| It's definitely important that you make sure you know what a BFA is before you decide you are sure you want one...they are definitely not for everyone, even all serious performers (which I assume you are!). I know people working in the industry who are amazingly talented and dedicated, but who have decided to go for a more flexible BA. The BFA means that your degree requirements are different so you have a much higher percentage of classes in your major (usually for MT or Acting its around 80% requirements in drama, 20% or less in general ed or liberal arts requirements).
The BA has fewer specific drama requirements and more liberal arts requirements for the degree, the BA is usually more well rounded in the field of drama, since you would probably take classes in other areas of theater along with the performance aspect like maybe playwriting, directing, or others. With the BFA you have no flexibility on the classes you take, the curriculum is much more focused...you might only take one liberal arts course a semester, and the rest of the classes would be probably acting, voice, speech, movement or dance, maybe a drama related literature or history study. With a BA you get much more of a college experience, the BFA is usually on a schedule that is different from everyone else's in the university, so they are kind of off on their own. Classes for BFA's usually run from 9 or 10 AM to 10 or 11 PM with often mandatory crew assignments for upper classmen shows or with rehearsals. It's an incredibly busy schedule, so you can't count on doing much outside of the department at a lot of the top, most intense, schools. Again, BA's have more flexibility and options.
BA's usually prepare students to receive an MFA in the concentration that they are most interested in after graduation. BFA's prepare you for going straight into the profession of acting. In the industry, a BFA or MFA looks better--as they are the true professional acting/musical theater training...but usually in the industry they do not care where you went to school or what degree you got, as long as you have the talent and technique, so BA students can do just as well if they do a good program (I believe Northwestern has a BA program for musical theater, but their training is still one of the most highly regarded in the country). Sometimes BA students have an advantage because they have the opportunity to pursue professional work while in college, whereas BFA's are usually not allowed to audition for outside shows.
Some schools have separate seasons of shows set aside for BFA students to perform in, and often BA students cannot audition for them (sometimes they can).
I'm going the BFA route (for Acting, though, not MT) because I am 100% positive I could not spend my time doing anything but the artistic training...I want the full schedule and the extreme concentration on ONE discipline! If you are the same way, go BFA. If you want a full college experience, a flexible schedule and an overall more well rounded education, go BA route. I'm sorry if I'm rambling--I've had to answer this question a lot when all my academic teachers and relatives ask me what I'm doing for college--and I hope I've answered your question!! |