Future Career Opportunities
Where Our Graduates Can Go From HereOur undergraduate and graduate programs prepare students for careers in visual arts, performing arts, interactive media, visual computing and humanities. Students gain the practical, real-world skills and theoretical frameworks needed to become leaders in the highly competitive fine arts world of the 21st century.
Dance
A degree in Dance Science gives the dancer career options beyond the performer. Dance scientists are professionals who are employed by dance companies and dance training facilities throughout the world to devise effective training programs as well as advise dancers regarding nutrition and injury prevention/care. Graduates of the program have gone on to careers in:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Biomechanics and kinesiology
- Sports science
- Dance studio and fitness club ownership
- K-12 science and dance teaching
- Technical theatre
- Movement therapy (work with people recovering from trauma, people with disabilities and Parkinson’s patients)
- Professional dance (ballet and modern dance companies, as well as Broadway, music videos and professional dance teams such as the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Texans)
Music
The B.F.A. in Music Performance prepares students to become skilled solo and collaborative scholar-artists, both on and offstage. A comprehensive foundation of performance, theory and interdisciplinary collaboration will position students to enter multiple career paths, from working with orchestras and ensembles to curating and promoting innovative musical events. These roles include:
- Arranger/orchestrator
- Collaborative pianist
- Composer
- Ethnomusicologist
- Music educator
- Music publisher
- Orchestral musician
- Recording or live-sound engineer
- Singer-songwriter
- Sound designer
- Vocal coach
Affiliated Fields
- Arts administration and advocacy
- Booking agent
- Entertainment and tourism industry
- Entrepreneur
Performance and Visual Studies
Graduates are prepared for a broad range of careers, including cultural institutions (such as museums); intercultural industries (such as tourism); and the media/communication sector (such as music production). Students interested in continuing their academic training have been admitted to highly competitive Ph.D. programs around the country.
These roles include:
- Curator
- Historic preservationist
- Content creator
- Cultural policy advisor
- Grants manager
- Brand strategist
- Public relations specialist
- User experience (UX) designer
- Training and development manager
- Arts administrator
- Art critic
- Corporate trainer
- Public speaking coach
- Roles with cultural and arts organizations
- Roles in the media/communication sector
- Postgraduate studies
Theatre
A Theatre degree prepares students to become skilled professionals and entrepreneurs who can work across different areas of theatrical production, as well as for multiple career paths in a changing and dynamic world. These roles include:
- Producer
- Director
- Performer/actor
- Dramaturg
- Stage manager
- Intimacy coordinator
- Stage combat choreographer
- Scenic designer
- Costume designer
- Lighting designer
- Sound designer
- Theatre educator/teacher
- Theatre facilities manager
- Set construction/carpenter
- Prop maker
- Stage makeup designer
- Box office manager
- Voice coach
Affiliated Fields
- Film, television and video games
- Applied theatre, including working with seniors, youth, incarcerated populations and communities of faith
- Museums and heritage sites
- Arts administration and advocacy
- Arts education and youth engagement
- Entertainment and tourism industry, such as concerts, escape rooms, immersive entertainments, cruise ships and theme parks
Visualization
Our graduates are equipped with a unique balance of artistic insight and technical prowess that sets them apart from their peers. Students develop the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills needed to be successful in the field. Potential roles include:
- Technical director
- Look development artist
- Game-level designer
- Game designer
- Project manager
- Producer
- Visual effects artist
- Interactive media and analytics specialist
- UI/UX designer
- Graphic designer
- Web designer
Visual Computing and Interactive Media
Our Ph.D. program prepares students to apply their advanced skills toward groundbreaking solutions in fields where complex visual problems and challenges require sophisticated technical approaches. Potential roles include:
- Computer and information research scientists
- Academic researchers and world leaders in visual computing
- Specialists in artificial intelligence, computer graphics, computer vision, human-computer interaction, robot vision, virtual reality and visual computing