Theatre and Dance

Information For Prospective Undergraduate Students

The Department of Theatre and Dance offers two undergraduate degrees in theatre: the BA in Theatre and the BFA in Musical Theatre. The department also offers minors in Dance and in Theatre.

The department is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre.

Students can fully participate in productions from the very first day on campus.

The Bachelor of Arts in Theatre (BA) is a liberal arts degree with options in Acting, Directing, and Production/Design. The 120 semester hour (sh) BA in Theatre provides a well-rounded core of Theatre courses in acting, stagecraft, theatre history, dramatic literature, and theatre design and technology. Each option has upper-level courses, specific to that option. BA students take General Education courses, a minor area of study, and electives. No audition is required for admittance to the program. The BA in Theatre is a GradTrac program.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre (BFA) degree is one of WIU's "Signature Programs". It is designed to prepare students for a professional career in musical theatre or admission into an advanced degree program. The BFA in Musical Theatre provides students with rigorous specialized training in acting, dance, and voice. This 135 sh program requires proficiency assessment throughout the four years of study.

Students must take General Education courses and 95 sh in Musical Theatre courses, but a minor is not required. Students must complete a professional summer term as part of the program requirements. The BFA in Musical Theatre DOES require an audition for admission into the program. Students will be accepted to WIU as BA theatre majors and then, once accepted into the BFA program, change the major to a BFA, an easy process. The BFA in Musical Theatre is not a GradTrac program.

The Theatre Minor introduces students to all aspects of theatre, stagecraft, and acting. The 18 sh minor has a core group of courses but also allows students elective courses in theatre. Within the electives, students can focus on aspects of theatre that interest them the most.

The Dance Minor introduces students to various dance styles (ballet, modern, jazz, tap), dance composition, history, and choreography. Advanced minors can choreograph dance pieces to be included in the two dance concerts a year. This minor totals 25 sh. University Dance Theatre is a student organization. UDT presents the dance concerts each year.

If you qualify for the University Honors Program, please take a look at the Honors Curriculum for the following two theatre programs:

You may also qualify for the Western Commitment Scholarship!

Meet our students and read what they have to say about the department and university. Please select the “Programs” link on the right menu bar for specific information on all theatre and dance programs.

WIU Application Information

BA and BFA candidates must be admitted to Western Illinois University. Applications can be made online. Contact the Admissions office for more information or apply online now.

If you cannot find what you need here, please contact the department office and let us know what information would be helpful to you.