Theatre Design & Technology BFA
- Major
- BFA
- In-Person
- Greeley
4 Years
Program Overview
Get hands-on experience, hone your skills and be part of theatre productions at UNC.
A degree in Theatre Design and Technology prepares you to work professionally in a lot of different fields. Whether you’re interested in scene painting, lighting design, costume design or even stage directing – this is the program for you.
Beyond your core classes, select your focus area and hone your skills as a creative to make the stage come to life.
Your focus area is 25 credits of focused classes combined with individual performance within stage productions. Go through technology, design, advanced design and weave in additional electives to round out your education.
See what your path to graduation could look like with a four-year plan.
Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Prestige in Theatre Arts
Little Theatre of the Rockies
Each summer, we operate the oldest professional summer stock theatre west of the Mississippi River! Students have the chance to perform and manage productions.
![Promotional photo from [title of show] performed summer of 2025.](/app/uploads/2025/09/25_ltr-checkerboard-theatre-tech.jpg)
Who’s who at UNC?
Some notable artists who studied at UNC!
- Susan Crabtree, ’80, co-author of three editions of “Scenic Art for the Theatre” and worked as a scenic artist for over 35 years, including at the Denver Center Theatre and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera.
- Melissa Kidd, ’06, costumer for episodes of “True Blood” and key costumer on episodes of “Angie Tribeca.”
- Danny Griego, ’91, spent 20 years as a scenic artist, ten of those as the charge artist at the Old Globe Theater in Balboa Park.
Your Possible Paths
Find out about the different aspects of this program! When you major in Theatre Design and Technology, you explore different hands-on aspects of stage production, management and everything behind the curtain.
Learn to create, select and tailor existing costumes to put audiences and actors alike into a story. You will work on mainstage productions to dress characters for success in an environment as close to a real-world production as possible. The space for learning is balanced by a professional-grade show.
If you want to make a show look worthwhile, focus on lighting design. Choose the energy of the stage, how the audience perceives them and set the mood for every scene. Learn how to create lighting plots, time out scene changes and translate all of that work to the stage.
Half of a show is the visuals, but the other half is the sound. Learn how to make violins stand out, make sure actors’ voices are heard in the very back row and keep the audience entranced. You can learn how to create a clean mix of sound from lots of different microphones and make performances shine.
Decide how to reflect the physical world on-stage. Read scripts to decide how each scene should come to life. Built sets, construct backgrounds and make sure everything on-stage is period accurate. Work alongside professionals to set yourself up for work after college.
Can you manage 60 people as the curtain rises? With stage management, keep the crew and actors on schedule and lead production meetings to make sure each performance is perfect.
Featured Alumni
Alum
“Normally in the industry, a costume designer will have a shopper who can go out and find things for them to choose from. But as a student costume designer, I am the shopper. So, I get to go out into the world and look for what I want. Then, I switch from designer to stitcher …"
Tim Cortez, '23
Theatre Design and Technology
Alum
“Educational theater at UNC is fantastic because you’re set to professional standards with some educational leniency, and it allows you to have all the tools at your disposal and definitely all the troubleshooting that you can imagine …"
Matt Pappas, '23
Theatre Arts
Alum
“I heard through the grapevine that UNC’s Theatre Design and Technology program in particular, has a lot of hands-on experience. It was a key point as to why I chose to come to visit UNC and enroll. I get to work and collaborate with students, professionals and professors who make it feel like a real-world experience."
Jordyn Good, '23
Assistant Stage Manager
Audition Process
After you apply to UNC, you’ll provide additional materials and interview for the program. Each program in our College of Performing and Visual Arts has specific requirements.
Have Questions? We're Here to Help!
- PVA@unco.edu
- (970) 351-2993
- Frasier Hall