Theatre & Film Major

Goal 1: Development of Creative Voice and Abilities

Outcome 1.1: Students will develop the ability to create performing arts works that express their creativity and unique voices.

Outcome 1.2: Students will acquire skills in creative inquiry, analysis and self-reflection.

Goal 2: Development of Critical and Rhetorical Skills

Outcome 2.1: Students will develop the ability to craft well-organized, reasoned, critical, and thoroughly-researched written and oral work.

Goal 3: Knowledge and Analysis of Significant Works

Outcome 3.1: Students will develop an awareness and analytical understanding of significant and diverse creative and theoretical works within the performing arts, and the cultural and historical contexts in which they were produced.

Goal 4: Knowledge of Professional Practices

Outcome 4.1: Students will acquire the creative, technical, and analytical tools to begin professional work in the field or to pursue graduate studies.

Goal 5: Development of Social and Ethical Awareness

Outcome 5.1: Students will develop an understanding of social issues, ethics and inclusivity within the performing arts.

Goal 6: Development of Collaborative and Service Skills

Objective 6.1: Students will engage, share and collaborate as creative citizens by completing performing arts projects that include campus, local, national and/or international communities.

The traditional undergraduate programs includes a minimum of 120 credits distributed across three components: A General Education component divided into Signature Courses, Variable Courses, and an Integrative Learning requirement; a Major and Divisional component; and Free Electives. In addition to course requirements as specified in each area, students must complete one certified course in each of the following overlay areas1:

  1. Diversity, Globalization or Non-western Area Studies,
  2. Ethics Intensive
  3. Writing Intensive, and
  4. Diversity
1

Overlay requirements are part of the 120 credit requirements

General Education Signature Courses

See this page about Signature courses

General Education Variable Courses

See this page about Variable courses. Six to Nine courses

General Education Overlays

See this page about Overlays.

General Education Integrative Learning Component

See this page about Integrative Learning Component. Three courses:

As part of the GEP, all majors in Theatre & Film will select three courses total from at least two of the following categories:

  • ART: Art Studio Course
  • ART: Art History Course
  • COM: Communications Studies Course
  • ENG: Any English Course
  • CSC: Computer Science Courses
  • CAS: Any chair-approved CAS course in Cinema Studies presented from the perspective of an independent discipline (i.e. Sociology, Psychology, Political Sciences, etc.)

GEP Electives

11-13 courses, depending on how many required courses in variable core and choice of major concentration.

Major Requirements

Core Courses:
MTF 161Introduction to Theatre3
or MTF 162 History of Broadway Musical
or MTF 191 Introduction to Film
MTF 263Acting I 13
MTF 284Digital Filmmaking3
MTF 496Senior Project 23
Select one of the following tracks to complete major:
Track 1 – Theatre Concentration
Theatre Performance Practicum
Theatre Production Practicum
Acting II
Directing for the Stage
Theatre History
Prod Design: Theatre & Film
Styles of Acting
Track 2 - Musical Theatre Concentration
Music Fundamentals
Music Theory I
Theatre Performance Practicum
Acting II
Styles of Acting
Musical Theatre Performance
Musical Theatre Dance Styles
Four semesters of private voice lessons
Track 3 - Film/TV Concentration
History of Narrative Film
Screenwriting
Series Screenwriting
Short Film Production
Episodic Series Production
Directing for Film/TV
Select one of the following Film/TV electives: 3
Production Courses
Filmmaking Methods
Acting for the Camera
Producing & Business of Film
Series Screenwriting
Documentary Film
Commercial Production
Genre Film Workshop
Advanced Screenwriting
Advanced Light, Camera, Design
Sound Design
Editing & Post-Production
Documentary Workshop
Professional Production Studio
Studies Courses
History of Television
Black American Cinema
Genre Film Studies
American Film
European Cinemas
Five Films
Non-Western World Cinemas
Major Figures in Film
Film Theory & Criticism
Special Topics in Film
1

MTF 263 Acting I may be replaced by MTF 265 Directing for the Stage or MTF 267 Theatre Design for Film/TV Track.

2

See course description below for explanation of the department’s capstone experience.

3

If a student will be writing a Thesis for their Senior Project, s/he is required to take MTF 391- Film Theory and Criticism; if s/he will be writing a feature screenplay, s/he is required to take MTF 382 –Advanced Screenwriting.