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Undergraduate Theater BA

The bachelor of arts degree with a major in Theater provides a liberal arts education and pre-professional training in a comprehensive program.

The undergraduate theater program is designed to ensure that students graduate with a sound humanistic and experiential base for further pursuits in education and in life beyond the university. The comprehensive program combines a critical study of theater with experiential practice in one or more of its component parts. Students explore the various areas of theater to build a foundation for future creative work.

Students may apply to the Theater major as freshman or transfer students. Students in the UCLA TFT Department of Theater cannot change their major to the Department of Film, Television and Digital Media at any time in their four years.

Theater BA: Acting Emphasis

Theater BA: Design/Production Emphasis

Theater BA: Integrated Studies Emphasis

Theater BA: Musical Theater Emphasis

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

World-Class Faculty

Suk-Young Kim
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and External Engagement; Head of Theater and Performance Studies
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Felipe Cervera
Assistant Professor Director, Centre for Performance Studies
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Michelle Liu Carriger
Chair, Department of Theater; Associate Professor
View profile for Michelle Liu Carriger

Requirements

The four-year degree program consists of five sets of curricular requirements:

  • Theater Major Requirements
  • General Education Requirements in conjunction with this Course List
  • School of Theater, Film, and Television Requirements
  • University Requirements
  • Theater Area of Emphasis (Acting, Design/Production, Directing, Integrated Studies, Musical Theater, Playwriting)

All emphasis classes require instructor consent to enroll. The faculty may elect to not continue a student in the emphasis at any time. This could be due to poor performance or poor citizenship (excessive absences, not working up to the standards of the class, poor grades in the class, etc.). In this situation the student would still graduate with a degree in Theater (providing that s/he completes the degree requirements), but without an emphasis.

Theater Major Requirements

Preparation for the Major

Complete the following six required courses and 4 units of Theater 50.

  • THEATER 11 – Approaches to Interpretation of Theater and Performance: Global Perspectives
  • THEATER 12 – Introduction to Performance
  • THEATER 13 – Play Reading and Analysis
  • THEATER 14A – Introduction to Design
  • THEATER 14B – Introduction to Design
  • THEATER 14C – Introduction to Design

The Major

Complete two required courses, one capstone seminar, one elective, and 34 upper-division theater elective units as follows:

  • THEATER 101A – Global Histories of Theater and Performance I
  • THEATER 101B – Global Histories of Theater and Performance II

Theater 102A through 113

Select one course from:

  • THEATER 102A through 113

Capstone Seminar

Select one course from:

  • THEATER 131C – Playwriting: Full-Length Play Capstone
  • THEATER 163C – Directing for Stage
  • THEATER 180 – Senior Project

Elective

Complete at least one course (4 units) from:

  • THEATER 150 – Theater Production and Performance
  • THEATER 173A – Design Assignment: Assistant Designer
  • THEATER 173B – Production Design Assignment: Assistant Designer
  • THEATER 174B – Project in Stage Management
  • THEATER 174C – Project in Stage Management

Additional Electives

Complete 34 upper-division theater elective units.

School and University Requirements

See the UCLA Catalog for the full listing of School of Theater, Film and Television requirements, as well as General Education and Writing requirements.