With the start of the fall semester on August 18, Ringling College of Art and Design will launch three new innovative undergraduate certificate programs designed to equip students with cutting-edge skills for today’s creative industries. The new programs—Creative Entrepreneurship, Professional Lighting, and Virtual Production—offer specialized training and hands-on experience with beyond-industry-standard tools, techniques, and workflows, empowering students to thrive in rapidly changing and highly competitive fields across the entertainment, media, and design sectors.
The Creative Entrepreneurship Undergraduate Certificate empowers artists and designers to apply entrepreneurial thinking and business acumen, equipping them with the entrepreneurial mindset and business strategies needed to launch, grow, or contribute to creative ventures. Designed for students seeking to shape their own professional paths in the rapidly evolving creative economy, the program supports a range of career goals, from building a freelance practice to starting a business or innovating within an existing company.
Through a focused three-course curricular pathway, students gain a foundation in entrepreneurship tailored specifically to the creative industries. Coursework emphasizes language, tools, strategic thinking, and market awareness, enabling students to identify opportunities, respond to trends, and develop sustainable business models. The certificate culminates in a final project that reflects their creative vision with a strong grasp of branding, planning, and entrepreneurial execution.
The Professional Lighting Undergraduate Certificate equips students with the technical skills and conceptual knowledge needed to apply professional lighting techniques across creative industries, including photography and cinematography. The program explores how light, shadow, and contrast can be used to create volume and depth in two-dimensional media. Students gain insight into the physics of light, including the inverse square law, reflection, and contrast ratios, while learning to apply lighting techniques to a range of subject matter in a controlled studio environment.
Throughout the program, students work hands-on with professional lighting equipment and studio tools, follow a digital color-managed workflow, and develop best practices for health and safety in a studio setting. Upon completion, they will produce a digital portfolio showcasing a progression from foundational to advanced lighting techniques—preparing them to enter creative fields such as commercial, editorial, product, or portrait photography, as well as cinematography, with a competitive edge and a professional body of work.
The Virtual Production Undergraduate Certificate provides students with a comprehensive education at the intersection of traditional filmmaking and cutting-edge digital technology. This program introduces learners to the rapidly evolving field of virtual production, combining practical film production skills with real-time game engine technology to prepare them for innovative roles within the entertainment industry.
Students gain hands-on experience working with advanced tools such as state-of-the-art LED wall technology and real-time rendering software, learning virtual production workflows that are reshaping how films and media are created. By bridging traditional techniques with emerging digital processes, the certificate equips students to contribute confidently to projects that blend physical and virtual elements in today’s entertainment landscape.
These certificates open exciting pathways for students to build meaningful careers at the forefront of creativity and technology. Read more about all of our undergraduate certificate programs on our website.
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