Ithaca College
Goals and Objectives
- Demonstrate knowledge of theatre operations through selling tickets, food and beverage retail management, and venue management and event planning through crowd safety certification.
- Apply strategic marketing tools, including advertising, promotion, publicity, and social media.
- Analyze their leadership potential through reflection on their skills and combine their business minor with their on-campus and off-campus opportunities.
- Appraise their strengths and weakness in theatre administration through summary of skills inventory, preparing for transition into the career field.
Curriculum
YEAR ONE – FRONT OF HOUSE PROFICIENCY
Your coursework begins with a strong foundation of theatre management principles and concepts.
Objective: Attain competency in venue and event management by selling tickets to the Ithaca College and local communities, developing excellent customer service skills, and learning practices for food and beverage service.
Skills Earned:
• Navigate and successfully sell tickets in Tessitura, the preferred ticketing platform in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.
• Patron interaction and management.
• Management of a staff of up to ten ushers and three box office personnel for a 50-seat studio theatre, 280-seat flexible theatre, and 500-seat proscenium theatre.
• Assist in opening night receptions and retail concessions at performances.
YEAR TWO – MARKETING GURU
Your coursework trains you to become a strategic and analytical decision maker using Tessitura Analytics to effectively promote six to eight productions per season.
Objective: Develop an understanding of theatrical promotion and publicizing through the use of marketing tools.
Skills Earned:
• Collaborate with classmates as a member of our student-led marketing team.
• Communicate with our Ithaca and regional Finger Lakes community through a variety of marketing communication tools like social media and print advertising.
• Develop succinct written communication skills.
• Enhance community relations through local outreach for productions.
YEAR THREE – LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Your coursework becomes business-focused with your choice of minor in the School of Business. Students have flexibility to pursue coursework in marketing, management, and entrepreneurship, among options for a second minor social sciences, modern languages, or live events management.
Third year students also have the opportunity, and are highly encouraged, to study abroad at the Ithaca College London Center, where they will immerse themselves in experiential coursework that features work placement opportunities, lectures, discussions, weekly theatrical walks through London, and play-going.
Objective: Hone leadership potential through a variety of theatre administration position on or off campus.
Skills Earned:
• Staff management and delegation with small and large teams.
• Active participation in the world community through various experiences.
YEAR FOUR – LAUNCH YOUR CAREER
Your coursework culminates in a capstone experience related to all areas in theatre administration.
Additionally, the entire fourth year class in the Center for Theatre and Dance attends Field Studies in New York City: a networking week of panels, workshops, and seminars with CTD alumni who are working in all aspects of the industry. You will hear stories of career triumphs and learn insightful lessons to help you jumpstart your career.
Objective: Catapult your skills and experience into the career market.
Skills Earned:
• Career-ready resume and cover letter to accurately portray skills and experiences.
• Reflect on the journey thus far and narrow down what the next chapter might look like.
Admissions
Required Materials
- A brief résumé that includes experiences in recent years that you believe would be helpful as the starting point for a conversation. You might include activities you’ve been involved in, honors and awards received, as well as other interests.
- A personal response (written or recorded) describing your post-undergraduate career goals and what kind of jobs or responsibilities in performing arts administration or a related field you would like to pursue. Written responses should be no more than 100 words. Recorded responses (audio only or video) should be no more than 1minute.
Students are encouraged to use standard technology/recording devices that are available to them (smartphones, tablets, etc.)
