Theatre Arts - BFA, BA

About This Degree

The Department of Theatre Arts at USU believes that a well-trained theatre artist or educator must have a working knowledge of all areas and aspects of theatre in order to be truly successful.

What You Will Learn

The department strives to help students acquire and develop the tools needed to succeed in their future pursuits by emphasizing general training, which provides students with a broad background of courses and practical experiences, plus advanced training within their emphases. A few of the areas in which students gain experience are design, technical work, acting, and education. Each student in this program will receive the individual attention required to learn and grow within the theatre arts.

Students in the theatre arts major can earn either a BFA or a BA degree. The BFA is a professional art degree requiring above-average accomplishment in the arts. Students must first apply and be accepted to the professional degree program.

To receive a BA, students must gain proficiency in one or more foreign languages. Students pursuing the BA receive a degree in general theatre arts. This is a four-year program designed for students who want a more comprehensive liberal arts background in theatre. This emphasis prepares students for graduate study and is also appropriate for those entering the field of stage directing.

Emphases:

Students may choose an emphasis in one of the following areas.

Acting (BFA):

The acting emphasis is for students desiring to become professional performers. Coursework for this emphasis covers acting, voice, movement, and directing fundamentals. It also provides an understanding of the technical and design responsibilities of any production.

Theatre Design and Technology (BFA):

The theatre design and technology emphasis is for students interested in the operations and physical settings of performance production. Coursework covers makeup, stage lighting, scene design and construction, costume design and construction, as well as performance and literature skills. Students in this emphasis must focus on one of the following areas: costume design, scene design, lighting design, or technical production.

Theatre Arts Theatre Education (BFA):

Students in the theatre education program study all aspects of theatre as they prepare to teach theatre in schools at all levels or to work in educational roles with professional theatres. Coursework covers theatre/drama pedagogy (K-12), theatre for young audiences, applied theatre, performance, directing, technical theatre, and theatre history/literature.

Education Component

This is for the theatre education emphasis only. In order to obtain a secondary teaching license for grades 6-12, students must complete the 35-credit Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP), which includes one semester of student teaching in a public school. This program is administered by USU’s School of Teacher Education and Leadership (TEAL) within the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. Student must apply to the School of TEAL the semester before taking STEP courses. This is usually the fall of their junior year. Students learn subject content through the Theatre Arts Department, and spend the last year or two studying education techniques through the STEP program.

Students in the art teaching program are required to select an approved teaching minor in order to expand their career options.