<p>At some schools that could work. My D strongly considered UMinn’s BA, for example. With APs and other advanced credits, she could have probably put together a program that would have equaled a BFA in the curriculum. What would have been different would have been that the theatre classes would have been open to most students in the university, rather than taken in a structured way by an auditioned group of auditioned students. There are pluses and minuses to each option. </p>
<p>At another BA that she considered, she found that there weren’t enough broad-based classes in Theatre, even though it was a very nicely experience-based program. There were lots of classes in Acting, Directing, etc. but none in Design or Tech. Yet in some Acting BFAs, the students can’t take anything but Acting classes, so it’s something you have to look at. My D made a prospective 4 year plan of coursework at all of the schools she was accepted to, and made her decision where the pieces fit together the best for her needs. There were other factors that influenced her, too - such as location and cost.</p>
<p>Depending on how many schools you want to bother applying to (and paying application fees for), you don’t have to be incredibly detailed at the beginning of the process. But it’s a good idea to have some understanding of what the major includes. My D removed quite a number of BAs that did not have training classes, and some BFAs that had very little academic focus. That was her preference.</p>