Entertainment Technology Center company

The Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) at Carnegie Mellon is pushing the boundaries of traditional education. Focused on bridging the gap between the arts and technology, the ETC offers a Master of Entertainment Technology degree, jointly conferred by the College of Fine Arts and the School of Computer Science.

ETCAs entertainment technologies improve, artists and programmers alike are devising new methods to transform the old world of animation and special effects to a phenomenal blend of sophistication and reality. Leading this charge are renowned Carnegie Mellon engineers, actors, designers, and computer scientists, each with a unique vision to bring to the table.

The ETC is a project-based learning center, where students learn by doing. Co-founded by Randy Pausch and Don Marinelli, the center aims to have technologists and fine artists work together on projects that produce artifacts that are intended to entertain, inform, inspire, or otherwise affect an audience/guest/player/participant. If the description sounds open-ended, that's because it is—students are encouraged to try new things and explore areas of fascination.

The ETC is famous on campus for its flagship course Building Virtual Worlds, where students work in interdisciplinary teams to create interactive worlds every two weeks. The course is highlighted by the final showcase, which has become a campus must-see event.

Corporate sponsors of the ETC include Walt Disney Imagineering, Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Intel, and many more. In addition to Pittsburgh, the ETC has global initiatives in Silicon Valley, Australia, Japan, and Singapore.