Majoring in theater arts the same as majoring in theater??

[EganFan2]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 9:34am

I was looking at a school that has a theater arts program. It looks pretty good. I was wondering, though, if you want to direct/act/design or whatever professionally if that degree is taken seriously. I have only ever seen professional bios say that they have a BA or MA in theater, unless they shortened it.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 9:44am

Whatever they call the degree is regardless. What's important is if it's a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree as opposed to a Bachelor of Arts degree, or even a Bachelor of Science degree. If you want a degree in performance, then you want a BFA, but those are programs you have to audition for and get accepted. BA programs usually just require an interview.

[EvelynNesbit1906]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 10:19am

Exactly. I studied film/theater history and criticism at college, but my degree is a Bachelor of Science. There's also a BA degree at my school in Performance Studies -- but there's little "studying" involved. It's an acting major. (I actually think it's kind of sad that this university, Northwestern, can't choose more appropriate names for their majors.)

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 10:38am

My degree is in Performance Studies. There is little "studying" but that's not what the title means. It's about the inner facets -- studies -- of performance, particularly analysis and performance of literature, prose, or poetry. Performance Studies is an actual field, and there are Performance Studies Festivals at colleges and universities around the U.S. every year.

[OtherDaryl]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 10:49am

You say potato, I say, well - it's all the same, though many smaller schools have limited resources for design study.

[camthom]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 11:20am

Everyone here is absolutely right, whether you have a BA, BFA or any kind of degree in theatre, you will still end up working at McDonald's...or worse...Ellen's Stardust Diner.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 12:33pm

Wright State University
Updated On: 6/13/05 at 12:33 PM

[briarbrad]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 1:10pm

Actually, if you look at most bios, they will have a BFA or an MFA. The difference between a BA/MA and a BFA/MFA is that the latter two degrees are granted to those who have gone through conservatory-style programs (Juilliard, Carnegie, NYU/Tisch, etc). A BA in theatre is a liberal arts degree, which has required courses in theatre, but not as many as a BFA degree and without any audition or interview to get into the program. The BA, unlike the BFA, does not train you to enter any certain profession. Alot of times, you can get a BA at a school that also offers BFA's (USC for example). The BA is more focused on liberal-artsy theatre classes, like theatre history and dramatic literature with a little bit of performance thrown in. Also, there are alot of different options when it comes to BFA's. If you want nothing but drama, then a place like Carnegie Mellon or Juilliard will be good, because 95% of your courses at those places are in your major. However, at Tisch, only about 50% of courses are in your major, which is good if you want to double major (like, sa y, in food prep so you can be prepared to work at Ellen's Stardust when your stage career fails!).
Updated On: 6/13/05 at 01:10 PM

[~FloweryFriend~]

Posted: 6/13/05 at 2:16pm

The department I'm in is called "Communication and Performance Studies" and my degree within that is a BA in Theatre. It's a general major, meaning that I'm being trained in design, directing, and performing. I still don't know what I'm going to end up pursuing. I like the idea of dramaturgy, and I like directing, but I haven't done a large amount of either. I love acting, but I feel like I'm at a disadvantage to those who are in BFA programs. We'll see.