<p>My D is looking for BA theater programs at large universities, preferably in large cities. She is not interested in the tiny arts-oriented schools like Bard, Vassar, or Kenyon And she is not a brilliant student so not Brown, Yale, Northwestern. (But she is a good student. She has a 3.6 gpa—upward trend—with 1800 SATs.) </p>
<p>I’ve found it much easier to research BFA programs. There are so few of them, really. I hardly know where to start researching BA programs. Every large university has a theater department but there are huge differences. We’ve looked at the UCs, because we live in Cailfornia, and we found everything from a world-class professional program at UCLA to a very academic, rather sleepy little department at UC Santa Cruz.</p>
<p>We want a good (but not great) university with a very good theater department. </p>
<p>American University is a great suggestion. It is in Washington, DC and is a BA program. I want to point out that this BA program is by audition. </p>
<p>Also, very good theater programs in big cities that are BA but are BA by audition are Temple University in Philadelphia and Fordham University in NYC and Emerson College in Boston (Emerson has a BFA too but also has a BA by audition). </p>
<p>The suggestions of UC Santa Barbara (which is BA with no audition but an option for a BFA track after two years by audition) is great and so is UC Irvine (no audition). </p>
<p>Chapman University in Orange County in CA is another great option but is a BA by audition and has the option for a BFA track after two years. </p>
<p>Tulane University in New Orleans is an option and is a BA with no audition but offers a BFA in Theater Performance by audition after a year or two.</p>
<p>University of Colorado in Boulder (which is a city but not a huge city) has a BA in Theater but the option to do a BFA in Performance after the third semester by audition.</p>
<p>Indiana University, while not in a big city, is a very big university and so kinda a little city in itself and offers strong theater and is a BA. </p>
<p>Hofstra University is very close to NYC but not IN the city and offers a BA and then also has a BFA track by audition after the second year as an option.</p>
<p>Also, look into Northeastern University in Boston and University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont.</p>
<p>A couple others that may fit your criteria are George Washington University (in DC) and University of Washington (in Seattle).</p>
<p>While not large universities (but certainly not small schools), these two schools are in a city (or a suburb of it) and are both very good for theater: Boston College and Brandeis University (outside of Boston).</p>
<p>I believe that Temple’s BA Theatre program is non-audition. You must audition if you are seeking admission to the BA Musical Theatre program. The straight theatre program has done some excellent widely acclaimed work, including a show that recently was taken off Broadway with the original cast.</p>
<p>Sorry that I said the BA in Theater/Acting is by audition as that is just the Musical Theater program that has an audition for admissions. </p>
<p>However, for the Acting Concentration, there aren’t auditions to be admitted but there are auditions to advance in the Acting program. See below:</p>
<p>
^^^From Temple’s site regarding the Acting concentration in the BA Theatre program.</p>
<p>I believe you are incorrect. UCSB offers a BA track and degree in Theater. They do have a BFA degree program that you audition for after the first year but if you are not in that, you can do a BA in Theater. Not only is that on their website but one of my students (whom I advised on her entire college selection and admissions process) has chosen to attend UCSB for Theater and was seeking a BA degree (though could audition for the BFA track if she chooses).</p>
<p>James Madison University in VA is sixteen thousand students, not in a large city, but if you do take a trip to visit American in DC, it may be worth a drive to JMU in Harrisonburg (only about 2 hours). There is no audition required currently for the BA in Theatre. There is an audition for the BA in Musical Theatre. I teach in the MT Concentration at JMU. Starting with the academic year following this one we will be in a brand new 90 million dollar performing arts center. There is a lot going on in the arts at JMU right now. :)</p>
<p>to Musicalstudent: I think you might be confusing UCSB with Cal State Fullerton. At Fullerton, you can major in theatre freshman and sophomore years, and then the big audition comes. If you don’t make it into the BFA program, your theatre studies are over.</p>
<p>I just started at USC (BA Theatre) a week ago and I am already cast in two musicals and one straight play this semester as well as enrolled in 4 theatre classes. </p>
<p>USC has, arguably, one of the best BA programs in the country.</p>
<p>Miami of Ohio has an excellent BA in Theatre program. While it is in a small town, its only 30 miles from Cincinnati. Relatively large school (16,000 students). No MFA programs so undergrads get much attention (and all the roles), lots of flexibility for majors to focus on areas of theatre specifically of interest to them.</p>
<p>Not sure why you suggest Univ. of Vt. We looked there with older daughter (now a theater major - mostly tech - at Barnard). Their only theatre (as of two years ago) was in an old converted gymnasium, and the performance schedule only showed three or four plays a year. Even our tour guide admitted the theatre program wasn’t much. Good school, nice people, beautiful location. But unless we got really bad info, not so much for theatre.</p>
<p>Update about James Madison University – all concentrations (Theatre, Musical Theatre, Dance) are now by audition/ interview/ portfolio review only. However, a student may be admitted to JMU as an undeclared major and audition/ interview for the concentrations later (fall or spring for the Theatre and Dance concentrations. March audition only for the Musical Theatre Concentration.</p>
<p>The new Forbes Center for the Performing Arts is beautiful. The first show was in August with a Children’s Playshop production in the Studio Theatre. So far this fall on the Theatre Mainstage we produced Mary Zimmerman’s Metamorphoses. The new play, Letters to Sala, opens next week. In the Studio Theatre we have produced I Love You Because, Two Masters, Songs for a New World, and True West. Next up this semester in the Studio Theatre is the Jeweler’s Shop and a 10-minute Play Festival. Next semester’s theatre productions on the Mainstage are Kiss Me Kate and Arcadia. We are in the midst of the proposal process for the Studio Theatre, but there will be four to six musicals and plays in the Studio Theatre next semester as well. </p>
<p>This does not include the dance performances on the Mainstage or in the Dance Performance Theatre. Or the music performances in the Concert and Recital Halls. </p>