Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting, Design and Technical Theatre, and Puppet Arts: Preparation for successful careers in performing arts, entertainment and cultural industries.
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies: Study of theatre within a liberal arts curriculum
Both programs are also considered as preparatory for graduate level studies. The department also offers the Master of Arts and the Master of Fine Arts degrees. Consult the Graduate Catalog for details.
Admission
Please consult Dramatic Arts website for current admission details.
Prospective Acting majors: Audition.
Prospective Design and Technical majors: Portfolio review in person or via SlideRoom and interview.
Prospective Puppet Arts majors: Audition, portfolio review and interview.
Prospective Theatre Studies majors: SlideRoom and interview.
Bachelor of Fine Arts Requirements
All students in the department are required to take at least one course within the major that contributes to the advancing of diverse perspectives. Courses that count toward this requirement include: DRAM 1501, 2136W, 3130, 3131, 3132, 3133, and 3139. When applicable, courses taken to fulfill this requirement may also be counted toward the department history and literature-based course requirement.
To fulfill their departmental writing in the major requirement, students in all three B.F.A. programs must complete one of the following courses: DRAM 2136W, 4135W, or 4711W.
All upper-level courses in Design and Technology, Puppet Arts, and Theatre Studies build upon the basic information literacy competencies introduced in ENGL 1007/1010/1011/2011. Students are expected to develop an understanding of how information is created, disseminated and organized in the performing arts, and develop abilities in accessing, evaluating, synthesizing and incorporating information into written, oral, or media presentations.
All B.F.A. students in Dramatic Arts (Acting, Design and Technical, and Puppet Arts majors) must complete the following courses: DRAM 2130, 2131, and six credits selected from the following literature and history-based courses: DRAM 2136W, 3130, 3131, 3132, 3133, 3138, 3139, 3611, 4135/W, and 4711W.
Additional course requirements for the B.F.A. major programs include:
Acting majors
Acting majors must also complete:
- DRAM 1215
- Two credits of DRAM 1282
- Three credits of DRAM 3182
- All 60 credits: DRAM 1701, 1702, 1801, 1802, 1901, 1902, 2701, 2702, 2810, 2812, 2901, 4701, 4702, 4703, 4704, 4705, 4811, 4911, 4912, 4931
Design and Technical majors
Design and Technical majors must also complete:
- All 24 credits: DRAM 1201, 1202, 1207, 1209, 1216, 1217, 1218, 2141
- 12 credits of DRAM 3199
- All 15 credits: DRAM 3201, 3220, 3301, 3401, 3501
- Nine credits from DRAM 3103, 3202, 3302, 3320, 3402, 3420, 3502, 3602, 3603, 3604
Note: Each Bachelor of Fine Arts student in the Design and Technical area, and any other student taking any of the digital design courses, must own a personal portable computer that meets or exceeds posted departmental performance standards. Students should expect to purchase an up-to-date version of Adobe’s Creative Cloud for Education and install it on their personal computer for most of their time in residence, either for design classes that require it or for production assignments as assistants and designers.
Puppet Arts majors
Puppet Arts majors must also complete:
- Six credits from the following courses: DRAM 1216, 1217, 1218
- One credit of DRAM 1282
- Six credits from: DRAM 3201, 3220, 3301, 3401, 3402, 3501
- 24 credits from: DRAM 3601, 3602, 3603, 3604, 3605, 3607, 3608, 3609
- All 27 credits from: DRAM 1201, 1202, 1207, 1209, 2130, 2131, 2141, 3610 (taken twice)
- Four credits of DRAM 3182 (to be selected from the following areas: fabrication, costuming, lighting, painting, properties, performance, and running crew)
Note: Puppet Arts students must own a personal portable computer that meets or exceeds posted departmental performance standards. It is recommended that students purchase the latest version of Adobe’s Creative Cloud for Education and install it on their personal computer.
B.F.A. in Design and Technical Theatre Supplementary Scholastic Standards Policy
To be considered in good standing, B.F.A. in Design and Technical Theatre students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.7 for all graded coursework as it appears on their university transcript. Design and Technical Theatre majors must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 based on all courses required within the major.
At the end of each semester all students are required to fully participate in the “Semester Review Exhibition Gallery” which affords faculty the opportunity to meaningfully assess each student’s progression and offer a recurring time to evaluate status. Through this, each student will be evaluated twice a year. Students with a grade point deficiency or who are found by their major advisor and/or faculty to have failed to maintain adequate progress and/or development will be placed on departmental scholastic probation.
Students on departmental scholastic probation are not eligible to be considered for leadership opportunities in departmental productions, nor are they eligible for funded field studies or conferences, or other special opportunities without an extenuating exception approved by the faculty.
During the subsequent semester, the student will have the opportunity to improve their standing. In the event that the student’s standing does not rise to the minimum level, they will be subject to dismissal from the B.F.A. in Design and Technical Theatre.
Semester Review Exhibition Policy
All Design and Technical Theatre students are required to participate in the “Semester Review Exhibition Gallery” when held each term. Participation is defined as meaningfully supporting the load in, presentation, and strike of the exhibition as assessed by the faculty.
The Semester Review Exhibition is a pedagogical cornerstone of our program with the following goals:
- Create an opportunity for students to practice the essential skills of public speaking/interviewing/presenting, which is prevalent especially in our “freelance” focused industry.
- Create real world connections and job prospects, network within the industry and with collaborators beyond any individual’s discipline, and scaffold career support beyond four years.
- Create an opportunity for students to practice the essential skill of self-assessment and self-evaluation in order to become participants in their own education.
- Assess individual progress and preparedness as students move through our program and in doing so equitably evaluate what the next steps are for each student’s path in the program.
Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Studies Requirements
All students in the department are required to take at least one course within the major that contributes to the advancing of diverse perspectives. Courses that count toward this requirement include: DRAM 1501, 2136W, 3130, 3131, 3132, 3133, and 3139. When applicable, courses taken to fulfill this requirement may also be counted toward the department history and literature-based course requirement.
To fulfill their departmental Writing in the Major requirement, Theatre Studies majors complete one of the following courses: DRAM 2136W, 4135W, or 4711W.
All upper-level courses in Design and Technology, Puppet Arts, and Theatre Studies build upon the basic information literacy competencies introduced in ENGL 1007/1010/1011/2011. Students are expected to develop an understanding of how information is created, disseminated and organized in the performing arts, and develop abilities in accessing, evaluating, synthesizing and incorporating information into written, oral, or media presentations.
Common Curriculum (33+ credits)
- At least seven credits from the following: DRAM 1216, 1217, 1218, 1282
- 15 credits from DRAM 1710, 2130, 2131, 2141, 4711W
- Nine credits of literature and history-based courses
- One credit of DRAM 4194
- DRAM 4901: Senior project (2.0 or better required for graduation) or an internship (satisfactory report)
Related Group (12 credits)
2000/3000/4000-level courses. These courses should be related (if applicable) to the student’s Theatre Studies concentration, yet these courses do not need to be from a single department or program. Competency areas might include History, Creative Writing, Journalism, Communications, Business, etc.
Only three of the 12 credits may be at the 2000 level.
These same courses may be used to satisfy other University requirements if appropriate.
Areas of Concentration (18 credits)
2000/3000/4000-level courses including all necessary prerequisites within the area of Theatre Studies concentration. Concentrations are not mandatory for the B.A. degree in Theatre Studies, but majors may opt to choose one of the concentrations listed below. If a concentration is not chosen, then students will take 18 Dramatic Arts credits at the 2000-4000 level with advisor consultation.
- Stage Management Requirements: A minimum of 18 credits of DRAM 2000-level or higher courses including DRAM 2711, 3103, 3199, 3301–3302, 3402, 4122, or others as approved by the advisor.
- Dramaturgy Requirements: A minimum of 18 credits of DRAM 2000-level or higher courses including DRAM 3130, 3131, 3132, 3133, 3139, 3141, 3142, 3199, or others as approved by the advisor.
- Playwriting Requirements: A minimum of 18 credits of DRAM 2000-level or higher courses including DRAM 3141, 3142, 3145, 3199, 3301, 3302, 4151, 4152, or others as approved by the advisor.
- Theatre Administration Requirements: A minimum of 18 credits of DRAM 2000-level or higher courses including DRAM 2711, 3103, 3121, 3199, 4122, or others as approved by the advisor.
- Theatre Directing Requirements: A minimum of 18 credits of DRAM 2000-level or higher courses including DRAM 2711, 2712, 3141, 3199, 3301–3302, or others as approved by the advisor.
Independent Study (DRAM 3199)
Open to students with a minimum departmental grade point average of 2.25 GPA and no outstanding incompletes for any other independent study courses.
Minors
A minor in Dramatic Arts and a minor in Puppet Arts are described in the Minors section of this Catalog.