Theatre Arts - BFA, BA

About This Degree

The Department of Theatre Arts at Utah State University prepares students to become artists, educators, and innovators in the performing arts.

Combining rigorous academic study with hands-on production experience, the program emphasizes both breadth and depth. We offer students a strong foundation across all areas of theatre as well as opportunities for specialized training in performance, design/technology, and education.

Whether pursuing a BFA or BA, students gain the skills, discipline, and creative vision to succeed in professional theatre, graduate study, and beyond.

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts (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. This program provides students with the flexibility to pursue an additional major. The BA degree requires foreign language training and the completion of additional related study courses.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a rigorous, pre-professional degree designed for students who are passionate about pursuing excellence in theatre arts. This program combines intensive training with academic study, preparing students for both professional careers and advanced graduate study. With specialized emphases in areas such as acting and theatre education, and specialized tracks in costume design, scenic design, lighting design, and production technology, the BFA emphasizes both artistic discipline and creative exploration.

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.

Tracks:

Costume Design (BFA):

The Costume Design track is for students desiring to become professional costume designers who excel in artistic and technical design and want to work at the highest levels of professional theatre. Coursework for this track covers design theory, costume construction skills, artistic rendering, text analysis, and collaborative development. The costuming track also provides an understanding of the artistic, technical, and design responsibilities of any production. Students can specialize in design and shop management.

Scenic Design (BFA):

The Scenic Design track is for students desiring to become professional scenic designers who excel in artistic design and rendering and want to work at the highest levels of professional theatre. Coursework for this track covers design theory, architectural drafting and rendering, scenic construction skills, text analysis, and collaborative development. The scenic track also provides an understanding of the artistic, technical, and design responsibilities of any production.

Lighting Design (BFA):

The Lighting Design track is for students desiring to become professional lighting designers who excel in artistic design and technical production and want to work at the highest levels of professional theatre. Coursework for this track covers design theory, lighting technician skills, console programming, computer automated previsualization, text analysis, and collaborative development. The lighting track also provides an understanding of the artistic, technical, and design responsibilities of any production.

Production Technology (BFA):

The Production Technology track is for students desiring to become professional technicians who excel in the greater scope of technical production and want to work at the highest levels of professional theatre. Coursework for this track covers basic design theory, shop technician skills, text analysis, and collaborative development. The production technology track also provides an understanding of the artistic, technical, and design responsibilities of any production. In addition, the production technology track can offer advanced training in stage management, audio, and video projection design.

Emphases:

Acting (BFA):

The acting emphasis is a pre-professional degree, preparing students for a performance career and/or admission to graduate studies in acting. The comprehensive curriculum covers skills necessary for success in the profession, including acting, voice, movement, combat, literature, history, and theory. The capstone experience introduces performers to major market cities and provides a production project for creation of a showcase, website, reels, and other necessities for a career launch.

Acceptance into the acting program is competitive and, in addition to the USU application, the emphasis requires an audition, interview, and supporting documents. The program functions on a cohort system with a limited number of annual admissions. Retention must be earned by personal growth and commitment, along with the performance faculty’s annual evaluation of satisfactory progress.

Theatre Education (BFA):

The theatre education emphasis is for students interested in teaching K-12 theatre in schools and professional theatre companies. Coursework covers theatre/drama pedagogy (K-12), theatre for young audiences, applied theatre, performance, directing, technical theatre, and theatre history/literature. Students will complete theatre coursework and apply to the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP), where they will take additional education-focused courses and complete one semester of student teaching in a public school. STEP program is administered by USU’s School of Teacher Education and Leadership (TEAL) within the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services.