Department of Theater Arts

Home / Undergraduate / Major and Minor Requirements

Major and Minor Requirements

In the spring of 2024, the Department of Theater Arts restructured our Learning Goals and Requirements to amplify the liberal arts nature of our program through fundamental study of theater text, history and process, and to expand our students' awareness of global theater, historically marginalized voices and the latest practices in professional theater such as consent and wellness initiatives. Our goal is to expose students to an inclusive and broad range of thinkers, practitioners and playwrights while creating opportunities to put this study to use through hands-on experience in our season, senior theses and other advanced mentoring opportunities. This video breaks down the changes:

Here is a side-by-side comparison of the majors (detailed below):

Expand All

NEW Requirements for the Major

All undergraduate majors must complete eleven one-semester courses, one Senior Seminar (one half-course credit) and two practicum courses (two half-course credit practicums). The total major requirement is the equivalent of twelve and one half (12.5) one-semester courses (50 credits). Requirements for the major include:

A. Required Courses (7.5 courses):  

THA 2a Theater Foundations or THA 10a Theater as Collaboration
THA 11a Theater Texts & Theory I or THA 11b Theater Texts & Theory II or THA 150a Global Theater
THA 21b Fundamentals of Acting or THA 23a Movement for the Stage
THA 125b The Art of Scenography or NEW Course: Theater and the Visual Imagination
THA 70a Directing or THA 71a Playwriting or THA 148b Fundamentals of Dramaturgy
THA 27a Wellness Models for Sustainability in Theater or THA 101a Stage Management or THA 138a The Business of Show Business
One of the following courses: AAPI/THA 116a Asian American Performance, THA 142b Women Playwrights, THA 144b Black Theater and Performance, THA 145a Queer Theater, THA 146a Theater and the Holocaust or THA 147a Latinx Theater
All senior theater majors must participate in a 2-credit Senior Seminar (THA 199a) in their final fall semester, where students can work on capstone/thesis projects and prepare for post-graduate pursuits.

B. Electives (4 courses): Four additional Theater Arts courses.One course cross-listed in Theater may be used. THA 15b Public Speaking: The Art of Oral Communication and THA 16b Genius in Small Group Communication: Theory and Practice may not count as electives in the theater major. Approved courses include anything listed above that is not already being counted towards “Required Courses,” as well as:

THA 22b Undergraduate Singing
THA 25a Voice for the Stage
THA 35a The Audition
THA 40a The Art of Visual Narrative and Production Design
THA 66a American Drama Since 1945
THA 76a British, Irish and Post-Colonial Theater
THA 102b Shakespeare on Stage and Screen
THA 105a Singing for Musical Theater
THA 106a Advanced Undergraduate Singing
THA 109a Improvisation for Theatre: Acting Unscripted
THA 109b Physical Theater, Body, Gesture, and Character
THA 110a Moving Women/Women Moving
THA 110b Contemporary Dance and Movement
THA 111b Stage Combat
THA 120a Dance in Time
THA 120b Movement and Dance Theater Composition
THA 122b Butoh: Japanese Dance Theater
THA 123a American Musical Theater
THA 125a Acting for the Camera
THA 126a Playing for Change
THA 126b Playback Theatre
THA 130a Suzuki
THA 132a Collaborative Creation
THA 133a Scene Study: Chekhov to Today
THA 133b Acting the Classics
THA 135b Lighting Design
THA 138b Creative Pedagogy
RECS/THA 140a Russian Theater: Stanislavsky to Present
THA 155a Icons of Masculinity: Media Images of Men
THA 164a Costume Design
THA 180a Multimedia and Video Design for Live Performance
THA 195a Topics in Theater and Drama
Additional courses chosen with your adviser’s approval

Note: One Theater Independent Instructional Course (THA 92a, 97a, 98a,b or 99a,b) may be substituted for an elective with departmental approval. 

C. To fulfill the practicum requirement, students must take one semester of THA 30a AND one field-specific practicum in acting, directing, movement, stage management, dramaturgy, or design (THA 42a, 43a, 44a, 45a, 47a, 48a). This second practicum must include involvement in a department show at least once by the end of a major’s career.

D. Foundational Literacies: As part of completing the Theater Arts major, students must:

Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing one of the following: THA 71a, THA 76a, THA 142b, THA 150a or RECS/THA 140a. 
Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing: THA 2a, THA 10a or THA 138b. 
Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing one of the following: THA 70a, THA 125b or THA 180a.

E. No course with a final grade below C- can count toward fulfilling the requirements for the major in Theater Arts.

F. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the major requirements, with the exception of practicums and Senior Seminar.

G. To be eligible for departmental honors – which are determined collaboratively by the Theater Arts faculty – students must have earned a GPA of 3.8 or higher in the major and:

Submitted a portfolio of their work, including a 3-5 page reflection on their citizenship within the department, their accomplishments, how their work has improved, their collaborative skills, and the ways they hope to utilize their Theater Arts education moving into the future (to be developed in 199a: Senior Seminar).
Demonstrated excellence in the classroom and contributed significantly to departmental productions.
Engaged with the cultural and intellectual contexts of theatermaking.
Exhibited professionalism, collaboration, and integrity.

To be eligible for high or highest honors, students must have also:

Successfully completed a full-year Senior Thesis (99a,b) or one-semester Capstone Project (97a). Adviser and additional reader's evaluation of the student's work will be considered.

H. Students must have completed “Required Courses,” except for Senior Seminar, prior to beginning Thesis work. Students must have completed a course in the area of study in which they are proposing their research/thesis. It is suggested that students have completed an advanced course in the area of study in which they are proposing their research/thesis, or that they will be enrolling in an advanced course within the year that the research/thesis will begin.

PRIOR Requirements for the Major

All undergraduate majors must complete thirteen one-semester courses and two practicum courses (two half-course credit practicums). The total major requirement, including practicum courses, is the equivalent of fourteen one-semester courses. Required courses for the major include:

Foundational courses (3 courses):

1. THA 2a (Theater Foundations) or THA 10a (Theater as Collaboration)
2. THA 11a (Theater Texts and Theory I)
3. THA 11b (Theater Texts and Theory II)
Exploration courses (4 courses):

1. THA 21b Fundamentals of Acting, THA 23a Movement for the Stage, or THA 25a Voice for the Stage
2. THA 66a American Drama Since 1945, THA 144b Black Theater and Performance, or THA 150a Global Theater
3. THA 70a Directing or 71a Playwriting
4. THA 125b Art of Scenography I
Immersion courses (1 dramatic literature course and 5 additional THA courses):
One of the following dramatic literature courses, or another literature course chosen with your advisor’s approval :
• THA 66A American Drama Since 1945

• THA 76a British, Irish and Post-Colonial Theater

• THA 102b Shakespeare on Stage and Screen

• THA 115b The Avant-Gardes in Performance

• THA 123a American Musical Theater

• RECS/THA 140a Russian Theater

• THA 142b Women Playwrights

• THA 144b Black Theater and Performance

• THA 145a Queer Theater

• THA 150A Global Theater
Five additional Theater Arts courses. One course cross-listed in Theater may be used towards the Immersion requirement. THA 15b Public Speaking: The Art of Oral Communication and THA 16b Genius in Small Group Communication: Theory and Practice may not count as an elective in the theater major.
Note: One Theater Independent Instructional Course (THA 92a, 97a, 98a,b or 99a,b) may be substituted for an Immersion course with departmental approval.

D. To fulfill the practicum requirement, students must also take EITHER two semesters of THA 30a OR one semester of THA 30a AND one field-specific practicum in acting, directing, movement, stage management, dramaturgy, or design (THA 42a, 43a, 44a, 45a, 47a, 48a).

E. Foundational Literacies: As part of completing the Theater Arts major, students must:

Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing one of the following: THA 71a, THA 76a, THA 142b, THA 150a, or RECS/THA 140a.
Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing: THA 2a, THA 10a, or THA 138b.
Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing one of the following: THA 70a, THA 125b, or THA 180a.

F. No course with a final grade below C- can count toward fulfilling the requirements for the major in Theater Arts.

G. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the major requirements.

H. Only students completing one semester of THA 99a Senior Research and one semester of THA 99b Senior Thesis will be qualified to receive departmental honors. Students must have completed foundational and exploration courses prior to beginning Thesis work. Students must have completed a course in the area of study in which they are proposing their research/thesis. It is suggested that students have completed an advanced course in the area of study in which they are proposing their research/thesis, or that they will be enrolling in an advanced course within the year that the research/thesis will begin.

NEW Requirements for the Minor

Students wishing to minor in Theater Arts must take a selection of at least six courses in the department, including either THA 2a or THA 10a, either THA 11a or THA 11b or THA 150a, and a cohesive progression of four other courses in Theater Arts (THA 15b Public Speaking: The Art of Oral Communication and THA 16b Genius in Small Group Communication: Theory and Practice may not count as electives in the minor.)

No grade below a C- will be given credit toward the minor.

No course taken pass/fail may count toward the minor requirements.

PRIOR Requirements for the Minor

Students wishing to minor in Theater Arts must take a selection of at least six courses in the department, including either THA 2a or 10a, either THA 11a or THA 11b, and a cohesive progression of four other courses selected with the approval of the chair (THA 15b Public Speaking: The Art of Oral Communication and THA 16b Genius in Small Group Communication: Theory and Practice may not count for an elective in the minor.)

No grade below a C- will be given credit toward the minor.

No course taken pass/fail may count toward the minor requirements.

Declaring the Major or Minor

Students who wish to major or minor in Theater Arts should meet early in their academic career with the Undergraduate Advising Head to develop a plan. When meeting with the undergraduate advising head, majors will be assigned an academic advisor within their particular area of interest.

In general, students wishing to major in Theater Arts should enroll in THA 2a or 10a in the first year and should complete THA 11a, 11b or 150a by the end of their second year. The advantage of taking these courses in the first semesters is that most Theater Arts courses require one or more of these courses as prerequisites. Students could then begin to take both required courses and electives during the sophomore year.