Theatre: Lighting Design & Technology, BFA
for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre, Lighting Design & 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, Lighting Design & 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.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
fulfilled by THEA 304 | ||
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| 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
| 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 | |
Required Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Choose one below: | ||
| Total Hours | 49-52 | |
General Non-Theatre Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Non-Theatre Electives | 9 | |
Summary of Credits for Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Core Requirements for All Theatre Majors | 24 | |
| Concentration Requirements | 49-52 | |
| General Non-Theatre Electives | 9 | |
| Free Electives as needed to total 128 hours | ||
| Total Credits for BFA in Theatre | 128 | |
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.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Composition I | 4-6 | |
| Advanced Composition | 3 | |
fulfilled by THEA 304 | ||
| Humanities & the Arts (6 hours) | 6 | |
| 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
| 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 | |
Lighting Design & Technology Concentration
| 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 4 total hours) | 4 |
| THEA 126 | Stagecraft | 3 |
| THEA 153 | Introduction to Theatre Sound | 3 |
| THEA 222 | Introduction to Scenic Design | 3 |
| THEA 231 | Intro to Lighting Design | 3 |
| THEA 300 | Practicum III (repeated for 4 total hours) | 4 |
| THEA 400 | Practicum IV (repeated for 4 total hours) | 4 |
| THEA 423 | Advanced Lighting Design | 3 |
| THEA 426 | History of Decor | 3 |
| THEA 431 | The Lighting Laboratory | 3 |
| THEA 433 | Business of Entertainment Design | 2 |
| THEA 435 | Professional Lighting Systems | 2 |
| THEA 437 | Software for Lighting Design | 2 |
| THEA 451 | Principles of Stage Management | 3 |
| Choose 3 credit hours: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Costume Production | ||
| Introduction to Costume Design | ||
| Choose 3 credit hours: | 3 | |
| Lighting for Non-Theatrical Spaces and Styles | ||
| Advanced CAD Drafting for Lighting Designers | ||
| Digital Rendering for Lighting | ||
| Lighting Opera & Musicals | ||
| Advanced Problem Solving for Lighting Designers | ||
| Total Hours | 49 | |
General Non-Theatre Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Non-Theatre Electives | 9 | |
Summary of Credits for Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, concentration in Lighting Design & Technology
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Core Requirements for All Theatre Majors | 24 | |
| Lighting Design & 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 Lighting Design & Technology | 128 | |
for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre, Lighting Design & 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.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| FAA 101 | 1 | Composition I or Language Other than English (3rd level) | 4 |
| Composition I or Language Other than English (3rd level) | 4 | THEA 100 | 1 |
| THEA 100 | 1 | THEA 122 | 3 |
| THEA 121 | 3 | THEA 231 | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | |
| General Education course | 3 | General Education course | 3 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| THEA 200 | 1 | THEA 200 | 1 |
| THEA 100 | 1 | THEA 208 | 3 |
| THEA 123 | 3 | THEA 222 | 3 |
| THEA 126 | 3 | THEA 426 | 3 |
| THEA 435 | 2 | General Education course | 3 |
| THEA 437 | 2 | General Education course | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | ||
| General Education course | 3 | ||
| 18 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| THEA 119 | 1 | THEA 119 | 1 |
| THEA 300 | 2 | THEA 300 | 2 |
| THEA 304 | 3 | THEA 364 | 3 |
| THEA 423 | 3 | THEA 431 | 3 |
| THEA 153 | 3 | General Non-Theatre Elective | 3 |
| General Education course | 3 | Free Elective course | 3 |
| Free Elective course | 3 | ||
| 15 | 18 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| THEA 119 | 1 | THEA 119 | 1 |
| THEA 400 | 2 | THEA 400 | 2 |
| THEA 404 | 1 | THEA 433 | 2 |
| THEA 451 | 3 | General Non-Theatre Elective | 3 |
| THEA 242 or 243 | 3 | Free Elective course | 3 |
| General Non-Theatre Elective | 3 | Free Elective course | 3 |
| THEA 432 or THEA 491 or THEA 492 or THEA 493 or THEA 494 | 3 | Free Elective course | 2 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Total Hours 128 | |||
for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre, Lighting Design & Technology Concentration
Student Learning Outcomes
- Communicate design and production ideas to collaborators through graphic skills, language and research and the ability to analyze and interpret creative, critical and theoretical works.
- Demonstrates the practical application of learned methodologies including the ability to communicate ideas, concepts, and requirements in order to successfully fulfill a role related to lighting design for a stage production.
- Demonstrates working knowledge of professional practices across genres of theatre, musical theatre, opera, dance and non-traditional venues and styles of design.
- Gain the practical ability to see their designs come to life from concept through realization by collaborating on current productions with peers, faculty, staff and guest artists.
- Demonstrates necessary skills and knowledge to acquire an entry-level position in the field of lighting design and technology including significant technical mastery, showing the capacity to produce work and solve problems independently.
for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in Theatre, Lighting Design & 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 email
College of Fine & Applied Arts
FAA College Website
Admissions
Overview of the College of Fine & Applied Arts Admissions & Requirements
University of Illinois Undergrad Admissions
admissions@illinois.edu