Theatre Arts

Career potential

A degree from the University of North Texas with a major in theatre will prepare you for a career as:

• an actor
• a director
• a stage manager
• a lighting, costume, makeup, scenery or sound designer or technician
• a wardrobe technician
• a member of the stage crew

Your UNT degree will groom you for work in regional theatre companies and commercial productions in any facet of theatre. The degree can also prepare you to teach theatre at an elementary or secondary school.

Combining your degree with studies in journalism may help you become a theatre critic or writer, or work in entertainment public relations. You may work as an entertainment lawyer and negotiate contracts for the stars by combining a degree in theatre with a law degree.

UNT's theatre alumni include actors Peter Weller, known for his role in Robocop, and Thomas Haden Church, an Emmy Award winner for his role in Broken Trail and an Academy Award nominee for Sideways. Many others have found successful careers on the stage and in the entertainment industry.

UNT's Career Center can help you prepare to pursue your career. The center has information about jobs and employers, and the staff can assist you with resume and letter writing, job search strategies and interview preparation.

Majoring in theatre

You may pursue a bachelor of arts degree with a major in theatre. As a theatre major, you will:

• take courses in costuming, history, stagecraft, stage lighting, stage management and theatrical makeup
• gain practical experience in many of these areas through laboratory work
• learn how to use body and voice in performing and how to prepare plays for performance
• study actors, plays and playwrights from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as those from Europe and North America
• have the opportunity to perform, direct, design and stage manage throughout your years of study and work with faculty, guest and student directors and choreographers

UNT's theatre faculty includes outstanding teachers as well as outstanding performers and researchers. One faculty member is a noted Edward Albee scholar and was nationally recognized for his book about the Broadway musical set designs of William and Jean Eckart. Another faculty member was a costume designer for the Long Beach Opera, among others, and received a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award.

In addition to faculty members dedicated to your success, the department has a student theatre organization, the University Players, whose members perform at schools, retirement facilities and children's homes. For the department, the University Players provide educational workshops and bring in theatre professionals to speak with students.

Scholarships for theatre majors are awarded competitively on individual criteria of academic excellence and professionalism, as designated by the scholarship donors.

Getting hands-on experience

As a theatre major, you will have numerous opportunities to perform in on- and off-campus productions. The UNT theatre program offers several major productions and numerous informal performances each academic year that are produced and directed by the theatre faculty members.

Off campus, you may audition and perform in theatre productions in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. During the summer, you can intern with a theatre company or at an amusement park, such as Six Flags Over Texas or Walt Disney World.

Preparing for UNT

If you are a high school student, we suggest you prepare for college by becoming computer proficient and taking:

• English … 4 years
• Math … 4 years
• Social science — economics, geography, government, history … 4 years
• Science … 3 years
• Foreign language … 3 years
• Fine arts … 1 year

You will need to take courses in most of these subjects under the university core curriculum required of all undergraduates, in addition to your major courses. Talk with your high school counselor about preparing for college, including the entrance exams (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT) that you should take during your junior year. High school courses in theatre will help you prepare for the major.

As a benefit for transfer students, UNT participates in the Texas Common Course Numbering System. This system makes it easier to transfer credits for general academic courses from one Texas institution to another.

If you're attending a Texas community college, you should consult the UNT Transfer Guide, the UNT Undergraduate Catalog and an academic counselor/advisor to discuss your degree plan. Proper planning will help you receive the maximum amount of transfer credits.

Charting your path with academic advising

You will be assigned an academic advisor within the department. The academic advisor will help you each semester to select courses that are necessary to earn your degree and discuss career opportunities. Theatre faculty members also work one-on-one with students. The Department of Dance and Theatre office is in the Radio, TV, Film and Performing Arts Building, Room 242.

Curious about courses and other features of this major?
See the current catalog.