading company, like Disney or Electronic Theatre Controls.

At Michigan Tech, you can make this vision a reality with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre and Entertainment Technology. With the integration of studies in art and design with engineering technology or business, you will become a well-educated professional who blends solid technical expertise with innovation, artistry, and creativity.

If you have ever imagined yourself behind the scenes of a theatre or entertainment production—perfecting scenery, lighting, costumes, makeup, sound, and management—the Department of Visual and Performing Arts at Michigan Tech is the place for you.

The Curtain Rises on Real-World Training

Your education will focus not only on traditional theatre, but also on event staging, museum displays, and themed retail and entertainment. Learn with the latest entertainment-dedicated programs in the computer lab. Limited enrollment allows for more time with professors, advisors, and equipment. And you will develop your skills through high-tech training at performance venues such as the traditional proscenium theatre, the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts  and the beautiful and flexible black box space, the McArdle Theatre.

Explore technical theatre with exciting projects and classes:

  • Research and design costume, lighting, or scenic design for mainstage productions.
  • Assist faculty members in workshop preparations, with the potential to work on faculty grants.
  • Take significant courses in design, technology, and possibly computing to learn to adapt your training to non-theatrical entertainment career fields.

What Will I Do After Graduation?

As a graduate of the theatre and entertainment technology program, you will be qualified to fill entry-level backstage positions in the entertainment industry. Start your career as an assistant designer or a crew member of a theatre house, theatrical touring company, a Las Vegas-style show, or a theme-park or cruise-ship production. You may work in theatrical productions or at multimedia concerts, theme parks, elaborate corporate events, half-time extravaganzas at sporting events, and more. You may spend a year in a post-graduate professional internship.

    Tomorrow Needs Technicians

    As the demand for entertainment in the form of live performances, museum displays, and themed retail and entertainment expands, so does the need for talented technicians to create memorable experiences. Theatre and entertainment technologists create innovations that drive audience and user engagement. They enhance storytelling and optimize content delivery. A degree in technical theatre raises the curtain on a great career.

    Career Advising

    One-on-one advising keeps you moving forward. You'll consider summer internships, jobs, résumé, and portfolio preparation—everything you need to line up the kind of work you want and build the career you desire.

    Career Opportunities for Theatre and Entertainment Technology Majors

    As a graduate of the theatre and entertainment technology program, you will be qualified to fill entry-level backstage positions in the entertainment industry. Start your career as an assistant designer or a crew member of a theatre house, theatrical touring company, a Las Vegas-style show, or a theme park or cruise ship production. You may work in theatrical productions or at multimedia concerts, theme parks, elaborate corporate events, half-time extravaganzas at sporting events, and more. You may spend a year in a postgraduate professional internship.

    Your future career options with a degree in theatre and entertainment technology include:

    • Designer
    • Lighting Supervisor
    • Master Carpenter
    • Master Electrician
    • Production Manager 
    • Rigger
    • Scenic Artist
    • Shop Foreman
    • Venue Manager
    • Wardrobe Supervisor

    Companies Hiring Michigan Tech Theatre and Entertainment Technology Majors

    The growing list of companies that have hired Michigan Tech theatre and entertainment technology graduates includes:

    Ready to take the next step?

    Learn more about studying theatre and entertainment technology at Michigan's flagship technological university.

    Watch Quincy Haunted Mine 2020-Sam Bulthuis video
    Preview image for Quincy Haunted Mine 2020-Sam Bulthuis video

    Quincy Haunted Mine 2020-Sam Bulthuis

    Work on Fun Projects; Gain Valuable Experience

    Students in the Theatre and Entertainment Technology program have opportunities to work in varied media, with opportunities outside traditional theatre.  Have you ever seen museum or theme park dioramas? Sam Bulthuis '20 BS—Theatre and Entertainment Technology helped design and install a display deep in the Quincy Mine in Hancock, Michigan.

    "The faculty members are always there for us….We can go to them when we need help and kind of have them walk along with us because they're always willing to do those long nights with us and take the time to show us how to do things."Hunter Storie '19, BS—Theatre and Entertainment Technology

    Full STEAM Ahead

    Combine your love of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM) into a career that requires creative, artistic, and technical skills. In the Department of Visual and Performing Arts, we emphasize creativity, self-motivation, and concrete goals—attributes that, combined with academic performance, add up to success. Develop critical skills to continue as a life-long learner who adapts to ever-evolving entertainment industry technology. Our programs and faculty engage students and enrich campus by involving scholars from diverse fields in ambitious and meaningful projects, exhibitions, and performances.

      • Access state-of-the-art facilities: Michigan Tech’s Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts—the region’s premier performing arts center—and the Walker Arts and Humanities Center are home to a traditional performance hall, flexible black box space, costume and scene shops, and a packed schedule of multimedia events. Work side-by-side with faculty on Michigan Tech productions and complete high-tech training in all aspects of the profession in well-equipped shops, labs, and performance venues—many with 24/7 access.
      • Get personalized attention: With a student-faculty ratio of 8:1, you can build valuable relationships with world-class professors. Our limited enrollment allows for smaller classes, personal quality educational time with faculty and staff, and more exploratory time in the studio (with industry-specific equipment and tools).
      • Build a career: Working one-on-one with your advisor, understand how to develop your career path—from student internships to post-graduation employment in the industry. Develop networks and strengthen your presentation and interview skills at professional industry conferences and events. Build your professional portfolio. Graduate prepared for a thrilling career in the arts and entertainment industry.
      • Get involved: Join the 250-member strong Huskies Pep Band or one of 12 other ensembles. Get involved with any of our 30+ music performances, 6+ art exhibitions or events, and 4 theatre productions. Or join any number of professional organizations on campus like the student chapter of the United States Institute for Theatre and Technology and more.

    Undergraduate Majors in Visual and Performing Arts

    Not sure which major is the right fit? No problem. Just declare the General Sciences and Arts major, give yourself time, and decide when you arrive on campus. To learn more speak to an academic advisor.

    Undergraduate Minors

    Play an instrument. Sing in an ensemble. Act. Sculpt. Sew. Build. Students from all majors can perform, design, compose, and lead with a minor in the Visual and Performing Arts Program. We emphasize artistic, practical, and analytical attributes that round out your education and create lifetime memories. To learn more speak to an academic advisor.

    Tomorrow Needs You

    The world of entertainment is being transformed by technology, with applications expanding into event staging, museum displays, themed retail events, theme parks, and more. Supercharge your creative, analytical, and technical skills at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math. Graduate with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to entertain the world.

    "This is the place that laid the foundation of my theatrical knowledge that I then took and expanded in the years following my graduation."Ally Southgate '22, BS—Theatre and Entertainment Technology