About This Program
Are you passionate about multiple aspects of theatre? Someone who sees and values the various ways it connects us to our world? Here in the Department of Theatre, we are a community for storytellers, scholars, and creative artists. We bring people together to explore essential human questions through the performing arts and we invite you to join our vibrant community where you will grow skills that will serve you as an artist and wherever your life takes you—thinking creatively, working collaboratively, and communicating effectively.
Working with our talented and supportive faculty and alongside peers who also value the imaginative and intellectual discovery theatre brings to life, you’ll have meaningful opportunities both in production and in the classroom to express your perspectives and ideas through a variety of methods and styles. Our B.A. degree is a great way to continue to explore what you love about theatre while also exploring additional areas of study, either with a minor or a second major, and will prepare you for a variety of future careers within or beyond the professional theatre.
Program Highlights
- Member of Region 5 of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF), one of the premiere organizations celebrating theatre in higher education. We’ve been honored to have fifteen shows selected to travel to the regional and/or national festival, and to have dozens of our students recognized for their achievements in performance, design, dramaturgy, and stage management with scholarships and internships
- Great opportunities to study abroad for either a semester or a full year, with options including a theatre specific program with the University Worcester in England
- A Theatre B.A. shows employers you have creativity, communication skills, self-awareness, confidence, discipline, teamwork, experience, a cultivation of empathy—skills that make you a strong candidate in any field
Research & Experiential Learning
- Work onstage or behind the scenes in our Main Season productions
- Get involved in The Lab Series, our incubator for original student work and a space for creative risk-taking
- Pursue internships with professional theatre organizations in a range of disciplines
Student Internships
- Milwaukee Repertory Theatre
- The Rev Production Company
- Northern News Now
- Pangea World Theater
- Southern Overlook
- The Santa Fe Opera
Potential Careers
- Performer
- Director
- Producer
- Theatrical designer
- Theater technician
- Arts administrator
- Dramaturge
- Teacher
- Writer
- Lawyer
Scholarships
As a CAHSS student, you will automatically be considered for scholarships for which you are eligible on a yearly basis.
Get Involved
- Stage 2 Theatre Company: A student organization affiliated with the Department of Theatre that produces its own student-run theatrical season every academic year. It is a great way for you to get involved whether you are a major, minor, or -non-major; all are welcome
- United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT): A student chapter that promotes learning among peers and supports theatre design and technology on campus. You have the opportunity to attend the annual USITT national conference, where you will learn about new design elements, technologies and theories, and connect with peers from around the country
- Attitudes Dance Association: A student-run group that welcomes anyone who is a student at UMD, College of St. Scholastica, or Lake Superior College; anyone who wants to dance! ADA gives you the opportunity to both perform and choreograph in their annual spring performances
Requirements
Refer to the link below for more detailed information about the program, admission requirements, sample plans, and contact information.