Pictured | Colton Graffa | Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, Musical Theatre | Columbus, Indiana (hometown)

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with a Concentration in Musical Theatre Performance

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Theatre is designed to prepare students for the professional theatre or additional training at the graduate level. A BFA degree features an intense focus on a selected area of concentration (musical theatre performance or design and technical production). This concentration in musical theatre performance features a strong focus on the elements of singing, dancing and acting as they relate to the art and craft of educating the well-rounded musical theatre performer and practitioner.

Academic Advising

Your academic advisor is a critical partner in fostering your success at IU South Bend and beyond. Your advisor will help you explore academic majors and careers, plan your degree, choose classes, learn about internships and study abroad, and much more. To see who is assigned as your advisor, visit your Student Online Advising Record in one.iu.edu. For more information about advising at IU South Bend, visit the website for the Undergraduate Advising Center.

Final responsibility for meeting degree requirements rests with the student.

Questions about advising? Email sbadvise@iu.edu or call (574) 520-4550.

Theatre and Dance Department Review Process

BFA students in the Theatre and Dance department are reviewed for satisfactory progress through their degree track in the spring of each academic year.  

Musical Theatre students should prepare the following: 

1. One (1) 32 bar cut of a Contemporary (1970's to present) Musical Theatre song in the correct key, and appropriate for their current acting range. 
2. One (1) contrasting Golden Age (1970's or before) Musical Theatre song in the correct key, and appropriate for their current acting range. 
3. One (1) one-minute contemporary monologue appropriate for their current acting range. 

Each annual review will contain feedback from the faculty on current progress in the program and a presentation of a professionally formatted resumé and headshot. 

For further questions about this review process, please see academic advisor or reference the Theatre and Dance Student Handbook.

Degree Requirements (125 cr.)

Degree Map >>

Students receiving the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre, concentration in Musical Theatre Performance degree must complete 125 total credit hours including:

• IU South Bend Campuswide General Education Curriculum (33 cr.) to include:
  • Fundamental Literacies (12 cr.)
    • Writing | ENG-W 131 Reading, Writing, and Inquiry I (minimum grade of C)
    • Oral Communication | SPCH-S 121 Public Speaking (minimum grade of C)
    • Quantitative Reasoning | Accomplishment of Level 6 placement or 3 credits from approved courses
    • Critical Thinking | selected from curriculum approved as Critical Thinking
  • Common Core | at least one course at 300–level or above (12 cr.)
    • Art, Aesthetics, and Creativity | selected from curriculum approved as Art, Aesthetics, and Creativity; THTR-A 399 preferred for theatre majors
    • Human Behavior and Social Institutions
    • Literary and Intellectual Traditions | selected from curriculum approved as Literary and Intellectual Traditions; THTR-T 190 preferred for theatre majors
    • The Natural World
  • Contemporary Social Values (6 cr.)
  • Extended Literacies (3 cr.)
    • THTR-T 228 Design for the Theatre preferred for theatre majors
• Major Requirements (83 cr.)
  • Theatre Core (40 cr.)
  • Theatre Requirements (20 cr.)
  • Dance Requirements (12 cr.)
  • Music Requirements (11 cr.)
• Electives (9 cr.)
• Additional Requirements (0 cr.)
• Free Electives (balance of credits needed to equal 125 cr. requirement)

• Minimum major GPA of 2.75
• Reviews in the Spring of each academic year
• Successful participation in at least two productions per enrolled semester in the co-curricular production season.
• At least 30 credit hours of each degree must be at the 300–level or above. This requirement will be met through the design of the proposed degree program.
• Credits at 300–level or above 56+.
• The Theatre and Dance Department requires that students majoring or minoring in theatre accomplish successful participation in Department co-curricular production activities as outlined in the Theatre and Dance Student Handbook
• All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.

Major Requirements (83 cr.)

Theatre Core (40 cr.)

• THTR-T 120 Acting I: Fundamentals of Acting
• THTR-T 225 Stagecraft 1
• THTR-T 230 Costume Design and Technology I
• THTR-T 340 Directing I: Fundamentals of Directing
• THTR-T 341 Theatre Production I (2 cr.)
  Taken three times total (Semesters 1, 2, and 3)
• THTR-T 342 Theatre Production II (2 cr.)
  Taken three times total (Semesters 4, 5, and 6)
  
• THTR-T 343 Theatre Production III (2 cr.)
  Taken two times total (Semesters 7 and 8)
  
• THTR-T 405 Stage Management
• THTR-T 470 History of the Theatre 1
• THTR-T 471 History of the Theatre 2

Select one of the following

• THTR-T 326 Introduction to Scenic Design
• THTR-T 335 Stage Lighting Design
• THTR-T 339 Introduction to Costume Design

Musical Theatre Performance Concentration (54 cr.)

Theatre Requirements (22 cr.)

• THTR-T 220 Acting II: Scene Study
• THTR-T 300 Musical Theatre Workshop
• THTR-T 303 Musical theatre Workshop 2
• THTR-T 321 Musical Theatre History
• THTR-T 392 Theatre Internship
• THTR-T 402 The Business of Acting
• THTR-T 413 Acting: Period Performance Styles
• THTR-T 485 Capstone Project (1 cr.)
• Musical Theatre Capstone recital based on final semester of MUS-V 300

Dance Requirements (12 cr.)

• THTR-D 120 Ballet I (2 cr.)
• THTR-D 140 Jazz Dance I (2 cr.) 
• THTR-D 170 Tap I (2 cr.)
• THTR-D 220 Ballet II (2 cr.)
• THTR-D 240 Jazz Dance II (2 cr.)
• THTR-D 270 tap II (2 cr.)

Music Requirements (11 cr.)

• MUS-A 190 Art, Aesthetics, and Creativity
• MUS-P 110 Beginning Piano Class I- Non-Music Majors (2 cr.)
• MUS-T 115 Sightsinging and Aural Perception I (1 cr.)
• MUS-V 200 Voice (1 cr.) (2 semesters)
• MUS-V 300 Voice (1 cr.) (3 semesters)

Additional Requirements (0 cr.)

• THTR-T 114 Theatre and Dance Symposium (0 cr.)
  Required each semester enrolled