Theatre — Bachelor of Art (BA)
- Bachelor of Art (BA)
- Undergraduate Major
Modes of study:
Embrace the power of the stage by majoring in Theatre at the University of Southern Maine
If theatre is your calling, why not earn your undergraduate degree in Theatre from USM? As a Theatre major at the University of Southern Maine (USM), you’ll receive a strong foundation in theatrical disciplines while exploring the arts as whole.
Students participate in a rigorous program requiring a commitment to both academics and the hands-on staging of theatrical works, produced right here at USM! During the production season, you’ll have access to integrative collaboration, community and school outreach, and interactive theatre experiences.
See program details
The requirements and courses needed to graduate with this degree are based on the academic catalog that applies to your start year.
Program duration
Most degrees can be completed in four years. Flexible options may help save time.
Department
Admissions
Auditions required for admittance to the Department of Theatre at USM. SAT and ACT scores optional. Early action and year-round admissions accepted.
What is earning your Bachelor of Arts in Theatre at USM like?
What can a degree in Theatre help you achieve?
Perform, on and offstage
The world of theatre is about more than acting. Whether you’re pursuing a career in the performing arts or are interested in fields involving communication, creativity, teamwork, entrepreneurship, or collaboration, you’ll develop highly transferable skillsets. These are applicable to diverse career paths when you graduate from the University of Southern Maine.
Students and alums have access to the USM Career & Employment Hub, where you can develop your professional skills, network, find internships, and prepare for you next career step.
We’re here to help answer questions about costs
Bring your talents from the stage to the classroom
USM’s new K-12 Performing Arts Education Pathway combines your passion for theatre and dance with the skills to inspire the next generation of performers. Through education coursework and hands-on student teaching, you’ll learn to bring creativity into the classroom while preparing for Maine teaching certification in theatre or dance for grades K-12.
Why a dance minor strengthens theatre majors
A dance background helps you move with greater ease and confidence onstage while developing strong body awareness, discipline, and control — essential skills for blocking, choreography, and using movement to tell a story. Together, they make you a more dynamic performer — a quality directors look for when casting.
A USM tradition: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 Plays in 60 Minutes)
“Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (30 Plays in 60 Minutes)” is the first production each new cohort of theatre majors at USM puts on together. Incoming students take a course built around the show, meet the classmates they’ll work with during their time at USM, and get their first taste of collegiate theatre side by side.
Having ‘Too Much Light’ as your own isolated production gives you an intro to what the standards are as a department. So when you leave the cohort for the spring shows, you’re already halfway there. You know what to prepare for.
Photos above are a mix of photos take by USM staff as well as from Kat Moraros Photography
Search for available scholarships
If you’re thinking about applying to USM to pursue theatre, learn about available scholarships. They are financial aid you don’t have to pay back, and you’ll be automatically considered for Merit Scholarships if you apply for admission by the deadline.
New England resident? You may qualify for reduced tuition!
If you live in New England, applying for this program qualifies you for a significantly reduced tuition rate, thanks to the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) Tuition Break program.
Explore how theatre at USM could become a career
Next steps
Our undergraduate admissions counselors are here to answer your questions about the admissions process, our academic programs, and student support services.
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