Our BA Theatre Arts (Performance emphasis) degree prepares students for excellence in every aspect of theatre with a myriad of performance opportunities! Our program is structured to involve students in all aspects of theatre, while giving the flexibility to students to choose their own path of discovery. Within this degree you can train in acting, musical theatre (classes available by audition), or your own combination of both. For those interested in focusing exclusively on Musical Theatre, please visit B.A. in Musical Theatre degree for more information.
Performance students hone their foundational acting skills in our core Acting 1, 2, and 3 courses, as well as Voice and Movement at the upper and lower division. Our wide array of electives allow students to add to their professional toolkit with training available in:
Theatre majors are part of the School of Theatre, Television, and Film. In addition to opportunities to work in production in most areas of theatre, there are also ample opportunities to work in Television and Film productions, behind and in front of the camera. Performance students are also encouraged to branch out in their elective studies to explore such topics as Stage Management, Design, and Playwriting.
Review the Undergraduate Degree Learning Outcomes
Cal State Application Deadline is November 30, 2023
Acceptd Application Deadline is December 31, 2023
Prospective students wishing to major in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Performance must audition. Students who wish to apply to SDSU with a general Theatre Arts emphasis are not required to audition.
For prospective performance majors, the application is a two-step process:
Overall
Each piece should be uploaded as a separate piece of media. No continuous videos. Students are encouraged to use standard technology/recording devices that are available to them (i.e. smartphones, tablets, etc).
Slate
There should not be a separate introduction or “slate” video. Instead, “slates” are to appear at the beginning of each piece and included as part of the time allotment.
What to Prepare
Prospective Performance Emphasis Students should prepare 2-contrasting monologues
There is a non-refundable application fee of $35 that must be paid at the time of your Acceptd audition upload.
If the $35 application fee is burdensome, there is a limited amount of scholarship assistance to help defray this cost. Please contact Peter Cirino for more information at pcirino@sdsu.edu.
If you are denied admission based on your performance audition, you cannot apply to SDSU again until the following academic year.
For questions about the audition process, please contact:
Prof. Adrian Alita - aalita@sdsu.edu
For more information contact the Academic Advisor:
Academic Advisor
619-594-4670
DA 204B
The Theatre Arts major is an impacted program. Students are admitted as Performance pre-majors, and must complete the following requirements before advancing into the major:
Students must satisfy the following requirements before advancing from pre-major into the major:
PREPARATION for the Major
MAJOR Upper Division Requirements
AND twelve units (12) to be selected from:
AND the International Experience Requirement. This is a study abroad or experience abroad, may not be satisfied with a domestic class.
NOTE - THEA 465 may be used to satisfy this requirement when financial or personal hardships prevent travel. Please see the head of Performance for approval on a case-by-case basis.
To be selected from:
___ an SDSU faculty-led trip from the College of Extended Studies
___ CSU/SDSU Study Abroad Program
___ ISEP Exchange Program
___ SDSU Semester Abroad Program
___ SDSU Study Travel Program
___ Theatre Independent Study Abroad, offered by an accredited institution (i.e., BADA, LAMDA, RADA)
Visit the Study Abroad page to learn more.
For additional curriculum details, please consult the following:
Undergraduate Catalog