Bachelor of Arts in Theater
George Mason, USA
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
USD 4,897 / per semester **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* International student deadline is 1st of June of every year | Domestic student deadline is 1st of February
** in-state tuition full-time (12-15 credits); USD 16,980 - out-of-state tuition full-time (12-15 credits); USD 1,803 - mandatory student fee
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
Our faculty of working professionals believe that practical training and hands-on experience, combined with the breadth and rigor of liberal arts study, offer our graduates the best-individualized preparation for a life in the theater.
At Mason School of Theater, we embrace a universal expression of spirit using both historical and contemporary training in the theatrical arts. We provide collaborative opportunities in live production, new works, and new media, as we prepare our students for a complex and challenging future, regardless of where their training may lead them.
The BA degree stresses the breadth of a liberal arts education in the belief that such study, combined with serious practical training and experience, offers the best preparation for a life in theater and screen.
Students complete the theater core. To organize their advanced work within the major, students elect a course of study from four concentrations:
- Performance
- Design and Technical Theater
- Theater Education for Theater Arts PK-12
- Theater Studies
Whether they plan to enter the professional theater, seek teacher certification, or pursue graduate studies, Mason theater students learn to solve problems creatively, think critically, write clearly, and express themselves artistically, as they build a strong work ethic and a deep sense of artistic responsibility.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 120
Mason Core
Foundation Requirements
- Oral Communication 3
- Information Technology 3
- Quantitative Reasoning 3
- ENGH 101 Composition (Mason Core) 3
- ENGH 302 Advanced Composition (Mason Core) 3
Core Requirements
- Literature 3
- Arts 3
- Natural Science 7
- Western Civilization/World History 3
- Global Understanding 3
- Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
Total Credits 37
Major
Theater Core Requirements
Note: THR majors may not double count THR courses within the major. All THR courses count either towards the degree core or the concentration, but not both.
- THR 150 Global Ancient Theater History (Mason Core) 3
- THR 151 Global Medieval Theater History (Mason Core) 3
- THR 196 Production Practicum 1
- THR 197 Literary Management Practicum 1
- THR 198 Construction or Admin Practicum 1
- THR 199 Production Run Crew Practicum 1
- THR 201 Stage Management 3
- THR 210 Acting I (Mason Core) 3
- THR 230 Fundamentals of Production (Mason Core) 3
- THR 300 Voice and Speech 3
- THR 329 Directing 3
- THR 350 Script Analysis 3
- THR 411 Great Film Directors (Mason Core) 3 or THR 412 Great Film Performances (Mason Core)
Movement
Select one course from the following: 3
- THR 303 Movement for Actors
- THR 304 Advanced Movement for Actors
- THR 305 Unarmed Stage Combat
- THR 306 Movement in Musical Theater
Synthesis
- THR 440 Advanced Studies in Directing/Dramaturgy (Mason Core) or THR 496 Text in Production (Mason Core)
Design/Tech in the Discipline
Select one course from the following:
- THR 240 Introduction to Theatrical Design
- THR 313 Event Technical Production
- THR 314 Lighting Stagecraft
- THR 315 Sound Engineering
- THR 316 Scene Painting
- THR 330 Seminar in Technical Theater
- THR 342 Makeup Design
Writing in the Discipline
Select one course from the following:
- THR 351 Dramatic Theory and Criticism
- THR 380 Playwriting I
- THR 382 Screenplay Workshop
- THR 484 Translation Adaptation for Stage Screen
Dramatic Literature
Select one course from the following:
- THR 352 Dramatic Literature Seminar
- THR 353 Advanced Studies in Theater History
- THR 354 American Voices
- THR 359 World Stages (Mason Core)
- THR 424 Contemporary Women Playwrights
Total Credits 46
Concentrations
Theater majors earning a BA in Theater must select one of the following concentrations:
- Concentration in Design and Technical Theater (DTT)
- Concentration in Performance (PFM)
- Concentration in Theater Education for Theater Arts PK-12 (THEA)
- Concentration in Theater Studies (THST)
Concentration in Design and Technical Theater (DTT)
Provides a foundation of knowledge, technique, and experience in one or more areas of theater design and technology in preparation for advanced study and professional work in the field.
- THR 339 Principles of Design 3
Select 15 credits from the following: 15
- THR 196 Production Practicum
- THR 197 Literary Management Practicum
- THR 198 Construction or Admin Practicum
- THR 199 Production Run Crew Practicum
- THR 313 Event Technical Production
- THR 314 Lighting Stagecraft
- THR 315 Sound Engineering
- THR 316 Scene Painting
- THR 330 Seminar in Technical Theater
- THR 331 Drafting and Modeling
- THR 332 History of Fashion and Dress
- THR 333 Scenic Design
- THR 334 Lighting Design
- THR 335 Costume Design
- THR 337 Sound Design
- THR 342 Makeup Design
- THR 343 Costume Technology
- THR 401 Professional Presentation
- THR 415 Advanced Sound Engineering
- THR 428 Musical Theater Ensemble
- THR 434 Advanced Lighting Design
- THR 437 Advanced Sound Design
- THR 492 Advanced Practicum
- THR 493 Collaborative Lab Experience
Total Credits 18
General Electives
Credits BA students must use some/all general electives to complete a 13-19
- Minor
- Double Major
- Double Degree
- Intermediate-level proficiency in one foreign language
- Remaining electives
George Mason is All Together Different
We became Virginia’s most diverse and highest-ranked university for innovation by welcoming all who are prepared for the academic rigor of a Research 1 (R1) university. Here, Patriots live and learn together in a research-intensive environment, gaining the skills necessary to build a better world for themselves and their communities.
When our students graduate, they continue that work, with nearly nine in ten graduates achieving positive career outcomes within just six months of graduation as they strive for the future they want and deserve. George Mason didn’t achieve this incredible success by being like other institutions. We did it by being All Together Different.
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As a Patriot, you will be part of a powerful regional presence with a global reach.
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