The School's Academic Programs
4-year Bachelor Degree Majors
2-year Associate Degree Majors
The curriculum of each program in the School of the Arts is designed to introduce students to a theoretical foundation and engages them in the practical application of what is learned in the classroom. Throughout the year, professionals are invited as guest speakers in the classroom. Students are encouraged to attend and are taken on field trips to radio/television studios, theatres and other arts & entertainment venues.
Arts & Entertainment Management (Bachelor’s Degree)
Students who major in Arts and Entertainment Management have a passion for the arts, a focus on the creative artist and the audience, and a strong commitment to helping arts and entertainment organizations fulfill their mission. Professional arts and entertainment managers directly contribute to the continued vitality of modern culture. Students in the Arts & Entertainment Management program build skills through courses in key areas, including Arts and Entertainment Management, Business, and Liberal Studies as well as a focusing on a concentration in Multidisciplinary studies, Performing Arts, or Media Arts. Students gain valuable experience in the area of their concentration by participating in on-campus productions and workshops as well as completing a semester-long internship for a hands-on learning experience.
Communication Arts (Associate Degree)
The Communication Arts program emphasizes the discipline needed to succeed in the communications industry. Students in this program gain valuable experience and have the opportunity to obtain a variety of communications skills on the college’s 175-watt stereo radio station (WGAO 88.3 FM) as on-air personality or a news and/or sports commentator. The Digital Media Arts Center, which houses the college’s video facility, provides students with an opportunity to serve as directors, camera operators, floor supervisors, and editors.
Theatre (Associate Degree and Bachelor’s Degree)
- Theatre Arts—Theatre (A.A.)
Students in the Theatre Associate Degree Program develop knowledge in all areas of the theatre arts, including performance, technical production and design.
- Theatre Arts—Musical Theatre (A.A.)
Students in the Musical Theatre concentration of the Theatre Associate Degree Program train in all three areas of musical theatre: music, theatre, and dance.
- Theatre (B.A.)
The Bachelor’s Degree Program in Theatre builds on a student's passion for theatre and provides practical and theoretical skills necessary for a lifelong career in theatre. The program includes courses in acting, technical production of stagecraft and lighting, directing, teaching, and stage management—combined with required hands-on experience each and every semester. Students learn critical career skills throughout the curriculum resulting in an education that promotes the synergy between the craft and business of one's art to build a sustainable career.
Students in all the theatre programs are provided with the opportunity to audition for and participate in a variety of performances including four full scale productions each year, the fall Cabaret production, and can take part in student directed one-act plays. Students have further performance opportunities by enrolling in the Musical Theatre Ensemble course. In addition, students take technical production classes that build skills that pertain to the behind-the-scenes side of theatre including stagecraft and lighting. Students are exposed to professional guest artists and can attend regional and national performances to expand their knowledge of the theatre arts.
