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College of Arts + Architecture

College of Arts + Architecture at UNC Charlotte

A Center Of Creative, Performing And Fine Arts In North Carolina

The College of Arts + Architecture attracts a diverse community of artists, designers, actors, dancers and musicians. The arts and architecture disciplines spur vital research, provide cultural leadership and sustain our quality of life. In this stimulating interdisciplinary environment, students routinely cross boundaries, collaborate and engage communities. Experiential learning is at the center of an arts and architecture education, where creative research marries thought with action.


Art & Art History

Earn degrees in art history, art education, graphic design or studio art. Gain core visual literacy and become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers — skills that apply to a range of career paths.

Career Fields:

  • Art Authenticator
  • Art Advisor (Private Collectors)
  • Art Blogger/Editor/Critic
  • Art Librarian/Visual Resource Curator
  • Arts Organization Consultant
  • Artist's Representative/Agent
  • Artist
  • Art Publishing (Antiquarian)
  • Art Crime Investigator
  • Art Exhibit Installer
  • Art Insurance Adjustor
  • Art Economist
  • Architectural Conservator
  • Art Investing/Art Lending
  • Art Lawyer
  • Auctioneer
  • Conservator/Art Restorer/Conservation Scientist
  • Curator
  • Designer
  • Fine Arts Expert Witness
  • Museum Reproductions/Retail Manager
  • Museum Administrator/Director
  • Photographer
  • State Arts Agency Director/Staff Member
  • Teacher

Architecture

Study architecture, urban design or computational design on two campuses and in active research and design labs, studios and global travel. Become future community and architectural leaders.

Career Fields:

  • Advanced Environmental Systems Designer
  • Advanced Materials and Structural Systems Designer
  • Digital/Automated Building Manufacturing Designer
  • Internet of Spaces Designer
  • Urban Designer
  • Immersive Reality Modeler
  • Virtual Simulation Designer
  • Digital Wayfinding Designer
  • High-Performance Building Designer
  • Sustainable Building Systems Integration Designer
  • Performative Computation Architect
  • Parametric Architect
  • Sustainable Design Architect
  • Virtual Simulation Designer
  • Building Information Modeler
  • Public Interest Designer
  • Chief City Experience Officer

Dance

Earn a BA degree with concentrations in performance and choreography or dance education. Train across diverse dance practices: contemporary dance, ballet, vintage jazz, and styles from West Africa and Latin America.

Career Fields:

  • Dancer (ballet company, opera house, or musical theater company)
  • Choreographer
  • Notator
  • Dancer (large-scale theme park, Las Vegas production or cruise line)
  • Dancer (music videos and commercials)
  • Music Video Choreographer, Trainer, Coach
  • Dance Company Marketing/Public Relations
  • Arts Organization Grant Writer, Development Officer
  • Artist Management and Representation
  • Arts Facilities Operator
  • Special Events Planner for a Ballet Company or Arts
  • Organization
  • Dance Teacher at a Dance Studio or School
  • Dance or Movement Therapist
  • Sports trainer or Pilates instructor
  • Physical Therapist
  • Massage Therapist
  • Yoga Instructor/Studio Owner
  • Dance Studio Owner
  • Dance Writer/Critic

Music

From Wind Ensemble to Gospel Choir; from Improvisational Jazz to Chamber Orchestra; music students put theory to practice as artists who master both individual craft and collaborative performance.

Career Fields:

  • Accompanist
  • Acoustics Designer
  • Arranger
  • Artist Management
  • Artistic Director
  • Arts Administrator
  • Audio Engineer
  • Audio Producer
  • Band Director
  • Choral Director
  • Composer (TV, film, concert, video games)
  • Concert Manager/Promoter
  • Conductor
  • Copyright Consultant
  • Educator
  • Game Development Producer
  • Instrument Builder, Designer
  • Music Librarian
  • Music Agent
  • Music Critic/Writer
  • Music Curator
  • Music Publisher
  • Music Teacher
  • Music Therapist
  • Performer
  • Producer
  • Recording Engineer
  • Royalty Analyst, Royalty Accountant
  • Songwriter
  • Sound Designer
  • Studio Manager
  • Talent Scout
  • Vocal Coach

Theatre

Master theater fundamentals before choosing a concentration: performance, design/tech, directing, dramaturgy and dramatic writing, applied theatre and theatre education (leading to a North Carolina teaching license).

Career Fields:

  • Actor
  • Audience Relations Specialist
  • Booking Agent
  • Special Effects Technician
  • Publicist Grants Specialist
  • Acting Coach
  • Property Designer
  • Casting Director
  • Costume Designer
  • Director
  • Hair/Makeup Coordinator
  • Producer
  • Playwright
  • Press Agent
  • Stage manager
  • Set designer
  • Lighting Designer/Technician
  • Sound Designer/Technician
  • Stage Crew
  • Stage Manager
  • Stunt Choreographer
  • Box Office
  • Theatre Marketing Manager
  • Dramatherapist
  • Theatre Writer/Critic
  • Event Planner
  • Theatre Teacher

Shaping North Carolina’s Future

The College of Arts + Architecture includes nearly 1,000 students, thousands of alumni and more than 100 full-time faculty members. We originate from places near and far and bring diverse creative influences, practices and cultures to the table. As artists and architects, we imagine possibilities and solve problems to improve quality of life and enliven civic space. We innovate, mentor and craft, and in the process, shape North Carolina's arts and design communities.

Alumni

Imagine the possibilities of networking and co-creating with classmates and peers who arrive from cities and small North Carolina towns and have taken their voices to global arts hubs like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and hundreds of places in between. The alum writing in a national academic journal on how to simultaneously deepen awareness and set students free at the convergence of contemporary dance and mindfulness/meditation. The ceramic artist and Temple University professor who designed a 3D clay printer to create metaphorical landscapes. The classmates chosen to exhibit Ebb and Flow of Rural Black Spaces which explores “the evolution and deterioration” of rural Union County.

Alumni

Faculty

Imagine the benefits of learning and creating alongside world-class mentors and teachers. An art professor supported by the National Science Foundation who joined with engineers and geologists to compare the impact of climate change on rock formations in California and Israel. Two architectural research teams considering whether passive solar systems can both power buildings and filter interior air. A theater teacher named as a 2020 National Theater Project finalist for his company’s contemporary circus work La Bestia, which addresses immigration and migration through acrobatics, music, and spoken word.

Faculty

North Carolina Culture and Voices

North Carolina embraces countless artistic and architectural perspectives and heritages — classical and contemporary; rural and urban; traditional and avant-garde. We are proud to celebrate the many voices of artists and design professionals who strengthen and bring life to the Charlotte community and beyond.

Stacey Rose
“Look at the people around you for drive and inspiration. They are your resource… your partners in exploration.”
Stacey Rose, Playwright
Honored by fellowships from the Dramatists Guild, Goodman Theater, and Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Stacey returned to Charlotte to establish the Queen City New Play Initiative.
Adé Hogue, Artist/Designer
"I had never taken an art class in high school or college...the accomplishment of getting into the BFA program meant that maybe I had finally found what it was I should be doing in life. I’ll never forget that feeling."
Adé Hogue, Artist/Designer
An experienced designer and specialist in hand-created type and lettering, Adé has works with brands such as PayPal, Nike, ALDI, ESPN, Teavana, and more. Recently, he was selected by Print magazine, as one of "15 creatives under 30 who are shaping tomorrow's design landscape."
Lilly Willis, Dancer
“I began to feel that grad school could be a realistic part of my future. I was able to have meetings with faculty members to learn more, and to begin to think through what graduate experiences I might be interested in. As a student, I felt very supported, and continue to, now.”
Lilly Willis, Dancer
Lillian Willis is a member of Transitions Dance Company and a graduate student at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, pursuing an MA/MFA in Dance Performance.
Daniel Tolbert, Actor
“My education at UNC Charlotte prepared me for where I am today because both the craft and business of acting require a lot of discipline. I knew I had to put in the work to accomplish the goals I set. I realized I had to separate myself to stand out.”
Daniel Tolbert, Actor
A working actor in Los Angeles, where he has recently worked on three films: Chameleon (released in 2020), Neurotic Beauty and The Good Teacher (both in post-production).
Joshua Morris, Architect
"I am so proud of my UNC Charlotte peers – they have infiltrated every aspect of architecture globally, working at top firms and doing really great work, improving the world."
Joshua Morris, Architect
As Chief Operating Officer at Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG), a leading international architectural acoustic and media engineering consulting firm, Josh builds studios for musicians like Bruce Springsteen, David Crosby, Alicia Keys, Jay-Z, and Trombone Shorty.
Larsen Sigmon, Singer
“Every single professor cares about your personal success and will help you in any way that they can.”
Larsen Sigmon, Singer
With her vocal performance degree, Larsen moved to Nashville, Tennessee, right after graduation to pursue her career in music. There, she worked at ASCAP as a licensing associate, where she sold music licenses on behalf of recording artists, songwriters, composers, authors, and publishers so they could get paid in royalties. It was through connections at this position that she received her job working at the Country Music Awards.
1st Place In Sound Design
1st Place In Sound Design
1st place in the Sound Design competition at the 71st Annual Southeastern Theater Conference (SETC) convention awarded to UNC Charlotte music student Gianna Agostino.
Obie-Award winning playwright
Obie-Award winning playwright
Caridad Svich—winner of the 2018 Ellen Steward Award for Career Achievement in Professional Theatre by the Association for Theatre in Higher Education.
$16.5 Million
Emmy-award winning costume designer
Amy Andrews Harrell—Emmy-award winning costume designer and Hollywood costume supervisor.

Alumni Across the Carolinas

UNC Charlotte alumni live, work, teach and support communities throughout the state.

North Carolina
  • Asheville, NC
  • Charlotte, NC
  • Concord, NC
  • Durham, NC
  • Fayetteville, NC
  • Greensboro, NC
  • Greenville, NC
  • Jacksonville, NC
  • Raleigh, NC
  • Rocky Mount, NC
  • Wilmington, NC
  • Winston-Salem, NC

Ready To Claim Your Voice?

Take the first important step and contact the College of Arts + Architecture, one of North Carolina’s top arts and architecture programs.