# Lighting Design Colleges



## Shakspeares suck (Jul 2, 2009)

Hey all, just looking for some feedback at the programs at the following colleges that I am considering. Thank you, anything is appreciated.

SMU
TCU
Texas
OU
St. Louis
Evansville
Viterbo
Webster
BU
Northwestern


THanks again,

Michael


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## midgetgreen11 (Jul 2, 2009)

Most colleges don't offer a _degree_ in Lighting Design, from what I hear. Usually you would obtain a BFA or a BA in Technical Theatre or Design & Technology with a concentration in Lighting Design. Often how good your Lighting Design education is comes from what you make of it.

For Instance, the University of Rhode Island has one of the worst Technical Theatre programs I've seen, but a graduate from the program has since moved to New York and is now working Broadway.

On that note, congratulations on getting so many callbacks. I probably won't be doing college auditions next year after my junior as I have looked into some schools I'm interested in attending, none of which appeared at the festival.

Good luck in your college pursuit!


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## Shakspeares suck (Jul 2, 2009)

midgetgreen11 said:


> Most colleges don't offer a _degree_ in Lighting Design, from what I hear. Usually you would obtain a BFA or a BA in Technical Theatre or Design & Technology with a concentration in Lighting Design. Often how good your Lighting Design education is comes from what you make of it.



Aye I know, I was just saying that. Preferably i want a B.F.A. in Design with emphasis in Lighing, but it really doesnt matter to me


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## dbthetd (Jul 3, 2009)

I'd be happy to talk to you about a BFA in Drama with a lighting design emphasis at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh. We have an outstanding program. You can reach me at db4r AT andrew.cmu.edu


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## mrtrudeau23 (Jul 3, 2009)

another college you might consider is uw stevens point. i am going to be a junior this fall in the BFA Design and Technology program with an emphasis in lighting and sound. it is a great college without paying for a private school. three of our professors who direct shows have worked on broadway for quite a few years and students do most of the design work for the entire season. we are also one of the few schools in the state with a theatre department that requires a separate audition/interview for admission.
if you have questions i'd be glad to help out.


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## natethegreat (Jul 4, 2009)

Congratulations on the callbacks! They are all good colleges-the best for lighting would prbly be Evansville, Viterbo, or Texas (assuming that is University of Texas at Austin). UT has a lighting design degree and i think they have a concentration in Intelligent Lighting. They really have some good lighting opportunities for undergrads even thought they have a grad program. I had a friend who started designing lights as a sophomore. (thats where I'm going this upcoming fall). But if you can.....Carnegie Mellon!!!! I was going to go there till I saw the price tag :/

Best of luck to you in the future


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## propmonkey (Jul 4, 2009)

i know a guy at webster for musical theatre and my cousin's roommate is going to viterbo for technical theatre currently. im going to uw miwaukee but i have only been there a year so i cant really comment right now. the last week of the semester my friend told me about uw parkside and i started looking in to it and it looks decent.

theres a few other topics regarding school for lighting design.


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## Shawncfer (Jul 4, 2009)

Im assuming since most of your colleges are in texas, your from the Texas area?

Well I am too, and im looking for the same exact thing. I hear UT has one, but i have a family of aggies and cant break myself to go to UT. But I need to pick something soon. Im about to be a senior.


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## natethegreat (Jul 4, 2009)

Shawncfer said:


> I hear UT has one, but i have a family of aggies and cant break myself to go to UT. But I need to pick something soon. Im about to be a senior.



Thats the same way with me-my whole family went to A&M, uncles were in the corps...etc. etc. If your looking for a theater college in texas though, UT is the best in the state. I'll be going to UT this fall, and I am actually looking forward to it. If you a;ready know what it is you want to do in life, the important part is going for your education in that field rather then the reputation and traditions of a school. One thing's for sure though-I'll still be wearing maroon when I'm eating my turkey!

If you are interested in UT, get in touch with me later on in the year about a college visit and ill show you around!


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## TheSwami (Jul 6, 2009)

Hi Michael.

Since Northwestern's School of Communications doesn't offer B.F.As, you'd be working toward a straight B.A. or B.S. in Theatre there. The grad program is small but strong; as the primary designers of the departmental shows, the graduate students will (with some prodding) mentor undergraduate designers and recruit them to assistant-design the mainstage shows.

NU's real benefit for the undergraduate designer is the student theatre community. There are 40+ student-produced, student-directed play on campus each year, plus over a dozen acapella groups, 10+ dance troupes, a smattering of improv shows, and so forth. In short, around 80 non-department shows per year on campus, and since NU isn't really known as a "good tech school," the rare undergrad designer has her pick of projects. I was able to start designing lights as soon as I hit the ground; I'll be a Junior in the fall, and I've already got more than a dozen design credits under my belt, for everything from dance shows to musicals to greek tragedy, not to mention a boatload of assistant work, TDing, being the CFO of a student theatre organization... there's lots to do.

If you want more info on student theatre at Northwestern, it has its own wiki, at nustudenttheatre.org. And feel free to PM me if you'd like to know more.

73, and apologies for the "I like my school a lot" post. But it's true, I do like it a whole lot.


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## ishboo (Jul 12, 2009)

A cousin of mine goes to Viterbo and she really likes it from what I've talked to her about it. I also live rather close to OU and I've talked to a handful of students and teachers from there and they seem to have a very nice program there too. Have you considered CCM or DePaul, those are two schools I have looked at and they are somewhat nearby, I am also looking into lighting design and they had interesting programs.


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