Theater, BA
Department Chair: Leslie Sabina, Ph.D.
The bachelor of arts with a major in theater offers a comprehensive undergraduate program in theater production, history, texts, and applied on-stage and technical experience and training within the university’s liberal arts context.
Undergraduate theater majors have, of course, found success in theater and related media. In addition, the theater major can be applied to advanced study and/or careers in law, many areas of education and education administration, marketing, advertising, public relations, politics, publishing, broadcast journalism, film and television performance and production, cultural anthropology, history, psychology and various therapies, music management, performance and composition, arts management and administration, visual art, internet media production, design and architecture, the hospitality and gaming industries, and many others.
SBU’s theater major also offers a strong foundation for graduate study either in the applied context of the M.F.A. in acting, design, directing, dramaturgy, or another area of theater; or the M.A., either for its own sake or as preparation for advanced study leading to the Ph.D.
Although you don’t need to audition to major in theater at SBU, theater majors are required to complete a minimum of six credits of SBU Theater production (THTR-299), in a combination of on-stage and design/technical work.
The major in theater wraps up with a semester-long capstone project in theater performance, design, or research (THTR-499) guided by the theater faculty and tailored to the individual student’s interests. Recent capstones have included original scripts, directing, acting and designs.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Theater | 36 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO THEATER | ||
| STAGECRAFT & THEATER TECH. | ||
| ACTING IN CHARACTER | ||
| HIST OF AMERICAN THEATER | ||
| EUROPEAN THEATER HISTORY | ||
| THEATRICAL DESIGN | ||
| SBU THEATER PRODUCTION 1 | ||
| ACTING IN ENSEMBLE | ||
| THEATER CAPSTONE COURSE | ||
Choose two of the following electives: | ||
| ACTING FOR THE CAMERA | ||
| ACTING STYLES & MOVEMENT | ||
| VOICE & DICTION FOR ACTORS | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN THEATER | ||
| SHAKESPEARE IN PERFORMANCE | ||
| HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATER | ||
| Foreign Language 202 2 | 3 | |
| General Education Requirements | 37 | |
| General Electives | 44 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
THTR-299 is a one-credit course that theater majors take six times.
- 2
The foreign language must be at the level of 202 or higher. Students not prepared to begin at this level will need to take additional courses in language.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| THTR-101 | 3 | THTR-130 or 211 | 3 |
| THTR-201 or 301 | 3 | ENG-102 | 3 |
| ENG-101 | 3 | Foreign Language 2021 | 3 |
| THFS-101 | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| BONA-101 | 3 | THTR-299 | 1 |
| THTR-299 | 1 | ||
| 16 | 13 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| THTR-212 or 230 | 3 | THTR-211 or 130 | 3 |
| THTR-299 | 1 | THTR-299 | 1 |
| THTR-211 or 301 | 3 | Natural Science w/Lab Distribution | 4 |
| Quantitative Literacy Distribution | 3 | General Electives | 6 |
| General Education Requirement | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| THTR-299 | 1 | THTR-299 | 1 |
| THTR-230 or 212 | 3 | Theater Elective | 3 |
| General Education Requirement | 3 | General Education Requirements | 6 |
| General Electives | 9 | General Electives | 6 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| THTR-499 (or Theater Elective) | 3 | THTR-499 (or Theater Elective) | 3 |
| General Education Requirement | 3 | General Electives | 11 |
| General Elective | 9 | ||
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
- 1
The foreign language must be at the level of 202 or higher. Students not prepared to begin at this level will need to take additional courses in language.
The above is only one possible sequence, although THTR-101 should be taken in the first semester and THTR-499 must be taken in the final year. All other theater courses may be taken in any order.