2026-2027 Course Catalog

Source: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/faa/theatre-bfa/scenic-technology/ Parent: https://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/

for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre, Scenic Technology Concentration

Level 21: Design, Technology and Management Concentrations

Level 21 reflects the design, technology and management disciplines in theatre arts.  It has seven unique yet inter-related concentrations in:  Arts + Entertainment Technology, Costume Design + Technology, Lighting Design + Technology, Scene Design, Scenic Technology, Sound Design + Technology, and Stage Management.  Freshman and sophomore students learn the foundations of theatrical production with a focus on acquiring practical skills for application in advanced course work and in  theatre productions.  Junior and senior students participate in advanced study in their chosen discipline supported by one-on-one faculty mentoring of assigned projects.  Students in this area are the designers, technicians, managers, artisans and crew for over a dozen theater, musical theater, dance and opera productions at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and work on these shows in various roles throughout their entire course of study.

for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre, Scenic Technology Concentration

Graduation Requirements

Minimum hours required for graduation: 128 hours.\ Twelve hours of 300 and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus.

University Requirements

Minimum of 40 hours of upper-division coursework, generally at the 300- or 400-level. These hours can be drawn from all elements of the degree.  Students should consult their academic advisor for additional guidance in fulfilling this requirement.

The university and residency requirements can be found in the Student Code (§ 3-801) and in the Academic Catalog.

General Education Requirements

Follows the campus General Education (Gen Ed) requirements. Some Gen Ed requirements may be met by courses required and/or electives in the program.

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | Composition I | | 4-6 | | Advanced Composition | | 3 | | fulfilled by THEA 304 | | | | Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | | 6 | | fulfilled by THEA 122 & THEA 208 | | | | Natural Sciences & Technology (6 hours) | | 6 | | Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 hours) | | 6 | | Cultural Studies: Non-Western Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Cultural Studies: US Minority Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Cultural Studies: Western/Comparative Cultures (1 course) | | 3 | | Quantitative Reasoning (2 courses, at least one course must be Quantitative Reasoning I) | | 6-10 | | Language Requirement (Completion of the third semester or equivalent of a language other than English is required) | | 0-15 |

Core Requirements for all Theatre Majors

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | FAA 101 | Arts at Illinois | 1 | | THEA 100 | Practicum I | 2 | | THEA 200 | Practicum II | 2 | | THEA 121 | Theatre Foundations: Performance | 3 | | THEA 122 | Theatre Foundations: Theory and Practice | 3 | | THEA 123 | Theatre Foundations: Production | 3 | | THEA 208 | 21st Century Dramaturgy | 3 | | THEA 304 | Global Theatre Performance | 3 | | THEA 364 | Topics in Theatre History | 3 | | THEA 404 | Professional Career Development | 1 | | Total Hours | | 24 |

Scenic Technology Concentration

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | THEA 100 | Practicum I (in addition to the THEA 100 credits required in the theatre core) | 1 | | THEA 119 | BFA Production Seminar (repeated for 3 total hours) | 3 | | THEA 126 | Stagecraft | 3 | | THEA 220 | Survey of Theatrical Design | 3 | | THEA 223 | Introduction to Stage Rigging | 3 | | THEA 300 | Practicum III (repeated for 4 total hours) | 4 | | THEA 400 | Practicum IV (repeated for 4 total hours) | 4 | | THEA 419 | Theatrical CAD Drafting (repeated for 4 total hours) | 4 | | THEA 426 | History of Decor | 3 | | Choose 15 hours from: | | 15 | | THEA 391 | Individual Topics | | | THEA 407 | Production Management | | | THEA 414 | Figure Drawing for Theatre Design | | | THEA 420 | Shop Practice | | | THEA 421 | Welding for the Stage | | | THEA 422 | Structures for the Stage | | | THEA 424 | Automation for the Stage | | | THEA 427 | Scenic Painting I | | | THEA 429 | Scenic Technology Topics | | | THEA 430 | Technical Direction I | | | THEA 447 | Costume Rendering | | | THEA 448 | Costume Crafts | | | THEA 485 | Prop Furniture Construction | | | THEA 489 | Leatherworking Techniques | | | THEA 495 | Capstone Project (if selected, must be taken twice for 2 total hours) | | | Choose 6 credits: | | 6 | | THEA 222 | Introduction to Scenic Design | | | THEA 231 | Intro to Lighting Design | | | THEA 242 | Introduction to Costume Production | | | THEA 243 | Introduction to Costume Design | | | THEA 451 | Principles of Stage Management | | | THEA 452 | Principles of Arts Management | | | THEA 453 | Introduction to Theatre Sound | | | THEA 456 | Properties Design | | | THEA 461 | Introduction to Media Design | | | THEA 497 | Audio Engineering I | | | Total Hours | | 49 |

General Non-Theatre Electives

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | General Non-Theatre Electives | | 9 |

Summary of Credits for Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, concentration in Scenic Technology

Course List

 | Code | Title | Hours |

| --- | --- | --- | | General Education Requirements | | | | Core Requirements for All Theatre Majors | | 24 | | Scenic Technology Concentration Requirements | | 49 | | General Non-Theatre Electives | | 9 | | Free Electives as needed to total 128 hours | | | | Total Credits for BFA in Theatre, concentration in Scenic Technology | | 128 |

for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre, Scenic Technology Concentration

Sample Sequence

This sample sequence is intended to be used only as a guide for degree completion. All students should work individually with their academic advisors to decide the actual course selection and sequence that works best for them based on their academic preparation and goals. Enrichment programming such as study abroad, minors, internships, and so on may impact the structure of this four-year plan. Course availability is not guaranteed during the semester indicated in the sample sequence.

Students must fulfill their Language Other Than English requirement by successfully completing a third level of a language other than English. See the corresponding section on the Degree and General Education Requirements page.

for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre, Scenic Technology Concentration

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Demonstrates practical application of learned methodologies to successfully fulfill a leadership role for a stage production.
2. Demonstrate proficiency in technical, managerial and leadership skills required to attain professional, entry-level positions in the live entertainment industry.
3. Demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate ideas, concepts and outcomes through the build, load in, tech and performance of a stage production.
4. Demonstrate the ability to synthesize independently acquired knowledge through the successful execution of a capstone project.
5. Demonstrates the ability to analyze and interpret creative, critical and theoretical works in the field of theatre and performance, both past and present.

for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre, Scenic Technology Concentration

Theatre

Theatre Department website\ Theatre Department faculty\ 4-122 Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, 500 South Goodwin Avenue, Urbana, IL 61801\ (217) 333-2371\ theatre@illinois.edu

College of Fine & Applied Arts

FAA College Website

Admissions

Overview of the College of Fine & Applied Arts Admissions & Requirements\ University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Undergrad Admissions\ admissions@illinois.edu