Theatre admission and initial requirements

Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the theatre major. Students who are entering the university for the first time as incoming freshmen must fulfill initial requirements before being classified as theatre majors. In addition, students who transfer credit from another institution, but have not met the admissions criteria stated below will not be classified as theatre majors. Students are allowed to take the entry theatre courses (see below) as they work toward admission to the major. Upon meeting the admission requirements, students are then classified as majors. Students must apply to be formally admitted in the term in which they obtain 45 semester hours. An official transcript(s) showing satisfactory grades for the entry courses must be submitted along with the application. Students who have completed 45 hours but have not met the other admissions criteria have one semester in which to meet the criteria. If they fail to do so, they will be required to seek another major.

To be officially admitted to major status, a student must meet the following entry requirements:

Hours required and general/college requirements

A minimum of 120 semester hours, of which 42 must be advanced, and fulfillment of degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts degree as specified in the “University Core Curriculum ” in the Academics section of this catalog and the College of Arts and Sciences  requirements.

Major requirements

A minimum of 42 semester hours, including:

Other course requirements

None.

Minor

Optional (a related field such as music, psychology or art is recommended).

Electives

Hours required for electives may vary based on course selection and the University Core Curriculum requirements. Electives may be required to satisfy the advanced hour requirement (42) and/or the minimum total hours required for the degree. For specific information see an academic advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Other requirements

1. Once admitted as a theatre major, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5. In addition, students must make a C or better in all theatre courses comprising the major beyond the pre-major. However, students must still make a B or above in all theatre courses comprising the pre-major.
2. Students majoring in theatre must enroll in a production course (THEA 4500  or equivalent) each term/semester the student performs in public productions sponsored or approved by the department.
3. Transfer work to be substituted for required theatre courses must be approved by the departmental advisor.
4. The department does not allow students to obtain a D or below more than twice in a theatre course comprising the major. Once the student receives the second D or below in the same course, the student will be dismissed from the department.
5. Students who miss the first day of class without consent of the instructor are subject to be administratively dropped from the course so that other students may be added. Students who miss the first day of class because of illness or some other acceptable excuse must notify the instructor on record the day of the absence.
6. Students must observe prerequisites for each theatre course. If a student has not completed prerequisites for a particular course, the student is subject to administrative drop without notice. Prerequisites are listed with individual course descriptions.