About the Program
The Bachelor of Science in Themed Entertainment Design prepares students to create immersive, narrative-driven experiences that blend storytelling, design, technology, and interactive media. Rooted in visual communication, 3D modeling, animation, digital imaging, and experiential branding, the program develops creative professionals who can conceptualize, design, prototype, and produce themed attractions and immersive environments for entertainment, cultural, and commercial contexts.
Students build a strong foundation in design principles, color theory, typography, sketch visualization, geometric modeling, and digital painting before advancing into themed attraction planning, immersive virtual realities, multisensory experience design, experiential branding, and virtual reality interface development. Coursework integrates narrative design, operations, engineering awareness, spatial computing, generative AI, and interactive technologies to prepare graduates for the evolving themed entertainment industry.
Throughout the curriculum, students develop portfolios demonstrating both artistic vision and technical proficiency. They gain experience in world-building, animation, previsualization, virtual and augmented reality, multisensory installations, and collaborative production workflows. Emphasis is placed on user-centered design, accessibility, ethical digital practice, data-informed design decisions, and professional self-promotion.
The program culminates in a multiple capstone and professional requirement experiences in which students conceptualize and produce an immersive project in partnership with industry. Graduates are prepared for careers in themed attraction design, animation, interactive design, experiential marketing, immersive media production, virtual reality development, exhibition and museum design, branded environments, and related creative technology fields. The degree also provides strong preparation for graduate study in immersive media, digital design, or entertainment technology.
Themed Entertainment Design at Purdue University in Indianapolis
Themed Entertainment Design Major Change (CODO) Requirements
Critical Course
The ♦ course is considered critical.
In alignment with the Degree Map Guidance for Indiana’s Public Colleges and Universities, published by the Commission for Higher Education (pursuant to HEA 1348-2013), a Critical Course is identified as “one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major. Students who want to be nurses, for example, should know that they are expected to be proficient in courses like biology in order to be successful. These would be identified by the institutions for each degree program.”
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