The B.F.A. with a major in Theatre prepares students for a broad range of opportunities, including performance,production, design, teaching, arts administration, and many non-arts based careers such as sales, training and development, production, and management. The Theatre program at VSU offers numerous productions throughout the year, providing students with significant performance experience. Theatre graduates learn a host of skills, including collaboration, working to deadlines, self-discipline, patience, perseverance, analytical skills, and critical thinking.
Valdosta State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre.
Audition Requirements
All students who intend to pursue the B.F.A. with a major in Theatre in the Performance or Musical Theatre tracks must audition for the purpose of admission to the program. Auditions are regularly hosted on campus, across the region, and at national professional conferences.
All students admitted to either the Musical Theatre or the Performance track are required to audition for theatre area productions every semester that they are enrolled in the program. Exceptions for extenuating circumstances must be requested in writing at least two weeks prior to the scheduled auditions. Failure to meet these conditions will require a petition and audition for readmission to the appropriate track.
Grade Point Average Requirement for the BFA with a Major in Theatre
Students entering the University directly from high school must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or better on all course work undertaken in order to continue as Theatre majors. If in any given semester a student's overall GPA falls below 2.0, the student will have one semester (fall or spring) to bring it back up to or above 2.0. If the overall GPA remains below 2.0 for two consecutive semesters, the student will be requested to change majors. Any student who fails to respond to that request will automatically be transferred to an undeclared major status.
Students who enter the University as transfer students who wish to continue a major in Theatre must have a GPA of at least 2.0 on all course work undertaken. Upon acceptance as a major, a student must maintain an overall 2.0 GPA as described above.
Students changing majors from another program within the University must also have at least a 2.0 overall GPA to transfer to the Theatre major, and they will be subject to the same maintenance requirements already described.
Selected Educational Outcomes
- Students will articulate a cultural and historical perspective appropriate to their emphasis.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to interact and problem solve with colleagues as group participants and leaders.
- Students will demonstrate acting, technical, and design skills, based on the career goals of the individual student.
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of professional opportunities for employment.
Examples of Outcome Assessments
Concluding curricular experiences for the theatre student will include:
- Participation in professionally oriented theatrical productions.
- Development of materials geared to individual students’ professional career goals or post-graduation plans.
- A capstone portfolio or audition presentation exhibiting advanced technical, design, or performances skills and assessing personal strengths and weaknesses.
Requirements for the B.F.A. degree with a Major in Theatre
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum | 60 | |
| Core Curriculum Areas A-E (See VSU Core Curriculum) | 42 | |
| Core Curriculum Area F | ||
| THEA 1000 | Voice and Diction | 3 |
| THEA 1100 | Theatre Appreciation | 3 |
| THEA 1120 | Introduction to Theatrical Design | 3 |
| DANC 1500 | Introduction to Dance | 3 |
| THEA 2750 & THEA 2800 | Basic Technical Theatre and Stage Lighting and Fundamentals of Acting | 6 |
| A minimum grade of “C” is required for all Area F courses in the Communication Arts Department. | ||
| Senior College Curriculum | 60 | |
| THEA 2730 | Theatrical and Film Makeup | 2 |
| THEA 3700 | Play Analysis for Production | 3 |
| THEA 3740 | Theatre Management | 3 |
| THEA 3750 | Costume History | 3 |
| THEA 3710 & THEA 3720 | Theatre Performance and Theatre Production | 2 |
| THEA 3950 | Fundamentals of Play Directing | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Lighting Design | ||
| Costume Design | ||
| Scene Design | ||
| THEA 3880 | Theatre History I | 3 |
| or THEA 3890 | Theatre History II | |
| THEA 4790 | Portfolio and Resume Presentation | 2 |
| DANC 1600 | Ballet I | 2 |
| or DANC 2800 | Jazz Dance I | |
| Guided electives | 10 | |
| Select one of the following Tracks: | 24 | |
Performance | ||
Production | ||
Musical Theatre | ||
Theatre Management | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Performance Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| THEA 1710 & THEA 3200 | Improvisation and Audition Techniques | 2 |
| DANC 1600 | Ballet I | 2 |
| or DANC 2800 | Jazz Dance I | |
| THEA 2110 | Stage Dialects | 3 |
| THEA 2810 | Basic Stage Movement | 2 |
| THEA 3800 | Scene Study | 3 |
| THEA 4800 | Period Styles of Acting | 3 |
| THEA 2830 & THEA 3710 | Fundamentals of Stage Combat and Theatre Performance | 4 |
| THEA 3880 | Theatre History I | 3 |
| or THEA 3890 | Theatre History II | |
| THEA 3010 | Oral Interpretation | 2 |
Production Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| THEA 2840 & THEA 3300 | Stage Management and Costume Construction | 4 |
| THEA 3725 | Stage Management Practicum | 1 |
| THEA 3720 | Theatre Production | 5 |
| or THEA 3725 | Stage Management Practicum | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Lighting Design | ||
| Costume Design | ||
| Scene Design | ||
| THEA 3790 | Computer-aided Drafting for the Theatre | 2 |
| THEA 3880 | Theatre History I | 3 |
| or THEA 3890 | Theatre History II | |
| THEA 4760 & THEA 4770 | Principles of Technical Theatre and Scene Painting | 6 |
Musical Theatre Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MUSC 1000 & DANC 1900 | Fundamentals of Music and Tap Dance I | 4 |
| DANC 1600 | Ballet I | 2 |
| or DANC 2800 | Jazz Dance I | |
| DANC 3800 | Jazz Dance II | 3 |
| THEA 2810 | Basic Stage Movement | 2 |
| THEA 3020 | Theatre Voice | 4 |
| or THEA 4020 | Advanced Theatre Voice | |
| DANC 2910 | Social Dance | 1 |
| or DANC 3930 | Ballroom Dance | |
| THEA 3200 | Audition Techniques | 1 |
| THEA 3021 & THEA 3031 | Sight Singing and Aural Training for Musical Theatre I and Sight Singing and Aural Training for Musical Theatre II | 2 |
| THEA 3710 | Theatre Performance | 2 |
| THEA 4810 | Musical Theatre Technique | 3 |
Elective Studies in Theatre Management
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| THEA 1710 | Improvisation | 1 |
| THEA 2810 | Basic Stage Movement | 2 |
| THEA 2840 | Stage Management | 2 |
| ACED 3000 | Office Calculations and Recordkeeping | 3 |
| MKTG 3050 | Introduction to Marketing | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Computer Technology for the Workplace | ||
| Introduction to Microcomputers and Applications | ||
| THEA 3730 | Theatre Management Practicum | 1 |
| THEA 3880 | Theatre History I | 3 |
| or THEA 3890 | Theatre History II | |
| Select one of the following: | 1 | |
| Theatre Performance | ||
| Theatre Production | ||
| Stage Management Practicum | ||
| THEA 3745 & THEA 4740 | Front of House Management and Theatre, Labor Relations, and the Law | 5 |
