Theatre BFA
Emphases: Actor Training Program
Arts Pass
Bennion
Center
Learning Abroad
Office of
Undergraduate Research
Courses
Getting Started
- Meet with an advisor to create a course plan
- Start with theatre core courses
- Take 1st-year acting & movement courses - THEA 1220, 1230 & 1240
- Complete math & writing requirements
Making Progress
- Check in with your advisor regularly to discuss your course plan, navigate ATP course sequence & explore extracurricular opportunities
- Complete 2nd & 3rd-year studio courses and continue major coursework specific to the ATP emphasis (refer to catalog & talk to advisor)
- Generate a degree audit to track your progress on GEs & degree requirements
Finishing Up
- Enroll in professional practice & senior project courses
- Finish GEs & final courses for ATP emphasis
- Review your degree audit & meet with advisor
- Apply for graduation
Community
Getting Started
- Attend CFA's welcome event ArtsBash & events hosted by the SAC
- Explore student clubs on campus at the Get Involved Fair
- Browse our events calendar & attend shows with friends
Making Progress
- Participate in department productions
- Get involved in student-driven work
- Attend guest artist talks, workshops & lectures
- Find a job on campus
- Use ArtsPass to visit museums like the UMFA & attend cultural events
- Go see shows in the community and find opportunities to network
- Join ArtsForce to connect with other CFA students at events & workshops
Finishing Up
- Consider an internship with a professional arts organization
- Take on a leadership role in SAC or a student group
- Join the Alumni Association and Forever Utah
Knowledge & Skills
Getting Started
- Explore academic resources like Marriott Library, Writing Center, & Learning Center
- Check out the CFA's Create Success Initiative
- Audition for class/student projects
Making Progress
- Attend ArtsForce workshops, talks, lectures & panels to learn more about working in the arts
- Explore student research opportunities in OUR
- Participate in faculty research - talk to your professors or area head
- Meet with the CFA's internship coordinator to develop an internship plan
- Apply for a FAF grant to seek financial support for student-driven extracurricular experiences
Finishing Up
- Discuss career or grad school interests with your professors
- Attend an academic or professional conference in your field
- Audition to perform in the department's Senior Show
Transformation
Getting Started
- Take GEs that meet requirements & fuel your creativity
- Explore student projects and/or ways to get involved in a production crew
- Apply for scholarships in the dept./college
Making Progress
- Take advantage of office hours to get to know your professors & discuss your interests
- Participate in productions on campus or in the community
- Audition in the spring for upcoming productions
- Apply to experience our London Learning Abroad Program or explore other study abroad programs
- Participate in a workshop or training through the Counseling Center or Center for Student Wellness
Finishing Up
- Submit an original play or musical for development in the New Plays Workshop
- Share about your capstone project on the dept.'s news page
- Participate in graduation ceremonies & events
Impact
Getting Started
- Use your ArtsPass to access events
- Consider taking a CEL-course
- Meet with an advisor or Student Success Coach to discuss your interests & set goals for your time in college
Making Progress
- Consider teaching for Youth Theatre at the U during the summer
- Participate in ArtsForce events & activities
- Volunteer to work with SAC
- Consider running for a position in ASUU
- Check out the ArtsBridge Scholar program
- Get involved with the department's justice, equity, diversity, & inclusion committee
- Go on an alternative break and/or engage in service projects with the Bennion Center
Finishing Up
- Develop a research project through UROP & present at the Undergraduate Research Symposium
- Propose an event, workshop, or project for funding by the FAF grant program
Careers
Getting Started
- Meet with a pre-professional advisor and/or career coach to explore your interests
- Consider major/minor programs that complement your degree
- Apply for an Emerging Leaders Internship
Making Progress
- Attend talks by guest artists & other dept. events to network and learn about career opportunities
- Work on department productions & update your resume regularly
- Begin thinking about your online professional profile & ways to showcase your work
- Consider having your resume/professional documents reviewed by a Career Coach in the CPDC
- Explore grad school programs, if interested
Finishing Up
- Refine your resume & professional materials
- Apply for jobs and/or graduate school
- Attend career fairs & expos
- Connect with the department & college's alumni networks
Start Your Career Journey
Find support at the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC)
About the Major
If you are interested in seeking a career as a professional actor, consider auditioning for the Actor Training Program at the University of Utah. As one of four emphases of the Theatre BFA degree, the prestigious Actor Training Program is a conservatory-style training program designed to prepare you for performance of classical and contemporary theatre. Our curriculum is fundamentally craft-based and offers rich, diverse, and intense training in voice and speech, movement and acting. In addition to our theatre core coursework, you will receive rigorous instruction in verse drama, acting styles, audition technique, singing, and dialects. Our nationally and internationally recognized faculty are working professionals who bring their talents, skills, and experience to the classroom, and the Theatre Department regularly invites guest artists and other visiting professionals to complement our existing curriculum. The department offers numerous performance opportunities, including a senior show, and you can audition for productions by the Pioneer Theatre Company in your junior and senior years of study. You can also participate in our London Study Abroad Program, engage in undergraduate research, and gain internship experience. The Theatre BFA Actor Training Program prepares you to pursue advanced training in graduate programs and/or a career as a professional actor in a variety of contexts. Our graduates regularly perform on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and with major regional theatre companies and many can be seen on stage, in film, and on television in the United States and abroad.
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of the central elements of theatrical process and production.
- Analyze, contextualize, and communicate ideas about dramatic texts or performances from a broad range of traditions and periods, including our own.
- Develop physical, vocal and textual responsiveness and flexibility with the aim of embodying characters in relation to larger stories; making and revising committed, interactive choices; engaging in constructive critique; and performing in public.
- Apply current best practices and industry standards for the pursuit of employment opportunities.
- Demonstrate professionalism by being responsible, punctual, prepared, ethical, collaborative, and engaged.
Plan & Prepare
At the U, we plan for our students to have an exceptional Educational Experience identified by four broad categories we call the Learning Framework: Community, Knowledge & Skills, Transformation, and Impact. This major map will help you envision, explore, design, and plan your personalized Exceptional Education Experience with the Learning Framework at the core. In addition to assisting you in planning your coursework and navigating the requirements of your major, this map will help you incorporate other kinds of experiences to expand your knowledge, support your development, and prepare you for the future you want.