The Major and its Emphasis Options

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CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE THEATRE AND DANCE MAJOR

The Department of Theatre and Dance has one of the largest and most varied undergraduate theatre programs in the Northeast. We offer emphases in Acting, Design and Theatre Technology, Musical Theatre, Secondary Education, Youth Drama, and Youth Drama in Special Education. We also offer a Dance Option within our BA in Theatre degree. Performance opportunities include six main stage faculty-directed productions, three touring productions, and over 20 student-directed productions including plays, musical theatre, dance, puppetry, improvisation, comedy, and creative drama.

The award-winning faculty provides theatre majors with superlative training within a broad liberal arts context. Students may take courses in acting, voice and movement, dialects, directing, choreography, design and theatre technology, the history, theory and criticism of drama and theatre, youth drama, secondary school certification, youth drama in special education, playwriting, storytelling, puppetry, ballet, theatre dance (jazz and tap), aerial dance, and musical theatre. Students interested in performance, technical, and historical aspects are trained to step into professional careers. The program affords means for independent study and internships, special projects, and active personal involvement in lecture and laboratory classes with the possibility for integration with other departments. To assist with financial needs, the department awards scholarships to incoming freshman and undergraduates each spring.

Any incoming student with prior experience in Theatre or Dance should speak with an advisor in order to be placed in the correct class level. No audition is required to be a Theatre & Dance major. The curriculum and requirements for each emphasis area may be found by following these links:

General Theatre
Acting
Dance
Design & Theatre Technology
Musical Theatre
Secondary Education in Theatre
Youth Drama
Youth Drama in Special Education

The general theatre major allows students to explore a variety of areas. In the freshman and sophomore years, the student should enroll in at least two theatre and two general education courses per semester. Students meet with the chair of the department until they are assigned advisors appropriate to their area of interest. The minimum grade requirement is C- per course. Any grade lower than a C- will not count toward the major.

Under department policy, students who complete both COMM 401 and COMM 402 satisfy the language competency requirement.  All theatre majors are advised to take THDA 435: Intro to Theatre to fulfill their General Education Group 6 requirement.  All majors must take courses in the following areas: Performance, Design/Theatre Technology, and Theory/History as well as fulfill four practicums and complete a capstone course.  Although timing will vary with each emphasis, it is strongly suggested that all introductory courses be taken prior to the end of the student's sophomore year. 

THEATRE PRACTICUM

The theatre and dance major practicum has been developed to assure a breadth of experience in the major. In order to graduate as a Theatre and Dance Major, students must have completed each of the four practicum courses:

THDA 689 A - Technical
THDA 689 B - Costume
THDA 689 C - Performance
THDA 689 D - Promotion & Marketing

Students should plan on registering for one practicum credit per year. Due to the “activity” nature of this course, students are allowed one unpaid credit per semester; thus, if a student registers for 21 credits and 1 credit is practicum, the student will not be charged extra. However, the student MUST petition to be allowed to carry 21 credits per semester (SEE SECTION ENTITLED “HOW TO REGISTER FOR 21 CREDITS PER SEMESTER")

Students who stage manage a department production may use that experience to satisfy either the student’s technical practicum or performance practicum requirement.

All practicum credits must be earned for work done at UNH and supervised by the Theatre and Dance Department. Students may receive either pay or credit for performance/scenic arts projects and practicums; they can not receive both. 35 work hours are required per practicum class. Students may repeat a practicum for additional credit up to a total of 6 credits. Each practicum course is graded pass or fail. The student must meet with the practicum instructor during the first week of the semester for job description, procedures, and assignments. Failure to do so may result in receiving an “F” for the course.

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