COURSE CURRICULUM

The Department of Dance and Theatre at the University of North Texas provides a professionally equipped and production-driven environment for theatre students, supported by facilities such as the 409-seat University Theatre and the 160-seat Studio Theatre, along with fully developed costume and scenic shops, technical workspaces, and storage areas that enable a full annual season of performances. A defining feature of the program is its emphasis on undergraduate involvement in professional-level production roles, where qualified students are given the opportunity to perform lead roles, direct public productions, and take responsibility for stage management as well as design work in scenery, costumes, lighting, makeup, and wigs, allowing them to develop both creative and technical expertise early in their training. The program is designed to build a broad and transferable skill set, with theatre study fostering strong communication, collaboration, and organizational abilities that are valuable across many professional fields. Students are encouraged to expand their academic experience by combining theatre with complementary disciplines such as journalism or law, which can lead to specialized careers like theatre criticism or entertainment law. In addition to academic coursework, students gain experience through faculty-led professional projects, auditions with local theatre companies, and participation in campus organizations that support networking and artistic development. Scholarships based on merit and talent further support student achievement and engagement. Career opportunities for theatre graduates are diverse and include acting for stage and film, directing, producing, stage management, technical theatre roles such as lighting, costume, makeup, props, and set design, as well as positions in arts administration, marketing, box office operations, education, and theatrical photography. Core courses such as theatre and social change, rehearsal and performance practice, acting styles and periods, musical theatre performance, acting for the camera, and realism training ensure that students develop both artistic versatility and practical performance skills applicable to a wide range of theatre and media careers.