Courses of Study
The study of theater can enrich a student’s life throughout an undergraduate career. Emory’s Theater Studies Program enthusiastically embraces its role in contributing to undergraduate education and University culture in a multitude of ways, in popular courses that educate collaborators and innovators who build multiple awarenesses and skills, in a range of majors and minors, and in professionally-supervised laboratories that offer adventurous and memorable experiences.
Theater in Education
In the spirit of liberal arts education, our courses, which explore the performance, design, literature, theory, management, and technology of theater, can meet your general education goals by offering each semester multiple Humanities and Arts, Continuing Communication and Writing, Race and Ethnicity, and Experience and Application courses. Let theater give you a window on all these ways of knowing the world!
Courses of Study
Theater Studies Major
| Registrar Code | Degree Awarded | Completion Hours | Courses Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| THEASTBA | BA | 35-38 | 11 |
Core Requirements:
Introduction to the Major:
- THEA 210W, Reading for Performance
Acting:
- THEA 120, Acting: Fundamentals
History and Literature:
A two-course required sequence:
- THEA 215: History of Drama and Theater I
- THEA 216: History of Drama and Theater II
Technical Theater and Design:
- One course in Technical Theater: THEA 130, Stagecraft
- One course in Design: THEA 235, Sound and Lighting Design for Public Presentation; OR THEA 331, Costume Design; OR THEA 332, Scenic Design; OR THEA 333, Lighting Design; OR THEA 334, Sound Design
Creating Productions:
- One course in Creating Productions: THEA 250, Directing I; OR THEA 360R, Ensemble; OR THEA 370R, Creating New Works
Senior Seminar:
Senior Seminar in the Major, to be taken only in the Fall semester of the senior year:
- THEA 410W, Aesthetics and Criticism of Theater
Elective Requirements:
In addition to the core requirements, majors must complete three Elective Courses of their choice for a total of 9-12 credit hours.
- All three of these must be at the 200-level or higher.
- Two of these must be at the 300-level or higher.
Admission:
Auditions for the major or minor are not required. To declare the major or minor, go here.
Note:
Due to recent changes in the major, students who declared the Theater Studies major prior to the Fall Semester of 2023 may petition to the Director of Undergraduate Studies to replace the required Design course with THEA 240, Theater Administration.
To Focus in the Major:
Students majoring or minoring in Theater Studies who wish to achieve a particular focus in their undergraduate study should take these course sequences:
- Acting Focus: Majors or Minors in Theater Studies who wish to focus in Acting should take the following courses in sequence: THEA 120, Acting: Fundamentals, as required, and, as their elective courses: THEA 223, Voice and Diction, THEA 224, Movement for the Actor, plus THEA 321, Acting: Advanced Scene Work, and THEA 328, The Business of Acting, a two-hour course. Students with an Acting Focus must audition for roles at Theater Emory and perform them as opportunity permits.
- Design and Technical Theater Focus: Majors or Minors in Theater Studies who wish to focus in Design and Technical Theater should take the following courses: THEA 130, Stagecraft, as required, and, as electives, THEA 200R, Theater Practicum, and three of the following, one of which is already a major requirement: THEA 235, Sound and Lighting Design for Public Presentation, OR THEA 331, Costume Design, OR THEA 332, Scenic Design, OR THEA 333, Lighting Design, OR THEA 334, Sound Design; they may also elect totake THEA 335, Scenic Painting as part of the Design and Technical Theater Focus. Students with a Design and Tech focus should also apply for opportunities to assist designers in productions at Theater Emory, and take the assistant roles as opportunity permits.
Theater Studies Minor
| Registrar Code | Completion Hours | Courses Required |
|---|---|---|
| THEASTMIN | 19-22 | 6 |
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
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.
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 Code | Degree Awarded | Completion Hours | Courses Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLAYWRT | BA | 43 | 12 |
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.