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Majors and Minor


Theater Studies welcomes students at all levels of experience. We offer a core curriculum that engages students in all aspects of theater. Our program educates collaborators and innovators who have multiple skills, who create new work, and who explore fresh, inventive approaches to rehearsal and production

Classes explore the literature, history, design, performance, management, and technology of theater.

Theater Studies Major

Registrar CodeDegree AwardedCompletion HoursCourses Required
THEASTBA4312

Core Requirements

A Theater Studies major must complete the following core courses for a total of 29-31 credit hours:

Acting

  • One acting course: THEA 120, THEA 221 OR THEA 222

History, Literature, and Criticism

  • THEA 210W: Reading for Performance
  • THEA 215: History of Drama and Theater I
  • THEA 216: History of Drama and Theater II
  • THEA 410W: Aesthetics and Criticism

Design or Administration

  • THEA 230: Principles of Design OR THEA 240: Arts Administration

Creating Productions

  • THEA 250: Directing I OR THEA 360R: Ensemble OR THEA 370R: Creating New Works

Technical Theater

  • THEA 130: Stagecraft
  • For students who declared their major prior to Spring 2023:
    • THEA 200R: Theater Practicum (1 credit)
  • For students who declared their major during or after Summer 2023:
    • THEA 230, THEA 243, THEA 331, THEA 332, THEA 333, or THEA 334

Elective Requirements

In addition to the core requirements, majors must complete three elective courses for a total of 9-12 credit hours.

  • One of these must be at the 200-level or higher, and two must be at the 300-level or higher.

Admission

Auditions for the major or minor are not required.

Recent Curriculum Changes

For students who declare a Theater Studies major or minor during or after Summer 2023:

THEA 200R: Theater Practicum is no longer a requirement for the major or minor. Students may take THEA 230, 243, 331, 332, 333 or 334 to satisfy the Design/Admin Requirement

Theater Studies Minor

Registrar CodeCompletion HoursCourses Required
THEAMIN247

Requirements

Core Requirements

A Theater Studies minor must complete the following courses for a total of 11 credit hours:

  • THEA 120: Acting: Fundamentals
  • THEA 210W: Reading for Performance
  • THEA 130: Stagecraft
  • For students who declared their minor prior to Spring 2023:
    • THEA 200R: Theater Practicum (1 credit)

Elective Requirements

In addition to the core requirements, minors must complete three elective courses for a total of 9-12 credit hours. (Some dramatic literature courses in other departments are approved for these electives.)

  • One course must be at the 100-level or higher.
  • One course must be at the 200-level or higher.
  • One course must be at the 300-level or higher.

Note: THEA 100, Introduction to Theater can count towards the minor as an elective, along with other 100-level courses.

Recent Curriculum Changes

For students who declare a Theater Studies major or minor during or after Summer 2023:

THEA 200R: Theater Practicum is no longer a requirement for the minor. 

Arts Management Concentration

Open to rising juniors and eligible rising seniors.

The Concentration in Arts Management is a collaboration between several arts departments in Emory College and the Goizueta Business School BBA Program. Participation is limited to rising junior and eligible rising senior BBA students and students of select arts majors in the College.

This concentration provides knowledge, competencies and experiences for BA and BBA students interested in pursuing administrative and management careers in the performing arts. BBA students who complete this concentration focus on the history, politics and practice of the arts field of their choice within the college. BA students complement their understanding of their arts field with classes in the Business School.

Courses offer academic perspectives, experiential opportunities and real-world experience through internships and field studies. Students who complete the concentration acquire grounding in the basic principles of business practices including management, marketing, finances, fundraising, philanthropy and ethics.

Playwriting Major

Registrar CodeDegree AwardedCompletion HoursCourses Required
PLAYWRTBA4312

Requirements

Cross-listed (ENG or ENGCW/THEA) -14 credit hours

  • Playwriting (372RW)
  • Advanced Playwriting (375RW)
  • History of Drama and Theater 1 and 2 (215 and 216)

Theater Studies (THEA) – 13-16 credit hours

  • Reading for Performance (210W)
  • Two courses from Acting or Directing or Design (These 2 courses must be from different areas)
  • One dramatic literature course 300-level or above (ENG course can be used if focused on dramatic literature)

English/Creative Writing (ENG and ENGCW) – 14-16 credit hours

  • Two literature courses 300-level or above (at least one course must be focused on dramatic literature)
  • Two Creative Writing workshops (Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-fiction, Screenwriting, or repeat Playwriting / Advanced Playwriting); only ONE of
    these can be at the 200-level.

Admission

A visit with the Theater Studies Department and Creative Writing Program and attending classes or a production are all highly encouraged and welcomed. There are no admission requirements for Playwriting.

Advising

Joint Playwriting majors will be assigned an advisor from either the Creative Writing or Theater Studies faculty.

Declaring a Joint Playwriting Major

Students interested in finding out more about the joint playwriting major should talk to a faculty member in either Theater Studies or Creative Writing. Those conversations provide a good foundation for declaring the major. After talking with faculty, an official declaration of the major can be completed by contacting Nora Lewis with Creative Writing.

Emory's resources offer special opportunities for joint playwriting majors. Theater Emory and its Playwriting Center provide a unique resource for student playwrights. Established and emerging playwrights come to Emory to work on their plays with a diverse group of artistic collaborators including students, faculty and professional theater artists. Play development has become a vital stage of playwriting in the United States, and Theater Emory has established itself as an important center for that work. Since its inception in 1989, the Playwriting Center has commissioned and developed scripts with major playwrights including Arthur Kopit, Frank Manley, Steve Murray, Wole Soyinka and Naomi Wallace.