History and Mission
The visual and performing arts at Texas A&M University are being elevated like never before. With a technology-infused foundation, the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts was created to bring together visual arts, performing arts, interactive media, visual computing and humanities.
In the fall of 2022, three existing programs joined forces: Dance Science, Performance and Visual Studies and Visualization. New degree programs in Theatre and Music Performance were created in 2024.
A Master of Fine Arts in Dance and a Ph.D. in Visual Computing and Interactive Media began in 2025. The college now features five undergraduate degrees, five graduate degrees and 12 minors.
The college’s reach extends to the Texas A&M-Fort Worth campus as well, and it is the home of the Virtual Production Institute. Launched in 2024 and funded by the 88th Texas Legislature, the institute integrates real-world scenarios and the latest in extended reality technology to advance problem-solving and support workforce development across industries.
The result of this rapid growth and innovation? Students are gaining the practical, real-world skills and theoretical frameworks needed to become leaders in the highly competitive fine arts world of the 21st century.
The College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts is for students who love to explore new ways of seeing the world and who understand the magic that can happen when beauty and technology merge. This is home for actors, animators, musicians, dancers, composers, choreographers, painters, game designers, ethnomusicologists, art historians, costume designers, virtual production specialists and more.
Leading the way are accomplished faculty and staff with expertise working at the intersection of theory and practice across the arts, sciences and technology.
Tim McLaughlin was named dean in 2024, and the inaugural recipient of the Ray Rothrock ’77 Endowed Dean’s Chair. McLaughlin earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Design from Texas A&M University in 1990 and a Master’s Degree in Visualization Sciences in 1994. He worked in visual effects at Industrial Light & Magic and Lucasfilm Animation before returning to campus to lead Visualization in 2007. He served as interim dean of the new college from its inception in 2022.
“I’ve been involved in many big projects in my career, both in industry and at this university, but I’ve never been a part of such sustained commitment to a vision over such a wide range of initiatives,” McLaughlin said. “The level of enthusiasm and support on campus, from our alumni and our community, has sent a clear message that this college is doing things that Texas A&M needs, and we’re doing it at the right time.”