Musical Theatre
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Program Requirements
Students must fulfill the Oakland University General Education Requirements, the General College of Arts and Sciences Requirements, the College of Arts & Sciences Exploratory Requirement, and the Major Requirements. Additionally, students must complete a sufficient number of free elective courses to meet the overall credit requirement for their degree. A minimum of 120 credits is required, although some degree programs may require a higher total credit count.
Musical Theatre, B.F.A. majors are exempt from the College of Arts & Sciences Exploratory Requirement.
General Education Requirements
In order to graduate on-schedule without taking additional courses, it is highly recommended that students meet with an Undergraduate Academic Adviser concerning the selection of all of their General Education courses.
Each candidate for an Oakland University baccalaureate will need to satisfactorily complete approved courses in each of the following areas: Foundations, Explorations, and Integration. For details, refer to the General Education Requirements section of the catalog.
Requirements for the major in Musical Theatre, B.F.A.
Admission to the Theatre Degree Programs
Admission to the Theatre department at Oakland University (OU) is a two-tiered process. The first step in the process for all students is the Entrance Audition. These auditions are held several times a year and determine whether or not a student will be admitted to OU in any theatre degree programs. The second step is the major standing audition/portfolio review, which determines whether students may continue in the program, and which degree program they will pursue. More information on the major standing audition/portfolio review can be found below under “Non-credit requirements.”
Entrance Auditions
Entrance audition days are held several times each year. Students should be prepared to demonstrate proficiency in their proposed area of specialization. The audition schedule, audition requirements and entrance application are available on the School of Music, Theatre and Dance website.
Students seeking admission to Oakland University as Acting majors must audition for the theatre faculty.
Students who audition and do not enroll within 2 semesters must re-audition.
Students who enroll and leave school for at least 2 semesters must re-audition.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree is intended for students who wish pre-professional and professional preparation in dance, musical theatre, acting, and theatre design and technology. Students must successfully complete the events attendance requirement and the senior interview (for more information, see below under “Non-credit requirements”). Students should consult with their theatre faculty advisor and departmental advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences Advising Office to plan their degree program. Only major courses in which a grade of at least a C has been earned will count towards the major.
Requirements - Minimum of 83 Credits
Musical Theatre Performance Courses
course Musical Theatre Performance Lab (0)
Total of 4 semesters
1st year - 2 semesters
2nd year - 2 semesters
course Musical Theatre Performance (3)
course Musical Theatre Performance II (3)
course Musical Theatre Performance III (3)
course Musical Theatre Performance IV (3)
Stage Voice & Movement Courses
Acting Courses
Music Theory Courses
course Basic Musicianship for Musical Theatre Majors I (2)
course Basic Musicianship for Musical Theatre Majors II (2)
Voice Technique Courses
course Voice (1 TO 2) (2 semesters, 4 credits)
course Voice (1 OR 2) (2 semesters, 4 credits)
course Voice (1 TO 4) (2 semesters, 4 credits)
course Vocal Coaching for Singers (1)
Total of 6 credits
3rd year - 4 credits
4th year - 2 credits
Dance Courses
Only the first attempt of the following DAN courses can count toward the Dance Courses requirement. For DAN courses that are repeated, subsequent credit will not be applied toward the Dance requirement of the Musical Theatre, BFA.
course Fundamentals of Ballet Technique I (2)
or Placement
course Fundamentals of Ballet Technique II (2)
or Placement
course Dance for Musical Theatre (2)
course Dance for Music Theatre II (2)
2 DAN Technique Courses selected from the following:
course Fundamentals of Tap (2)
course Fundamentals of Modern Techniques (2)
course Jazz Dance (2)
course Urban Dance - Hip Hop Styles (2)
Production Courses
course Stagecraft (3)
or course Costume Craft (3)
or course Costume Construction (3)course Stage Makeup (2)
History Courses
course Theatre History I (3)
or course Theatre History II (3)Satisfies the General Education Requirement for Arts
course History of American Musical Theatre (3)
Theatre Performance/Production Practica - Minimum of 4 credits
course Design, Production and Management Project (1)
Taken in the 1st year
Students are assigned as backstage crew in both Fall and Winter semesters
A Minimum of 2 Courses Selected From (Can be Repeated)
course Performance Project (1)
course Company Class (1)
course Stage Manager Project (1)
course Advanced Directing Project (1)
course Advanced Performance Projects (1)
course Dramaturgy/Assistant Director Project (1)
course Nightclub Cabaret Acts (1)
course Advanced Company Class (1)
course Internship (1 TO 4)
Professional Development Courses
course Professional Practices for the Performer (2)
course Senior Presentation to the Profession (1)
Theatre Elective Courses - 6 credits
Elective coursework chosen from the subject areas DAN, FLM, MUA/MUE voice classes, MUS and THA; course is excluded.
Non-Credit Requirements
Major Standing
Students at the end of their second semester of study audition or present their portfolios to faculty to gain official entrance into the department. Students can pass and be placed into a major, be deferred and given another semester to attempt major standing, or be denied entrance into the department.
Senior Interview
Students in their last semester are required to write about their experiences in the department over the course of their study-both as a student and a theatre artist. They meet with faculty to assess their growth as a scholar and artist during their time at Oakland University.
Events Attendance Requirement
Students must see at least 10 academic or professional performing arts events each year (40 performances over 4 years of study). Each year, 4 of these performances may be substituted with service-learning projects in underserved communities (up to 16 projects over 4 years of study). These performances and projects must be approved in consultation with the student’s Theatre Advisor.
Applicable Minors
All Minors are applicable to this major with the exception of the following Minor(s): Child Welfare, International Orientation for EGR/CS, and Sustainability Engineering.