About the General Theater Studies Specialization

The general theater studies student is an individual who usually fits one or more of the following profiles.

He/she is a person who:

• wants to study theater but does not yet know what to specialize in;
• wants to study theater then graduate to work in a different field (producing or the business of theater, dramaturgy, entertainment law, etc.);
• wants to study theater but does not want to be pinned down to any one specialization; or
• wants to generalize as an undergraduate and focus on a specific area in graduate school.

Students in the program have the freedom to customize their electives to fit their intent for studying theater at UCLA. There is no directed sequence of courses to take beyond the required courses needed to graduate. Most classes are open to general theater studies students, with the exception of elective sequence classes in acting and musical theater. There are some acting classes that are not in that sequence and are open to the general studies student.

Students are required to meet with the undergraduate vice chair at the beginning of each year, and can elect to meet with a faculty mentor if they wish.

The UCLA Theater program is not a training conservatory. This program is not for the student who is eager to begin working professionally right away. For those persons we recommend one of the great BFA conservatory training programs found across the country. The UCLA Theater program is for the student who sees themselves as a scholar/artist; one who is eager to learn and wants a great university education from one of the world's major research institutions. Roughly half of the student's classes are in subjects other than theater. This education will prepare the graduate to be an informed citizen of an ever more complex world, an original and critical thinker, as well as providing one of the best theater educations offered in the country.

Like all other theater undergraduate specializations, general theater studies is not a "major." All undergraduates in the theater program are Theater majors and graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater.

All Theater undergraduate students (from any specialization) may audition for most departmental undergraduate productions.

Please note that students in the UCLA Theater department cannot transfer to UCLA's Film/Television/Digital Media department at any time during their four years here, nor can they change from their specialization into the acting or musical theater specializations.