Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre Arts

Below are the minimum requirements for the BA degree in Theatre Arts. For a complete list of courses, click here.

Minimum Requirements

49:025 Acting I - 3 sh
49:043 Elements of Design - 3 sh (majors with art background, see adviser about substitutions)
49:044 Theatre Crafts - 3 sh
49:060 Play Script Analysis - 3 sh
49:112 History of Theatre and Drama I - 3 sh
49:113 History of Theatre and Drama II - 3 sh
Dramatic Literature Requirement - 3 sh (such as: 049:072, 114-119, 180-188, 192-193)

Production Component

Three semester hours from the following (all are repeatable):

49:045 Production: Run Crew (prereq 49:044) - 1 or 2 sh
49:046 Production: Crew Chief (prereq 49:045) - 2 sh
49:047 Production: Construction (prereq 49:045) - 1 or 2 sh

The following courses each waive 1 semester hour of production:

049:147 Technical Production I
049:148 Technical Production, Special Topics

One of the following:

Any playwriting course numbered 49:063 or higher
49:130 Directing I - 3 sh
49:172 Senior Seminar - 3 sh
49:194 Dramaturgy - 3 sh

Six semester hours from Theatre Arts courses numbered 100 and above

Total required semester hours 33

Electives

Students may take as many hours in Theatre Arts as they wish, and all will be included on their transcripts. However, only 50 hours will count toward the graduation requirement of 120 semester hours for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

Maximum Total: 50 sh

Major Requirement Guidelines

It is strongly recommended that Acting I, Elements of Design, Theatre Crafts and Play Script Analysis be taken as soon as possible, ideally within the first year of declaring a Theatre Arts Major. They are prerequisites to many classes.
If a student declares a Theatre Arts major while enrolled in 49:002 OR 49:003, s/he may substitute that course for the corresponding History of Theatre and Drama course (i.e., 49:002 for 49:112 or 49:003 for 49:113). S/he must, however, take the other History of Theatre and Drama course at the 100-level.
Undergraduate majors are required to take one of the following courses in Design: Elements of Design, Theatre Design, Drawing and Rendering, or Drafting. After completing one of these courses students may take levels one through three in scenery, lighting or costume design courses with permission of the instructor. Undergraduate designers are strongly encouraged to take studio and history courses in the Art, Media and other departments to broaden their education. The most promising undergraduate designers are permitted to take upper level design classes, may design department productions, and are eligible for portfolio reviews in their senior year.

General Education Requirements

For General Education Requirements see the Degree Evaluation on ISIS, an online tool that allows students to view information including their class schedule, grades, financial aid, admission profile, tuition and fees, and university bill. Log into ISIS now.

Majors are also strongly encouraged to choose courses other than 49:001 Art of the Theatre to satisfy the General Education Requirement in Humanities. Only three Theatre Arts courses can be counted as General Education credits. Majors are encouraged to take as broad a range of courses as possible in the arts, humanities, languages, and social sciences.

Graduation with Honors

Theatre majors with a minimum GPA of 3.33 are encouraged to pursue an Honors Project. In the next-to-last semester, the Honors Candidate will select a topic and submit a formal prospectus for approval by the project and honors advisors. The candidate will complete the project under faculty supervision during his/her final semester (with enrollment in 49:197). Most Honors projects include:

A major writing component
A public presentation of the work
An oral examination or discussion of the work with the student's Honors Advisor