Theater opportunities if not doing a BFA (UCLA, USC etc)

tauro
Sun, 04 Aug 2024 02:03:01 +0000

Hi! I would look more closely at the programs you are interested in: UCLA does not have a BFA option. Only a BA in Theater (they have four emphasis areas you can study in: Acting, Design/Production, Integrated Studies, and Musical Theater.)

The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale is a graduate program only-- it’s very rare for undergraduate students to be allowed in courses through this school.

Yes, BFA/BA performance opportunities will vary school by school. Some schools do BFA-only productions, in addition to shows open to the whole school (I believe USC and UMN does this. They both offer BA and BFA tracks in theater). USC and UCLA also have a ton of student-led organizations with performance opportunities. Like others said, so does Northwestern.

If you’re looking into schools as competitive as Northwestern and Yale, I’d throw in Williams (they host the Williamstown Theatre Festival) and Sarah Lawrence (not as selective, and they have amazing foreign exchange programs within theater).

Chapman is also a phenomenal arts school with both BA and BFA programs. SMU has a stacked lineup of teachers too, but they only have a BFA no BA.

NYU has a boatload of majors (BFA and BA) within Tisch and other areas that should be considered if finances are not a big worry (financial aid is notoriously not great). They also have high placements in MFA programs and in the industry. It is a massive department/school (approx ~3,000 undergrads) compared to even USC (~600 students in the SDA).

Best of luck with your search!