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Admission and Retention Standards

Admission

Auditions/interviews are required for admission to B.F.A. programs in Acting and Musical Theatre. The same audition/interview is used in determining Theatre Arts Talent Scholarship awards. Talent scholarships are usually awarded for one year to students in Acting, Dance, Motion Picture production, and Design/Technology. All majors are eligible to apply each year for Merit Scholarships.

Photographs are required for all those auditioning in Acting and Musical Theatre emphasis. If unusual circumstances prevent you from keeping your appointment, please contact the Department of Theatre Arts. A video recording may be submitted in lieu of a personal audition, although this is not recommended. Theatre Arts Talent Scholarship awards will be announced in March.

Retention

The department feels a strong obligation to graduate only those students whose chances of attaining professional employment remain clear. The faculty feels it is unfair to graduate people who, because of lack of motivation or apparent talent, will not achieve successful, professional careers -- or who do not seem to be growing adequately within the Professional Actor Training Program. Therefore, we have established a process to evaluate students regularly, especially through their sophomore year. At the end of the first year of training and the end of each term of the sophomore year students participate in faculty juries of their singing, acting and dance. When deemed necessary by the Acting faculty, some students are advised to select another major. All students are urged to carefully consider their career choice and to fully understand the rigors and demands of the acting profession. There is no specific quota for the number of students in any given year of the curriculum.

Professional Acting Training Program students must maintain a grade of "C" or better in all classes required of their emphasis to be retained. Students not making satisfactory progress, even with a grade of "C" or better, may be advised by the faculty to withdraw from the program. An overall GPA of 2.5 is required for graduation.

Transfer Students

Transfer students are accepted into the Acting program only after a successful placement audition. Acceptance is dependent upon the quality of the audition, the interview, and prior academic standings. Consideration is also given to course work from other institutions.

The university generally follows a liberal policy in accepting credits. Virtually all credits, which the student earned at an accredited institution from courses in which the student earned a “C” or better, are accepted. The Office of the Registrar is responsible for determination of which credits are to be transferred.

Last updated December 10, 2007