It has been a busy and exciting year for the Master of Science in Themed Experience program. In 2021, after a multi-level, 36-month approval process, the Florida Board of Governors for the State University System of Florida unanimously approved UCF’s proposal to create the first MS graduate degree program in Themed Experience. UCF now has the only MS in Themed Experience in the country. We are also the only public research university to have a graduate degree of this kind.
UCF now has the only MS in Themed Experience in the country. We are also the only public research university to have a graduate degree of this kind.
In August of 2022 the first cohort of 12 MS students began their studies, joining more than 30 students pursuing a Themed Experience track as part of the MFA in Theatre. We are proud to note that many UCF Themed Experiences candidates already have obtained prestigious industry internships at Universal Creative, AOA, Nassal Corporation, EXP, Bungalow, Falcon’s Beyond and Walt Disney Imagineering.
In Fall 2021, MS students had the opportunity to participate in a collaborative class with Falcon’s Beyond, a leading themed entertainment design and production firm. The class met in Falcon’s X-lab and used proprietary state-of-the-art interactive virtual reality systems and software to create original themed content. The class was co-taught by Cecil Magpuri, founder and CEO of Falcon’s Beyond.
MS Themed Experience students also had the opportunity to collaborate in the classroom with Christie Digital, a world leader in projection technology. Christie donated $250, 000 worth of digital projectors and high-end hardware and software to UCF for ongoing learning experiences. The also provided onsite training and advisors to facilitate the effort.
We are also very proud to announce that this year also saw the first two students in the United States graduate with an MS in Themed Experience. These two students were able to transfer credits from the MFA Track and successfully complete all of the requirements for the MS and walked across the stage at graduation with the first cohort of graduating Themed Experience MFA candidates.
— Peter Weishar, Director of Themed Experience
