Acting, BFA
Our BFA Acting students are the heartbeat of our productions, performing in as many as 15 shows during their time at WVU. From main stage productions to workshop and second stage performances, you’ll have many opportunities to showcase your talent and hone your craft.
After graduating, you’ll be set to jump straight into your career or continue your journey in a graduate training program.
Acceptance to the Acting BFA Program requires admission to WVU and a successful audition. Your audition also may qualify you for a School of Theatre and Dance scholarship.
Your Degree Plan
From dramatic theory to text analysis, theatre history to literature, directing to special topics, we’ll supply you with the tools you need to connect authentically with your characters and bring dynamic theatre to life.
Freshman and Sophomore Years
In your freshman and sophomore years, you’ll receive 6 hours of acting training per week, alongside rigorous liberal arts coursework. As you progress to your sophomore year, you’ll dedicate an additional four hours per week to movement or voice/speech training.
Continuation in our BFA program beyond sophomore year is by audition only. Those who don’t pass the audition can continue their studies in our BA Theatre Program.
Junior and Senior Years
In your junior and senior years, you’ll take your skills to the next level as a member of our Studio Acting Program. With 20 hours a week dedicated to performance training, you’ll explore everything from contemporary American realism to Shakespearean classics, along with acting for film and television, voice-overs, and musical theatre.
The Studio Acting Program covers a wide range of topics, from singing to Suzuki, movement composition to stage combat, audition technique to dialects, ensuring that you’re well-rounded and prepared for the industry.
Acting Studio
THET 344
The purpose of studio is to reexamine basic acting principles and introduce advanced techniques in characterization, personalization, and given circumstances through exercises, monologue work, and intensive scene study coordinated with rehearsal and performance in THET 345.
Theatre Fundamentals
THET 160
An examination of basic theatre concepts, the roles of practitioners in the production process, and an analysis of scripts in light of major theoretical and critical movements.
Honors
Expand your curiosity and enhance your curriculum through the WVU Honors College. Two programs are offered: Honors Foundations and Honors in Action.
The WVU Difference
What sets this program apart?
- Students prepare as performers and entrepreneurs. Alumni have founded theatre companies, written, and starred in their own films and web series and are dedicated to introducing new voices and concepts into their mediums.
- WVU Lab Theatre works have gone on to prestigious events like the New York Musical Theatre Festival.
- 5 theatres of varied sizes and setups at the Canady Creative Arts Center.
- Valuable real-world experience with West Virginia Public Theatre, which is operated through the College of Creative Arts and Media.
- Our NYC Showcase, which puts you in front of industry insiders and connects you with WVU alumni in the theatre and film industries.
- Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre.
- Perform in as many as 15 productions. Acting students are the core of the casting pool for WVU main stage, workshop, and second stage productions.
- Acting students are the core of the casting pool for 5-6 mainstage productions, as well as up to 20 workshop and second stage productions per year.
- Grants available for educational travel and research.
- The Creative Consultants program, which pairs you with accomplished alumni mentors for invaluable insights, advice, and support.
Learn by Doing
Get involved outside the classroom.
Careers and Outcomes
How does this degree prepare students for a career?
Actors
Possible Job Titles: Actor, Actress, Comedian, Performer
Producers and Directors
Has a Bright Outlook
Median Salary: $83,480
Possible Job Titles: Artistic Director, Director, News Producer, Producer
Talent Directors
Has a Bright Outlook
Median Salary: $83,480
Possible Job Titles: Artistic Director , Casting Agent , Casting Coordinator , Casting Director
Where our grads are working
Acting graduates either enter the profession immediately or are admitted to a high-caliber graduate training program.
WVU alumni have found work with Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theatre companies.
Further your education
Keep going right here at WVU. Consider furthering your education in:
Places and Spaces
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Canady Creative Arts Center
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Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Acting major, first-time freshmen must meet WVU's first-time freshman admission requirements. Interested in transferring? Review the transfer admission requirements.
Tuition and Aid
How much does Acting at WVU cost? And how can you save?
Tuition and Fees
Estimated rates are available on our tuition website. Anyone who is not a current West Virginia resident, including international students, will be charged non-resident rates.
Ways to Save
Beyond scholarships, here are other ways to reduce your cost of attending WVU.
Financial Aid
The most important step toward funding your future with financial aid for the Acting, BFA is submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.
Ohio Tuition Reciprocity
As the result of a special agreement, students from Ohio who are fully admitted to Acting can enroll at WVU and pay in-state tuition rates. Students must be admitted to both the University and this major.
Start at Another WVU Campus
You can start your career with WVU at another campus and transfer to WVU Morgantown.
Transfer Articulation Agreements
To simplify the transfer process, we have formal agreements with certain institutions. These agreements outline the courses you should take to prepare for transferring to WVU.
Review the full list of transfer articulation agreements to see if your institution is listed.
Request Info
Want to know more about Acting at WVU? Fill out our request form to receive more information.
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