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2024-2025

Theatre, Bachelor of Arts

VCU

Community college:
Any AA, AA&S, AS or AFA degree (Virginia Community College System)
Virginia Community College System
Associate degree

Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts & Sciences, Associate of Science, or Associate of Fine Arts

Completing the associate degree will waive VCU's general education requirements.

Program description

The department offers two degree options: a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Fine Arts. The B.A. is designed for students who want a program with a strong emphasis in theatre combined with a strong liberal arts component and a minor (or other course of directed study). The B.F.A. is designed to educate and train students as theatre professionals in performance, musical theatre performance, costume design/technical production, lighting design/technical, production, scenic design/technical production, or stage management. 


All first-year and transfer students with an interest in the B.F.A. track are initially classified as Theatre Foundation students in one of six concentrations. After completing core theatre courses in an area of emphasis, students go through an assessment process. Upon completing a successful assessment, students will be admitted into the BFA program, typically after the second year of study.

Career opportunities

Theatre VCU prepares students for careers in professional and academic theatre. With 25 faculty and staff and a combined graduate and undergraduate student population averaging 280, Theatre VCU is one of the largest theatre training programs in the southeastern United States. Hundreds of alumni scattered across the United States and Canada now successfully practice what they began as students at VCU. Alumni are acting and working in impressive positions on Broadway, in major films and television, and at top regional theatres.


The faculty of Theatre VCU are first and foremost educators who provide first-rate mentoring and instruction. They also serve as role models, practicing their craft as artists locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. They work on the stage, TV and in films, author books in their disciplines, and hold elected offices in some of the nation’s most prestigious organizations. Collectively, the faculty and staff pride themselves on their ability to help bridge the gap between life as a student and life as a professional beyond VCU.


VCUarts celebrates the accomplishments of theatre alumni online and welcomes your viewership.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Actor
  • Art Director
  • Costume Designer
  • Director
  • Flight Director
  • Producer
  • Stage Manager
  • Vocal Coach
  • Voice Over Artist
  • Wardrobe Supervisor
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Professional Designer
  • Scene/Costume Shop Manager
  • Theatre Administrator
  • High School/College Teacher
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements
  • No guaranteed admission. 
  • Apply for admission during first year at community college. 
  • Review deadlines and additional requirements for transfer applicants here.
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • Quantitative Foundations requirement only
Science required
  • Natural Sciences requirement only
Foreign language requirements
  • No
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Theatre with concentration in Costume Design/Technical Production, Lighting Design/Technical Production, Performance, Performance/Musical Theatre, Scene Design/Technical Production, Stage Management/Technical Production

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Theatre, Bachelor of Arts

Virginia Community College System (Any AA, AA&S, AS or AFA degree)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Complete your math and english requirements.
  • Compare the B.A. program with the B.F.A. program.
  • Explore community college financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Review theatre admission requirements for the different programs.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
Experience Year 2
  • Be prepared for academic challenges. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Be prepared: Once you enroll at VCU, your VCU GPA will be determined by your grades at VCU.
  • Meet with your community college advisor to finalize plans to complete your associate degree.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the School of the Arts, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Explore museums, parks, festivals, and cultural events in the region.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of the Arts-related events.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Complete your math and english requirements.
  • Compare the B.A. program with the B.F.A. program.
  • Explore community college financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Explore the School of the Arts website.
  • Review theatre admission requirements for the different programs.
  • Get involved with student clubs and organizations at your community college.
  • Volunteer for community service projects.
  • Register to vote.
  • Research housing options for next year.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Be prepared for academic challenges. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Be prepared: Once you enroll at VCU, your VCU GPA will be determined by your grades at VCU.
  • Meet with your community college advisor to finalize plans to complete your associate degree.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the School of the Arts, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Explore museums, parks, festivals, and cultural events in the region.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or School of the Arts-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2024-2025

Theatre, Bachelor of Arts

Virginia Community College System (Any AA, AA&S, AS or AFA degree)

Virginia Community College System courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning (or any other approved MTH course) MATH 131 3 General education
Humanities/Fine Arts Select one of the following (UCGS Block II): ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121, MUS 221, MUS 222, MUS 226, HUM 201, HUM 202, HUM 210, HUM 216, HUM 220, HUM 256, HUM 259, PHI 100, PHI 111, PHI 220, REL 100, REL 230, REL 237, REL 240. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Humanities/Fine Arts/Literature Select one of the following (UCGS Block II): ART 100, ART 101, ART 102, CST 130, CST 151, MUS 121, MUS 221, MUS 222, MUS 226, HUM 201, HUM 202, HUM 210, HUM 216, HUM 220, HUM 256, HUM 259, PHI 100, PHI 111, PHI 220, REL 100, REL 230, REL 237, REL 240, ENG 225, ENG 245, ENG 246, ENG 250, ENG 255, ENG 258, ENG 275 (the course must come from a different group than the previous requirement). VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social science Select one of the following (UCGS Block III): ECO 150, ECO 201, ECO 202, GEO 210, GEO 220, PLS 135, PLS 140, PLS 241, PSY 200, SOC 200, SOC 211, SOC 268. VCU equivalent 3 General education
Lab science Select one of the following (UCGS Block IV): BIO 101, BIO 102, BIO 106, CHM 101, CHM 111, CHM 112, ENV 121, ENV 122, GOL 105, GOL 106, GOL 110, PHY 100, PHY 201, PHY 202, PHY 241, PHY 242. VCU equivalent 4 General education
History Select one of the following (UCGS Block VI): HIS 101, HIS 102, HIS 111, HIS 112, HIS 121, HIS 122. HIST 3 General education
World Language I or ASL 101 or general education elective ((students are eligible for a waiver of VCU's language requirement if they successfully completed through the third level of a foreign language in high school). VCU equivalent 3 Major (Ancillary)
World Language II or ASL 102 or general education elective ((students are eligible for a waiver of VCU's language requirement if they successfully completed through the third level of a foreign language in high school). VCU equivalent 3 Major (Ancillary)
CST 131-132 Acting I-II THEA 213-214 6 Major
CST 145 Technical Theatre THEA 112 3 Major
CST 210 Dramatic Literature THEA 211 3 Major
CST 237-238 Movement I-II THEA 203-204 6 Major
Complete requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 10 Elective
Community college credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
THEA 100 Technical Production 1 Major
THEA 111 Fundamentals of Performance 3 Major
THEA 351 Rehearsal and Performance I 3 Major
THEA 307 History of the Theatre 3 Major
THEA 308 History of the Theatre 3 Major
THEA 385 Diverse Voices 3 Major
THEA 495 Senior Project: Portfolio Review 1 Major
THEA 102 Introduction to Technical Theatre 3 Major
THEA 110 Improvisation 3 Major
THEA 201 Voice and Speech for the Actor I 3 Major
THEA 202 Voice and Speech for the Actor II 3 Major
THEA 226 Desktop Audio/Video 2 Major
THEA elective courses (300 or 400 level) 6 Major
Electives (consider a minor or second major). Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 23 Elective
REAL The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. 0 Major
Credits completed at VCU 60
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120