Theater majors pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree are encouraged to maintain wide-ranging interests within the school and throughout the university’s extensive offerings. BA students can organize their advanced work within a chosen area of theater or elect to include advanced level theater classes in several areas of emphasis. Bachelor of Arts students must use some/all general electives to complete a minor, double major, double degree, intermediate-level proficiency in one foreign language, or 12 credits of advanced standing coursework towards an accelerated Masters of Arts degree in Arts Management.
Admissions
Entrance to the program is by audition/interview or portfolio review. Information about the audition process, including dates, can be found on the School of Theater website.
Admission to the university is determined by the Admissions Office. University-wide admissions policies can be found in the Undergraduate Admissions Policies section of this catalog.
Policies
For policies governing all undergraduate degrees, see AP.5 Undergraduate Policies.
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 120
Mason Core
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Requirements | ||
| Oral Communication | 3 | |
| Information Technology | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | |
| ENGH 101 | Composition (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| ENGH 302 | Advanced Composition (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| Core Requirements | ||
| Literature | 3 | |
| Arts 2 | 3 | |
| Natural Science 3 | 7 | |
| Global History | 3 | |
| Global Contexts | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 37 | |
- 1
Nonnative speakers of English with limited proficiency in the language may substitute ENGH 100 for ENGH 101. Students must attain a minimum grade of C in ENGH 100 or ENGH 101, as well as in ENGH 302, to fulfill degree requirements.
- 2
Course must fall outside the major.
- 3
Must include at least one laboratory science course.
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 upper-division electives in the major, but not both.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| THR 150 | Global Theater Histories I (Mason Core) | 3 |
| THR 151 | Global Theater Histories II (Mason Core) | 3 |
| THR 196 | Production Practicum | 1 |
| THR 198 | Construction or Admin Practicum | 1 |
| THR 199 | Production Run Crew Practicum | 1 |
| THR 210 | Acting I (Mason Core) | 3 |
| THR 230 | Fundamentals of Production (Mason Core) | 3 |
| THR 240 | Introduction to Theatrical Design | 3 |
| THR 329 | Directing | 3 |
| or THR 338 | Production Stage Management | |
| THR 350 | Script Analysis (Mason Core) | 3 |
| THR 351 | Dramatic Theory and Criticism (Mason Core) | 3 |
| Apex | 3 | |
| Advanced Studies in Directing/Dramaturgy (Mason Core) | ||
or THR 496 | Text in Production (Mason Core) | |
| Dramatic Literature | 3 | |
| Select one course from the following: 1 | ||
| Dramatic Literature Seminar | ||
| Advanced Studies in Theater History | ||
| American Voices | ||
| World Stages (Mason Core) | ||
| Contemporary Women Playwrights | ||
| Total Credits | 33 | |
- 1
or with permission of Director
Electives in the Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Theater Majors must complete 21 credits of upper-division (300-400 level) THR coursework not already applied to the major. Students may elect to pursue an academic track in Design & Technical Theater, Directing & Dramaturgy, Performance, Performance Studies, or Playwriting. | 21 | |
| Total Credits | 21 | |
General Electives
BA students must use some/all general electives to complete one of the following options:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | 15-21 | |
| Double Major 1 | Minimum of 18 unique credits | |
| Double Degree 1 | Minimum of 30 unique credits | |
| Intermediate-level proficiency in one foreign language | 0-12 | |
| Accelerated MA in Arts Management (Required courses to be taken in advanced standing: AMGT 601, AMGT 602, AMGT 604, and AMGT 605) 2 | 12 | |
| Remaining electives to achieve 120 total credits 3 | 0-29 | |
| Total Credits | 29 | |
- 1
Must be outside the student's major field of study.
- 2
Students must be accepted into the accelerated Master’s in Arts Management program. If accepted, AMGT 601, AMGT 602, AMGT 604, and AMGT 605 must be completed as advanced standing credits for completion of BA degree requirements. All GR coursework requires a grade of B or better. See the Accelerated Master's tab above for more details.
- 3
May be taken inside or outside of the department. All students are required to complete a minimum of 45 credits of upper-division courses (300 and 400 level).
Bachelors of Arts in Theatre Sample Plan of Study
The sample plan below is a recommended sequencing of courses based on pre-requisites and scheduling. This may not fit every student's needs and is a guideline, not a requirement. Students should confirm major requirements with their academic advisor and with PatriotWeb Degree Evaluation to ensure they enroll in the proper courses and are on track to graduate.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | Spring Semester | Credits |
| THR 150 | 3 | THR 151 | 3 |
| THR 210 | 3 | THR 240 | 3 |
| THR 230 | 3 | Mason Core | 3 |
| Mason Core | 3 | Mason Core | 3 |
| Mason Core | 3 | Mason Core | 3 |
| Practicum | 1 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Credits | Spring Semester | Credits |
| THR 350 | 3 | THR 329 or UPPER LEVEL THR ELECTIVE | 3 |
| Upper Level THR Elective | 3 | THR 351 | 3 |
| Mason Core | 3 | Mason Core | 3 |
| Mason Core | 3 | Mason Core | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| Practicum | 1 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Credits | Spring Semester | Credits |
| THR 338 or UPPER LEVEL THR ELECTIVE | 3 | Dramatic Literature or Upper Level THR Elective | 3 |
| Dramatic Literature or Upper Level THR Elective | 3 | Upper Level THR Elective | 3 |
| Upper Level THR Elective | 3 | Mason Core (suggested Lab Science) | 4 |
| Mason Core | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | Practicum | 1 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall Semester | Credits | Spring Semester | Credits |
| THR 440 or MC APEX (THR 440 OR THR 496) OR MC ENGH 302 | 3 | THR 440 (MC Apex (THR 440 or THR 496) OR MC ENGH 302 ) | 3 |
| Upper Level THR Elective | 3 | Upper Level THR Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 2 |
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||
Detailed four year plans and degree planning checklists can be found at https://cvpa.gmu.edu/academics/undergraduate-student-resources.
Honors in the Major
Highly-qualified students who have completed 75 credits may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors in the major. Students apply for Honors in Theater by submitting to the Director (by November 15 or April 15) a two-page written statement outlining their reasons for pursuing advanced coursework and specific professional goals, along with the names of two Mason theater faculty members who have agreed to serve as references.
Students satisfy the honors course sequence by taking three honors-specific courses from their chosen concentration. They must also maintain an overall GPA of 3.50 and a GPA of 3.75 within the major.
Theater, BA/Arts Management, Accelerated MA
Overview
Academically strong undergraduates in Theater may apply to the accelerated Master’s Degree in Arts Management. If accepted, students will be able to earn a Theater, BA and an Arts Management, MA after satisfactory completion of 150 credits.
For more detailed information, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.
BAM Pathway Admission Requirements
Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in the Graduate Admission Policies section of this catalog.
Students are eligible to apply for this accelerated program once they have earned at least 60 undergraduate credits. After successfully completing 75 undergraduate credits, students must use at least 3 and no more than 12 credits of advanced standing courses (see below) to both complete the bachelor’s degree and begin the masters. An additional six credits may be held in reserve for the master’s degree, but cannot be used to complete the bachelors.
Important information on how to apply for this accelerated master's program can be found in the University’s Accelerated Master’s Application Guide.
Accelerated Master's Admission Requirements
Undergraduate students admitted to the accelerated master’s program pathway will be fully admitted into the MA program if they meet the following requirements, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition Form:
- Minimum overall GPA of 3.00
- Completion of specific undergraduate coursework
- Successfully meet Mason’s requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and complete the application for graduation
- Minimum grade of B in each advanced standing course
- Submission of BAM Transition Form to Office of the University Registrar at the beginning of student’s final undergraduate semester
Accelerated Pathway Requirements
To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students in the Accelerated Pathway must choose from the following courses which can be taken as Advanced Standing or Reserve Graduate credit. A minimum grade of B is required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Standing courses (up to 12 credits with a minimum grade of B in each) | ||
| AMGT 602 | Seminar in Arts Management | 3 |
| AMGT 601 | Fund Raising/Development I | 3 |
| AMGT 604 | Public Relations and Marketing Strategies for the Arts I | 3 |
| AMGT 605 | Finance and Budgeting for Arts I | 3 |
| Reserve Graduate Credit courses (up to 6 credits) taken while an undergraduate and will only count for the graduate degree program | ||
| AMGT 603 | The Arts in Society 1 | 3 |
| AMGT 606 | Governance and Financial Management 2 | 3 |
- 1
Prerequisite: AMGT 602 Seminar in Arts Management
- 2
Prerequisite: AMGT 605 Finance and Budgeting for Arts I
For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees.