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BFA Design & Production

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Design & Production is designed to prepare students for success in the professional theatre industry. By combining conservatory-style training with a strong liberal arts education, our students explore, develop, and hone their craft to become well-rounded artists with valuable skill sets that will prepare them for professional success.

Join us for the upcoming Design & Production Playhouse Event

Plan of Study

Core Learning Goals

Our core learning goals have been woven into all aspects of this rigorous four-year program from classroom and studio work, to rehearsals and productions in our mainstage season.

  • Technique
  • Analysis
  • Professionalism
  • Collaboration
Costume Construction

Careers

Areas of emphasis may lead students to any number of theatre careers including:

  • Costume Designer 
  • Lighting Designer 
  • Scenic Designer 
  • Technical Director 
  • Master Electrician 
  • Scenic Painter
  • Cutter/Draper
  • Stitcher
  • Props Master
  • Scenic Welder
Striping Stairs

The Millikin Difference

The small school environment at Millikin University offers students many advantages including:

  • Individualized attention
  • Studio classes capped at 16
  • Annual progress evaluations
  • Faculty/student mentorships
  • Interdisciplinary Collaborations
Light Hang KFAC
Phantom Costume Renderings

Hands-on Learning

Design & Production students hit the ground running with assignments beginning in the first semester. As students develop their skills, their assignments gain significance leading them to fully realized designs on our mainstage season. Design & Production students will choose their area of emphasis from the following disciplines:

  • Costumes
  • Lighting
  • Scenery
  • Technical Direction
Fire Breathing Skull

Mainstage Season

Millikin’s mainstage season provides Design and Production majors with many opportunities to practice their craft and gain valuable design and technical experience. A typical season will include:

  • 3 musicals
  • 2 plays
  • 1 dance concert
  • In alternating seasons an opera co-produced with the School of Music or a 3rd play
Phantom Chandelier

Why Choose Millikin?

There are a number of things that help set Milllikin apart from other schools:

  • Small school environment
  • First-rate faculty
  • National reputation
  • New Center for Theatre and Dance (opening fall 2020)
  • Work in 3 vastly different performance spaces
  • Mainstage design opportunities
  • Master classes with working professionals
  • Shakespeare Corrected
  • Study abroad in our London Semester

Theatre Design & Production, BFA Required Courses

The BFA in Theatre: Design and Production Concentration requires 124 total credits to graduate, 81 of which must be in the major. In addition to completing the Theatre Core and University Studies requirements, students must also complete the following:

Design & Production (39 credits)

  • TH135. Elements & Principles of Design (3)
  • TH235. Design & Production Seminar (6 semesters, 6 credits)
  • TH242. Theatrical Make-up (1) TH255. History of Style (3) TH336. History of Theatre and Drama II (3)
  • TH491,492. Design & Production Cornerstone Project (3)
  • TH496. Design & Production Capstone Project (3)
  • TH115, 215, 315, 415. Theatre Laboratory: Mainstage (8)
  • Topics in Art History, 300 level (3)
  • Two technical theatre courses not taken as part of the Theatre BFA Core (6)
    • Choose two of the following:
      • TH151. Fundamentals of Lighting (3)
      • TH152. Costume Construction (3)
      • TH154. Scenic Construction (3)

Design & Production Studios (choose 21 credits from the following)

  • TH109. Drawing for Theatre (3)
  • TH220. Sound for Theatre (3)
  • TH221. Rendering Techniques (3)
  • TH251. Drafting for Theatre (3)
  • TH252. Scenic Design for Theatre (3)
  • TH351. Costume Design (3)
  • TH352. Lighting Design for Theatre (3)
  • TH354. Costume History (3)
  • TH356. Special Topics in Costume (3)
  • TH358. Special Topics in Lighting (3)
  • TH451. Theatre Props (3)
  • TH452. Scenic Painting (3)
  • TH453. Technical Direction (3)

Additional Requirements (6 credits)

  • Dramatic Literature/Theory/Criticism (6 credits)

All BFA in Theatre, Design & Production Emphasis students are required to do production work every semester while at Millikin. All students shall maintain a portfolio for yearly review. Upper-class students may be asked to design one or more main stage productions.