Overview

Temple Theaters has established itself as one of the finest theater training programs in the nation. The faculty are accomplished professionals and scholars who generously offer their expertise and great passion for the craft and creation of theater. As a theater department in the culturally rich city of Philadelphia, Temple University's Department of Theater is immersed in and among some of the most important regional and national theaters in the country.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater is focused on building well-rounded, versatile "triple-threat" artists who have developed the prerequisite skills and tools necessary for a life as a theater professional. The training provided in the degree ensures technical aptitude and an immersion into the genre, history and artistry of musical theater, while foundational theater courses guarantee a broad knowledge of theater. Furthermore, Temple's excellent general education requirements safeguard that BFA students receive a well-rounded, comprehensive experience to accompany their training in musical theater.

The Theater department boasts a half century of excellence in theater training, and BFA candidates also benefit from interdisciplinary training in the Boyer College of Music and Dance, as both are housed in the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts. Other course requirements include Acting I–III, Senior Cabaret Workshop, Fitzmaurice Voice Technique, Musical Theater: Dress Rehearsal, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Musical Theater Dance Techniques, Music Theory, Ear Training, Choral Ensemble and Theater as a Profession.

Students have the chance to participate in productions including musicals, student-directed productions, dramas, showcases, singing ensembles, dance performances and workshops conducted by visiting artists. Recent on-campus productions include Sunday in the Park with George, Side Show, Guys and Dolls, Merrily We Roll Along, Brigadoon, Hair, Oklahoma!, Spring Awakening, A Chorus Line, Rent, Urinetown, and Sweeney Todd. Guest artists have included: Telly Leung, Shoshana Bean, Adam Gwon, Chad Beguelin, Barbara Cook, David Garrison, Jonathan Groff, Marc Kudisch, Baayork Lee, John McDaniel, Marcia Milgrom-Dodge, Melba Moore, Hugh Panaro (a Temple alum), Pasek and Paul, and Lauren Worsham.

The successful theater student graduates from our program with excellent communication and collaboration skills, a broad-based and substantive liberal arts background, developed abilities within the discipline of theater, a peerless commitment to achieving and appreciating artistic excellence, and a passion for life-long learning that will enable success in a wide variety of future endeavors. Our alumni are not only successful artists in theater and all of the entertainment industries, but they are also leaders in many other fields. We strive to graduate well-educated and enlightened "Citizen Artists" who possess the creative capacity and commitment to make a difference in the quality of community life regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.

Campus Location: Main

Program Code: CA-MUST-BFA

Accreditation

The Department of Theater is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) and is a member of the University Resident Theater Association (U/RTA). These affiliations characterize it as amongst an elite group of highly-recognized Theater Programs. The Theater department was recently ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the top 25 theater programs in the nation.

Contact Information

Department Office
Tomlinson Theater, Room 209
215-204-8414

Fred Duer, MFA, Chair
Tomlinson Theater, Room 210A
215-204-2804
fmduer@temple.edu

Peter Reynolds, MFA, Assistant Chair
Tomlinson Theater, Room 210B
215-204-8628
peterr@temple.edu

Learn more about the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater.

These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Requirements for the Degree

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theater may be conferred upon a student by recommendation of the faculty and by satisfactory completion of a minimum of 124 credit hours.

• University Requirements: All students are required to complete the university's General Education (GenEd) curriculum.
• There will be no requirement to take the GenEd Arts course if all of the following courses are completed with a C- or better: THTR 1096 , THTR 1202 and THTR 1231. If the student changes majors before completing all three courses, s/he must complete a GenEd Arts course to satisfy the requirement for General Education.
• All students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are listed below and identified with the code "WI".
• Students must complete Theater Department foundation courses with a grade of C or better in each course.
• No more than 20 credits of work in the major field may be transferred from another institution. Students must complete at least 16 semester hours in Theater courses at Temple University.
• All Theater majors must take placement tests in English and mathematics. If a student places into ENG 0701 or MATH 0701 or MATH 0702, these courses must be completed prior to taking the General Education requirement for English and Quantitative Literacy.

Major Requirements

Suggested Academic Plan

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater

Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2024-2025 Academic Year