Join Us!: Programs and Courses
As Shakespeare said, “The readiness is all.” To help you prepare for your chosen goals in life, the SFA School of Theatre offers you not only production opportunities but also a broad range of liberal arts and pre-professional theatre studies.
Programs
All theatre majors must complete a basic Theatre Core of 35-38 semester credit hours.
This degree is appropriate for those students who seek a broad liberal arts program with an emphasis on theatre, but also additional opportunities such as a minor in another field.
Curriculum consists of 49 semester hours of Theatre courses:
- General Theatre Core (35 hours)
- Theatre Production (5 hours)
- Theatre Electives (9 hours)
It also requires a minor or second major in another discipline:
Popular Minor Subjects for Theatre MajorsNEW! Music Minor in Voice for Theatre Majors
Created exclusively for theatre majors and available only by audition with voice faculty in the School of Music, this minor features two semesters of music theory and aural skills (6 semester credit hours), two semesters of class voice (2 hours), two semesters of private voice lessons (2 hours), four semesters of choir participation (4 hours), 2 semesters of recital attendance (0 credit hours), one semester of Musical Theatre Repertoire and 8 additional hours of music electives. Overall, at least 9 hours of these requirements must be advanced (300-499) level. Contact the director of the School of Music or voice faculty members Dr. Deborah Dalton or Prof. Bruce Fowler for more details.
Dance
Art
This minor includes one semester of drawing, one semester of art history, one semester of design and nine hours of art electives (at least six of which must be advanced (300-499) level. Many theatre majors choose art electives in the area of film/video production (cinematography) to prepare for work in the screen industries.
Radio/Television
This minor includes two semesters of introductory courses, two semesters of audio and video production, and two semesters of advanced-level radio-television courses.
Film Studies
This interdisciplinary minor includes two semesters of film-oriented English courses, two semesters of film/video production courses in the School of Art, two semesters of History of Cinema, and one upper-level elective course. Note that no theatre (THR) courses used to fulfill requirements for this minor may also be used for the theatre major.
Psychology
See information for Psychology.
History
A plethora of other minors and second majors is available. Recent graduates have minored or had a second major in anthropology, criminal justice, English, hospitality administration, philosophy, physics, and political science, among other disciplines. Please consult the General Bulletin to see if the subject that interests you is among them.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre with all-level (EC-12) certification qualifies graduates to teach in Texas public schools from early childhood through high school classrooms.
Curriculum requires 51 semester hours in theatre.
- General Theatre Core (35 hours)
- General Education Core (6 hours)
- Theatre Production (5 hours)
- Theatre Electives (5 hours)
At least 27 hours in professional educational courses area also required for certification.
- download the BFA-Acting & Directing program flyer
- download the BFA-Technical Theatre & Design flyer
- download the BFA-Stage Management flyer
This degree is a pre-professional program designed to prepare the student for a career in the theatre profession or for advanced study. Students admitted to the B.F.A. program can concentrate their efforts in technical theatre and design, stage management, or acting and directing.
Curriculum consists of a minimum of 81-82 semester hours of major courses, and requires no minor. Each BFA candidate emphasizes one of three areas: 1) Acting and Directing, 2) Technical Theatre and Design, or 3) Stage Management. BFA candidates are admitted by audition, normally in the spring of their sophomore year.
- General Theatre Core (31-38 hours)
- Theatre Production and Supportive Courses (7-9 hours)
- Theatre Electives in or related to chosen emphasis (16-22 hours)
-
Practicum (19 hours), chosen from:
- Rose Bruford College Study Abroad Program
- Professional Internship
- Cognitive Electives
A Theatre Minor consists of 18 to 24 semester credit hours chosen in consultation with a School advisor. THR 162 (Play Analysis and Dramatic Literature) is required. At least nine hours must be in advanced (300-400-level) courses (six of them from SFA). Also, at least six hours must be in production-related courses (see a School advisor for a specific list of these courses).
Courses
| Course #: | Course Title: | Hours: | When Offered: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1227 | Stage Movement I | 2 | Fall |
| 1120 | Production Laboratory I | 1 | Fall/Spring/Summer |
| 1310 | Theatre Appreciation | 3 | Fall/Spring/Summer |
| 1362 | Play Analysis and Dramatic Lit | 3 | Fall/Spring |
| 1351 | Beginning Acting | 1 | Fall/Spring/Summer |
| 2336 | Theatre Speech | 3 | Fall/Spring |
| 2227 | Stage Movement II | 2 | Spring |
| 1342 | Costume Technology | 3 | Fall/Spring |
| 1232 | Stage Make-up | 2 | Fall/Spring |
| 1330 | Introduction to Stagecraft | 3 | Fall/Spring |
| 2342 | Lighting Technology | 3 | Fall/Spring |
| 2243* | Sound Technology | 2 | Spring |
| 3301 | Stage Management | 3 | Spring |
| 3321 | Intermediate Acting | 3 | Spring |
| 3322 | Advanced Theatre Speech | 3 | Spring |
| 2120 | Production Lab II | 1 | Fall/Spring/Summer |
| 3160 | Principles of Design | 1 | Fall/Spring |
| 3360 | History of the Cinema | 3 | Fall/Spring/Summer |
| 3371 | History of the Cinema II | 3 | Spring |
| 2300 | Human & Artistic Theatre Development | 3 | Fall |
| 3374 | Principles & Foundations of Theatre Education | 3 | Fall/Spring |
| 3375 | Contemporary Issues for Diverse Theatre Education | 3 | Spring |
| 4311 | Theatre for Educators | 3 | Spring |
| 4120 | Audition Techniques Portfolio | 1 | Fall |
| 4321 | Introduction to Directing | 3 | Fall |
| 4322 | Acting for the Camera | 3 | Spring |
| 4224* | Dialects | 2 | Fall |
| 4325 | Repertory Theatre | 3 | Summer |
| 4327 | Advanced Acting | 3 | Fall |
| 4328 | Advanced Directing | 3 | Spring |
| 4329 | Directing Theatre for Youth | 3 | Summer |
| 4150 | Theatre Projects | 1-3 | Fall/Spring/Summer |
| 4351 | Theatre Cooperative: Rose Bruford | 8-24 | Fall/Spring/Summer |
| 4352 | Practicum (Internship) | 6-19 | Fall/Spring/Summer |
| 4360 | Theatre History I | 3 | Fall |
| 4361 | Theatre History II | 3 | Spring |
| 4362 | Advanced Play Analysis | 3 | Spring |
| 4363 | Playwriting | 3 | Spring |
| 4364 | Screenwriting | 3 | Spring |
| 4371 | Topics in Theatre & Drama | 3 | Spring |
| 4380** | Design for the Theatre | 3 | Fall/Spring |
| 4191 | Independent Studies | 1-3 | Fall/Spring/Summer |
* Offered in alternate years (once every two years).
** Scenery, Costume, Lighting Design (fall); electives from Advanced Makeup, Patterning, Historical Costume, Scene Painting, Drafting, Props, Sound, Advanced Lighting Technology. At least two of the 480 electives will be offered each spring dependent on student interest. Any of these topics will be cancelled if fewer than three students enroll. Students with specific interest in any of the above elective courses should make those interests known to the design faculty.