Jun 12, 2013 · Actors study scripts, memorize lines and perform for an audience. Students pursuing an acting career major in theater arts. Many college theater programs award scholarships to talented students with good grades who excelled in high school theater. High school classes in drama and the humanities are helpful preparation for college-level work.
Jan 03, 2018 · Theater programs usually offer two kinds of degrees. There’s the BA (Bachelor of Arts) and the BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts), which can be specified like a BFA in Acting. BFA programs are the ones more likely to require an audition. As with most colleges, you must take general education or core classes in addition to your theater studies ...
Aug 19, 2011 · 16 or more units required. UCLA. 4 yrs. 3 yrs. 2 yrs. 2 yrs. 2 yrs (3 preferred) 1 year art and another college prep elective required. In general, it isn't difficult to meet these requirements if you put in a little effort as you plan your high school courses with …
VALDOSTA STATE UNIVERSITY. LOCATION: Valdosta, GA DEGREES OFFERED: BFA Theatre with an emphasis in Musical Theatre, Theatre Performance & Theatre Production AUDITION FACTS: As of the 2019-20 season, there were no prescreens required. However, all students must audition for admittance to the department. ALUMNI FACTS: Alumni from the program have been on the …
Rank | Declared degree | Percent with advanced degree |
---|---|---|
1 | Architectural Engineering | 29% |
2 | Construction Services | 12% |
3 | Computer Engineering | 40% |
4 | Aerospace Engineering | 51% |
Major | Unemployment rate |
---|---|
Computer science | 5.2% |
Political science | 5.2% |
Fine arts | 5.1% |
Sociology | 5.1% |
First you have to be accepted to the college or university, so you’ll have to apply just like everyone else. Then you’ll apply to the Theatre program you’re interested in. This doesn’t always hold true, but this is how many more elite programs do it.
There can and should be things you honestly find of value and interest because they reflect the true you. Volunteer, observe, act, build, sing, design, manage, write, read, and direct at all and any levels.
Some think a school that has both a BFA and an MFA in Acting means BFA students will get fewer performance opportunities, while others believe the professionalism of MFA students will improve the faculty. Here’s my way of figuring it out: do the MFA students have undergraduate degrees in Theatre? If so, you’ll see greater depth and professionalism, which may serve you well.
The BA is usually the Theatre program within a liberal arts college or university.
I believe that a broader degree is essential for a creating a solid base at the undergraduate level. That might mean you study voice, dance, acting, and/or light, costume, and set design rather than just one area. If it’s not a BFA program, choose applicable general education courses that can apply to your major.
Many programs hold auditions at various festivals across the country, while some of the more elite programs also attend the National Unified Auditions. Each school generally has only so many slots they’re trying to fill, so more selective programs with an abundance of applicants might hold special callbacks or invitations to audition at their campus.
Performance training ( not always accredited or with transferable credits ) and certificates (non-credit, non-degree) can be useful specifically when looking for specialized training. Some go for these programs because the focus is on performance.
Ithaca is a medium-sized private not-for-profit college located in the suburb of Ithaca. This college ranks 156th out of 1,715 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.
A Best Schools rank of #32 out of 2,576 schools nationwide means Holy Cross is a great college overall.
A Best Schools rank of #3 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of 65 out of 1,715 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
A degree in drama and theater arts is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #59 out of 368 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.
Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 136 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.
A Best Schools rank of #15 out of 2,576 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.
Related: College Audition Do’s and Don’ts. Theater programs usually offer two kinds of degrees. There’s the BA (Bachelor of Arts) and the BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts), which can be specified like a BFA in Acting. BFA programs are the ones more likely to require an audition.
A great thing about theater programs is the support system you develop. Working on shows requires long hours in tight spaces, where you really get to know your fellow players. The community is supportive and understanding, as everyone is usually after the same goal and in the same creative mind space.
If your high school doesn't offer advanced language courses or calculus, the admissions folks will typically learn this from your counselor's report, and this won't be held against you . The admissions folks want to see that you have taken the most challenging courses available to you.
In most cases, the strongest applicants to highly selective colleges will have four years of math (including calculus), four years of science, and four years of a foreign language. If your high school doesn't offer advanced language courses ...
While admissions standards vary greatly from one school to another, nearly all colleges and universities will be looking to see that applicants have completed a standard core curriculum. As you choose classes in high school, these core courses should always get top priority.
In general, it isn't difficult to meet these requirements if you put in a little effort as you plan your high school courses with your guidance counselor. The bigger challenge is for students applying to highly selective schools that want to see high school coursework that goes well beyond minimum core requirements.
Always keep in mind that your high school record is the most important part of your college application . When selecting classes, you may be handicapping yourself on the college admissions front if you take the easy path.
Students without these classes may be automatically disqualified for admission (even at open-admissions colleges), or they may be admitted provisionally and need to take remedial courses to gain an appropriate level of college readiness.
When colleges calculate your GPA for admissions purposes, they will often ignore the GPA on your transcript and focus solely on your grades in these core subject areas. Grades for physical education, music ensembles, and other non-core courses are not as useful for predicting your level of college readiness as these core courses. This doesn't mean that electives aren't important, as colleges do want to see that you have a breadth of interests and experiences, but they simply don't provide a good window into an applicant's ability to handle rigorous college courses.
However, because there can be upwards to 1500-2000+ students auditioning every year for places in acting and musical theater programs, it is essential to know what other programs are out there that also offer the training, faculty, and facilities that help young artists get ready for careers in the performing arts. Some programs become top choices for students because they offer what they are looking for in a school. The truth is that there is no “perfect” school, but there can be a perfect school for each person!
DEPARTMENT FACTS:VSU hosts Peach State Summer Theatre, The Official Musical Theatre of Georgia, which is a professional summer stock company that performs three musicals per season. Roles and positions in the productions are competitively selected, and several majors participate. The regular season, combined with Peach State, will provide you with extensive experience.
AUDITION FACTS:UCF does require a prescreen for the BFA Musical Theatre but does not for the BFA Acting program, though you will still need to go through an audition process.
MY EXTRAS:Orlando is an excellent entrainment location; there are SO many opportunities for performers and technicians to get real-life experience while enrolled in college.
AUDITION FACTS:As of the 2019-20 season, there were no prescreen requirements. However, those wanting to gain admittance to the BFA Musical Theatre program will need to audition for the program.
If you’re wanting to pursue a career in acting or just wondering about it, then taking a theatre class is a good first step. You’ll have the opportunity to learn the basics of acting and what it takes to be in a play or TV and movies.
When you audition for a play and get the part, hopefully, you will be spending a lot of time with your fellow actors and actresses. You all start to grow a connection with your same love of the acting arts. You get to share a huge bond with each other and hopefully, they will be future friends and future cast mates.
When you take theatre, you’ll have to do some acting at some point, depending on the class. Having those acting skills will help you become more interactive with the real world and even if you don’t like it you can act your way through it.
Nowadays, many working adults, high school graduates, and retired lifelong learners are choosing to advance their careers, lives, and personal knowledge by completing school at home.
We’re also very much aware that getting a BFA in musical theater is no guarantee of work. We have a family friend who has been on Broadway in two Tony award winning shows, her college degree has nothing to do with what she does on stage. We have another family friend with a BFA in musical theater from a big name school who has significant debt and still lives at home at 30 years old with no history of professional, paid performance work.
To perform. Not necessarily go to college.
The decision was by no means easy. It sent each of us into a funk of depression for days. We were the first in our families to graduate with Bachelor’s degrees (and only one of our parents graduated high school). My husband and I had put ourselves through college with student loans and grants. We assumed our daughter would take out loans too. It’s what every student does, right?
Being in a theater class is like being part of a community – you have to work together in order to make a community better. Theater involves taking responsibilities, solving problems creatively, and accepting team challenges.
Your normal college classes can get stressful at times, but theater can help you release that tension. Some acting exercises require you to tap into your real-life emotions, so you can use any stress about an upcoming exam or assignment and put it into your character. Make that character come to life!
Theater gives you a chance to be someone else and live in a different space and time. It gives you the chance to escape reality (which we all need once in a while).
For those of you who are shy, like myself, getting on a stage may be something that you never want to do . However, performing in front of strangers has a way of making you get over those crazy self consciousness feelings you have.
Aspiring theater students can also embark on a path of independent study, reading up on the acting techniques developed by industry greats like Stanislavski, Chekhov, and Strasberg and participating in private instruction. For example, many communities offer classes and workshops designed to help amateur actors hone their craft. Seeing professional plays and musicals also helps students expand their knowledge base.
Theater programs provide students with the foundational skills they need to pursue careers in acting, directing, stage management, and more. Additionally, they introduce young thespians to the history of theater and dramatic literature, allowing them to get their hands dirty building sets, making costumes, and directing their fellow actors on ...
CollegeVine’s Early Advising Program exists to support freshmen and sophomores whose high schools might not provide them with the personalized advice they need to achieve their long-term goals. To that end, we pair every student with a mentor who went to a top 30 college or university. Boasting specialized training and access to CollegeVine’s unique tools and technology, our mentors assist students every step of the way. From offering tips on class selection to helping students choose hobbies and extracurricular activities, we’re there to support students throughout their academic journeys.
As college majors go, drama represents a noble path. Over the years, theater has served a vital function in society, entertaining people in times of joy and lifting their spirits during periods of strife. Not only does theater have the ability to educate and inform, but it also brings people together, creating a sense of community even in the most divisive circumstances.
Additionally, students can opt to participate in school plays as actors or stage managers. Not only does this experience provide students with valuable insight into what life is like for theater majors, but it also enables them to show off their passion to admissions committees.
If you’re passionate about entertaining the masses, majoring in theater/drama might be the ticket to your dream career. And luckily there are numerous schools throughout the U.S. that boast exceptional programs in this field. Keep reading to learn how majoring in theater can benefit you in a wide range of career paths, along with tips on getting into the program of your dreams.