Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts Technology

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts Technology prepares students for careers in music production, recording, composition, and performance; studio and live sound engineering; interactive multimedia design; and music and sound for film, television or video games. During the first two years, students gain experience with a broad range of topics and possibilities in the field, and then specialize in the areas of most interest to them during the latter two.

Curriculum

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts Technology requires a minimum of 120 credits: coursework is 75% within SMTD and 25% within the liberal arts. SMTD coursework to include:

  • Computer Music Composition and Arranging
  • Sound Recording and Production
  • Electronic Music History and Theory
  • Performance: Digital Music Ensemble and Electronic Chamber Music
  • Creative Coding
  • SMTD Music Theory and Musicology Core
  • Art & Design / Screen Arts & Cultures electives
  • PAT Senior Thesis
  • Six upper level PAT Electives chosen from: Advanced Studio Production I and II; Immersive Media; Image, Sound, and Story; Practicum in Music and Sound for Film; Interactive Media Design I and II; Performance Systems; Digital Sound Synthesis; Advanced Psychoacoustics; Technical Ear Training and Critical Listening; Digital Fabrication for Acoustics; Contemporary Practices in Research and Scholarship; Business of Music
  • Additionally, students may select a Concentration—18 credits of focused study in a complementary area. Concentration options are: Engineering, Visual Arts, Computer & Information Sciences, or Multidisciplinary Studies. The Multidisciplinary Studies Concentration allows students to select courses in any one or more disciplines of their choosing in coordination with their academic advisor.

Silent Advisor

Degree requirements and term-by-term layout for current students.

Faculty


Jason Corey

Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Music
Performing Arts Technology

John Granzow

Associate Professor of Music
Performing Arts Technology

Michael Gurevich

Chair of Performing Arts Technology and Associate Professor of Music
Performing Arts Technology

Zeynep Özcan

Assistant Professor of Music, PAT
Performing Arts Technology

Chris Vrenna

Assistant Professor of Music
Performing Arts Technology

Julie Zhu

Assistant Professor
Electroacoustic Music, Intermedia Composition, Music + AI

Brehm Technology Suite

Serving as the community hub for PAT students, faculty, and collaborators, this concentrated suite of technologically-rich facilities has had a transformative effect on the PAT Department—building community and supporting a broad range of creative activities.

Performance Opportunities

From large ensembles in celebrated concert halls to chamber groups in intimate recital spaces, performance opportunities across all disciplines abound, with nearly 900 student performances each academic year. Whether your focus is on early, classical, or contemporary music, whether your passion is for jazz, electronic, or world music, there is an ensemble—or in many cases, multiple ensembles—to suit your interests, including specific opportunities for percussion, piano, and organ & carillon. For students in theatre & drama, musical theatre, dance, and opera, opportunities abound in both professionally produced and student-run presentations.

Questions?