The Major

The Department of Theater does not require prospective majors to audition for admission to the program. All University of Massachusetts Amherst students are welcome to declare the major. Once they declare a Theater major, students are assigned a faculty member who will serve as their advisor.

For the B.A. degree in Theater, students must fulfill all university General Education requirements as well as appropriate requirements of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts. In addition, Theater majors must complete at least 36 credits in Theater. At least 12 credits must be completed in the area of Dramaturgy and a minimum of 21 combined credits must be completed in the two areas of Performance and Design, Technology & Management, with a least 9 credits required in Performance and 12 credits in Design, Technology & Management. Finally, students are required to take three one-credit Performance Management courses.  Students must earn a GPA of 2.00 in courses counted toward the major.

The 36 credits must be completed as follows:

Dramaturgy (12 cr)

  1. 120 Play Analysis for Theatrical Production (required)
  2. 9 credits of electives by choosing three courses from four categories:
    • Classical Repertory
    • Renaissance & Neoclassical Repertory
    • Modern Repertory
    • Contemporary Repertory

Successful completion of THEATER 120, plus any designated 300-level Junior Year Writing course in the major, fulfills the Junior Year Writing requirement.

At least two upper-level Dramaturgy courses will be offered each semester

Performance (9 or 12 cr)

  1. 140 Beginning Techniques in Performance (required)
  2. 6 or 9 credits of electives by choosing any two or three of the following:
    • 240 Beginning Voice for the Actor
    • 341 Stage Movement
    • 342 Acting
    • 345 Directing
    • 393N Devised Theater
    • 440 Acting Shakespeare
    • 442 Acting II
    • 444 Performance in Detonated Language
    • 445 Directing II
    • 493J Musical Theater
    • 493W Clown for the Actor
    • 494AI Actor/Director Collaborations

Design, Technology and Management (12 or 15 cr)

  1. 110 Performance Management (1 cr; must be taken for three semesters), (required)
  2. 160 Beginning Techniques in Design (required)
  3. 6 or 9 credits of electives by choosing any two or three of the following:
    • 360 Scenic Design
    • 361 Lighting Design
    • 362 Costume Design
    • 363 Sound Design
    • 364 Stage Management
    • 365 Technical Direction
  4. 4. Take three one-credit Performance Management courses
    • 110 Performance Management

Integrative Experience (3 cr: to fulfill University requirement, for all majors)  

Any one of the following:          

  • 444 Performance in Detonated Language
  • 445 Directing II
  • 460 Scene Design Studio
  • 461 Lighting Design Studio
  • 462 Costume Design Studio
  • 494AI Actor/Director Collaborations
  • 494BI The Art of Adaptation
  • 494SI Arts & Culture in South Africa

Other new courses, including classes in technical theater, sound design, ensemble acting, and other special topics may also count toward the major. Contact the Department for more information.

Enrollment in many Theater courses is by consent of instructor only. It is imperative, therefore, that all majors, prospective majors, and nonmajors consult with a department advisor to determine eligibility for, and appropriate placement within, the various courses.

Nonmajors with appropriate qualifications are welcome to participate in the activities of the department. Introduction to Theater, a General Education course, is primarily for nonmajors. Department majors are given preference in placement at all levels within the program.