<p>i was wondering if there were any other schools beside u of m that offered dual majors for MTs. if anyone knows of others schools, it would be appreciated. thanx</p>
<p>bearcaat, NYU (Tisch) permits double majors. Their studio for musical theater is CAP 21. Sorry, I don't have info re: other schools.</p>
<p>thanks ericsmom :-)! does anyone know anything about west virginia wesleyan's MT program? since it's relatively close to us we thought we'd check it out too :-)</p>
<p>Hi- sounds like you have been busy doing what I wish we had been doing. Visiting a lot of colleges. If you don't mind, can you give us impressions of some of the colleges that are not discussed so frequently on here? I am sure you don't have time to cover everything you saw, but if you could give impressions of the schools, and anything you think would be pertinant for those of us who haven't had a chance to get out there. I know it's subjective, but I would love to hear anything you have to report regardless.m</p>
<p>oops- that last post should have been addressed to BWAYDREAMSMOM. Sorry about that!</p>
<p>I am definately new to this and I've been looking around for a better thread to post this question, but it looks as if this may be the one. I will be a senior this year, and of course that means getting ready looking up info on colleges. I am interested in majoring in Theatre and Theatre Education and minor in Dance to be able to choreograph as well. However, looking on this forum, I noticed that MT majors are different than Acting majors, I want to be able to get the full force of acting but still be able to do MT - what major should I lean towards?? Should I major in Theatre all around so I can direct/teach/or act in anything when I'm done in college or specify my focus?
Also, I took my ACT's and got a score of 21 - with the major I'm interested in should I retake them? I've been looking on the colleges I'm interested in but can not seem to find the answer.
Finally, could I get a few of your opinions of University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and/or Columbia Chicago. I am stuck between these two and would like some more input on which would be better.
Thank you for your time, I hope you can help.</p>
<p>Hi..welcome to CC.</p>
<p>It's great that you want to major in theater education! Have you checked out Oklahoma City University's theater degree program? You can take theater and education classes and receive your teaching credientials. Here's the link for info: <a href="http://www.okcu.edu/theater/degrees.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.okcu.edu/theater/degrees.asp</a>. OCU also offers a music education degree.</p>
<p>In regards to your ACT score, I can tell you that OCU's minimum score for scholarship consideration is 22. Although I believe that OCU's score might be higher than other schools.</p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>i would definitely retake that act. my d took it 3 times, improving each time. and with each improvement came more scholarship money. you can also order a cd that will help train you on it, order it from the act website. it was very helpful.</p>
<p>Hey, thank you ocuMTinfo for another option. And also razorback for the advice, I was going to retake it anyway, I just wanted to know if it was necessary. I did not know scholarship money was also based on ACT scores! Thank you.
I'll still leave the question for opinions and input on UW Stevens Point and Columbia Chicago open. Everyone is soo informative here.</p>
<p>dream_theatre-</p>
<p>Welcome to CC MT!! As you can see I am from Wisconsin also.</p>
<p>I have Ss at Webster University....we know "of" the UW Stevens Point program, but not a whole lot of details. My guys wanted to be in a bigger city so we never checked into the program at UW. We hear good things though!!</p>
<p>Regarding: Columbia College in Chicago I believe there are mixed opinions here on the board. I would suggest visiting the school in order to form your own opinion. We personally did not care for it, but I have close friends who did....it all depends on what you are looking for in a program. I have to admit...living in Chicago as a budding actor would be wonderful!!</p>
<p>Good luck on your search!!</p>
<p>SUE aka 5pants</p>
<p>don't know about all schools. i know that ocu, there are break points where a certain ACT score earns more money. of course, this is tied in with your grade point average.</p>
<p>If you want to teach (I'm assuming you mean at primary or secondary --high school-- level and not at a college/university?), you should check out the state regulations for the location where you hope to end up.</p>
<p>I know in some states, a 4-year degree is all that is required. In others, 4 years + certification. In California, a certification is required to teach theatre at the high school level (not sure about jr. high or elementary).</p>
<p>If you truly want to teach (primary or secondary), you should get a theatre education degree. This is because you must learn how to TEACH, not only do (as you would be focusing on the doing in an acting or musical theatre degree track). Many BFA programs will not permit a second major (such as education) or a minor (such as education, dance, music, etc.). These programs are designed for "professionals in training," and not those who hope to teach.</p>
<p>There are many excellent Theatre Education programs out there, and it is MUUUUUUUCH easier to get into these programs than it is into an Acting or Musical Theatre BFA (or even BA, in some cases). However, if you choose to go the education track, most (if not all) of the upper division performing courses may be closed to you (reserved spaces only for performance majors).</p>
<p>It's quite a decision to make - but I can tell you, there are MANY more jobs for qualified teachers than performers, and fewer people vying for them. And the money you make will permit you to have those "normal" things that most people aspire to: a home, children, a reliable car, job security, vacations, benefits (like health, dental, vision, retirement, life insurance, and others), etc. Whereas if you are an actor, you can hardly count on ever having any of those things!</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>eve</p>
<p>Also, if you want to teach in private schools, no certification is required.</p>
<p>And in terms of the BFA MT/Acting programs vs. eduation majors...the Prof said that you focus on only the "doing" in the performance programs. However, I believe that if it is truly a good program, you're likely to learn WHY you're doing a certain acting or vocal exercise once you've figured out what the teacher is trying to "fix." i.e. You can pick up ALOT of teaching tricks along the way, just by watching how acting/voice/dance teachers choose to help their students solve problems in these areas.</p>
<p>If you look at who's teaching at the college level (and I have to use this example because MS/HS teacher bios are not readily available), you'll see that most have trained as actors and performers at some time...yes, some have education degrees, but many of the top teachers were once "do-ers" themselves!</p>
<p>As a former high school teacher, I encourage you to only pursue teaching if you want to TEACH - not as a "second choice" if your performance career doesn't work out!!! Of course, many great high school theatre teachers love doing BOTH and are successful doing both (as are many great college theatre teachers). As the Prof. says, there are some great Theatre Ed (also called Educational Theatre) programs out there: NYU's is probably the very best, but Arizona State and Ohio State are among those that are cutting-edge. I have taken many Ed Theatre courses at NYU and LOVE them. Something to think about with Ed Theatre - not only can you teach theatre, direct, etc. - you can also develop ways to use theatrical techniques (such as role play) the "regular ed" classroom - this works especially well in English and Social Studies classrooms. If you are creative, the uses for Ed Theatre are truly endless!!!</p>
<p>As the Prof also says, check out what the requirements for teacher certification are in your state or in the states in which you might want to live. Some states do not have Theatre or Speech/Drama certifications, so you often have to get certified in something else (such as English) in order to be "qualified" to teach. In addition, it can be VERY difficult to get teaching jobs in some areas - yes, JUST as hard as getting acting jobs!!! - but IF you are willing to move where there is a need (usually not the suburban Northeast, but often the Southwest, Florida, and SOMETIMES urban areas such as NYC and LA), there ARE jobs available.</p>
<p>Feel free to email or PM me with any specific questions about teaching theatre at the elementary, middle, or high school level and the paths to that career.</p>
<p>CoachC</p>
<p>Hayhayden posted as I was writing my post, so I didn't see what he said until after I posted - and I both agree with and disagree with some of his implications. I agree that many college teachers are just instinctively great and that you can pick up a lot just from watching them - BUT if you want to teach at the high school level or younger, you definitely need to learn about things such as learning styles, questioning techniques, assessment (how do you assign grades in a subjective subject like acting and still have appropriate accountability to parents?), and the list goes on. Basically, teaching at the non-collegiate level is usually much "harder" than teaching at the collegiate level (I have done both), because even if you are teaching electives in a high school, a big part of your job is motivating and monitoring the behavior of your students WHILE making sure that EVERYONE is learning. In contrast, college teaching is much more about really just being able to TEACH students who are either innately motivated or who simply deal with consequences of not doing work (no parents to intervene at that level - the student must be "responsible" for himself). I don't make this comparison to dissuade people from teaching in high school but rather to explain why a teaching degree is fairly NECESSARY at the non-collegiate level. And while it is true that some private (and public arts magnet schools) don't require certifications for their "specialty" subject-area teachers (music & drama, for example), those teachers definitely attend regular "training" workshops on educational topics. </p>
<p>Even great instinctive teachers need experience and modeling/training to help them develop into high effective teachers! So for those of you considering teaching - if you get a chance to assistant or student direct, teach a kiddie dance class at your studio, coach a cheerleading squad, etc. - do it! You will figure out whether you LIKE teaching, and you will gain valuable experience!!!</p>
<p>Hi, hayhayden:</p>
<p>It appears we don't agree on this topic.</p>
<p>The college and university performance teachers MUST have a "culminating degree" in order to be eligible to teach at a college or university (though some junior colleges and private schools will accept "professional experience" in lieu of the degree). A culminating degree for a performer is an MFA degree (another 3 years after the undergraduate degree is received). For the director, it can be either the MFA or the PhD (if you can find a program that offers this). Likewise, for designers, an MFA. For history/criticism folks, you must have the PhD. I have been teaching musical theatre, acting and directing at the college/university level for the past ten years, and at three major universities, so I'm speaking from experience here. LOTS of job searches on my road to where I teach today. Bottom line: to teach at a major university, you need a culminating degree, and (most often) two or more years teaching at the university (not college) level. That's a Catch 22 that SAG and AEA can envy.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I knew mid-BFA in Musical Theatre that I wanted to teach at the university level, and am very disappointed that I didn't have the background in "education" necessary to really know HOW to teach when I had earned my MFA (in Acting) and got my first jobs. I was using old exercises (with little pedagogy in mind, just sporadically recalled or in desperation situtations), reading as much as I could get my hands on, going to conferences, etc., all in hopes of becoming a better teacher. While I learned how to be a discerning critic and diagnostician (in addition to a fine performer), college never taught me to teach - they wanted me to be a professional performer, period. I could identify the problem other students in my class were encountering, and I thought I could offer a remedy (but my ego was sorely bigger than my coaching skills).</p>
<p>You see, there is a whole science dealing with the different ways in which people learn (or don't learn), that includes pedagogy, lesson plans, modes of delivery, dealing with learning disabilities (more of which are being accommodated by the instructors in over-burdened and under-funded school districts), meeting the standards for each state's standards at each level of school, etc. This kind of information is not taught in a performance major. It is taught to education majors. </p>
<p>And a school district will likely choose a theatre ed. major over a performance major 99% of the time (for example, we have a 95% placement rate straight out of school in CSUF's Theatre Education program - a consistent percentage with our Education majors. </p>
<p>Conversely, after graduation our BA and BFA students can only "substitute teach," because they haven't the education degree plus certification. And many only get hired in the LA unified school district, which is (sadly) willing to hire anyone who is willing to take on ALL the challenges (scary, when you learn more about what happens!) that face subs in that very tough district. And these BA/BFA performance majors only qualify to sub after passing an exhausting state exam.</p>
<p>Also, high school teachers have to DO IT ALL: costumes, sets, lights, stage management, play selection, publicity, outreach, recruiting, directing, actor coaching (and sometimes vocal coaching), etc. These are not skills that performance majors have extensive experience in (enough to do it all as well as teach those skills to others). No, we get an introduction ONLY, as we are focusing on the doing of acting and/or musical theatre (again, this is referring to a professional actor training program and liberal arts programs as well). We have to know our way around a set, how to use various tools, how not to trip over things backstage, how to respect the integrity of our designers' work, how to find our light, keep open, be heard and understood, find the action/conflict, etc. We don't know how to circuit so as not to overload a board, build a set that is (correctly) weight bearing, sew a period costume with corset inset, style a wig, blend color for the exact nuance that the director has in mind, and on and on. That is why there are degrees offered in these various specialties, and not just a generic "theatre" one-size-fits-all degree.</p>
<p>I think to say that any performance major can be a good teacher simply because they've had classes in the subject oversimplifies the matter. I know how to drive a car, but I wouldn't build one. I know how to brush my teeth, but I wouldn't do an extraction. And now I know how to teach my emphasis subjects - musical theatre, acting and directing - well. But I would never be hired by any respectable high school district, because I have no education degree nor theatre certification, and therefore am not truly qualified to "do it all." Even if I were able to wrange a job out of some unsuspecting or desperate district, I wouldn't feel comfortable asking qualified parents and friends to design and draft blueprints for and build and paint my sets; to design and hang and focus and gel and patch my lights; to design and pattern and shop fabric and cut and drape and stitch and fit my costumes. I know better - it takes someone with the proper knowledge and ability to handle these potentially dangerous duties.</p>
<p>In today's economy and job market, specialists are more and more the name of the game. If you want to teach and not perform for a living, I would ask why you don't study teaching (unless perhaps you don't really LIKE the TEACHING part, and are hoping for a "fall back" job when your performance career doesn't make it - in which case, do what your heart tells you is right for you). Otherwise, specialize and be the best teacher you can be.</p>
<p>Respectfully,</p>
<p>Eve</p>
<p>Coach,</p>
<p>Again, we are on the same wave length. I feel like you are my long-lost sibling!</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>You said, "a big part of your job is motivating and monitoring the behavior of your students WHILE making sure that EVERYONE is learning. In contrast, college teaching is much more about really just being able to TEACH students who are either innately motivated or who simply deal with consequences of not doing work (no parents to intervene at that level - the student must be "responsible" for himself)." You are sooooooo right! High school teachers HAVE to teach the students, and the students HAVE to be there (by law). In college, if a student is late, unprepared, has an attitude, etc., I can kick them out, ask them to leave the classroom, refer them to the Dean of Students and/or my Chair. In other words, I don't HAVE to teach them...they can take another class, or live by my standards. But high school teachers don't have this flexibility (in my experience).</p>
<p>Also, high school teachers rarely teach ONLY theatre - they have to cover English, History, Math, or other core subjects (unless theatre is a very large program, enough to fill the teacher's day with classes in that discipline). College teachers tend to be generalists (knowing a lot about a few areas of theatre); and University teachers teach ONLY within their area of expertise (with few exceptions, like covering a sabbatical for a colleague who teaches a discipline related to yours or within your past experiences).</p>
<p>Enough with the lecture, Eve</p>
<p><em>jaw drop</em> Holy man that is A LOT of info to take in one reading since the last time I was on here. The info all of you have given has made it easier and harder at the same time. I will definately be talking personally with you guys if it's ok...I really really want to try to make it in the performing world (and I know how hard it will be, but I am still going to try) - but I also want to be able to teach when/if I don't have a gig. I was looking towards a Professor Degree to teach at a college or even at a High School.</p>
<p>And about experience, I have been in this summer program as an actor and as a Student Director. Next summer, I'll actually be in a paid position to help teach/direct the younger kids or be the choreographer. Hopefully by then I'll know if I want to focus on teaching or performing. But I do have a question, if I get the teaching degree, would I still be able to perform if I wanted to? And also, if I'm understanding correctly, in most Theatre majors you can't double up with education or dance (depending on the college)?? </p>
<p>Anyway, thank you to all those who replied. I definately got answers. I really really appreciate it.</p>
<p>Education majors at our school CAN audition, and are cast if they are appropriate; but we HAVE to service our upperclassmen, finding them a variety of good casting opportunities before they graduate. So if it is a choice between the two, the performance major will win.</p>
<p>Some schools, like U of AZ, have a "repertory company" comprised of their performance majors; and all casting is restricted to the company.</p>
<p>Other schools, like IA St. U, open their auditions to the entire school - so you could be competing with physicists, engineers, etc.</p>
<p>So your "can I still perform?" (while in school) question really depends on the school you choose. This would be an excellent question to put on your list for screening schools.</p>
<p>Once out of school, teaching in either high school or college, you would need to "ride the line" with auditioning, finding gigs that would work around your teaching and production duties (your legal contract). Usually, these schools want great teachers, not guest artists. </p>
<p>If you hope to get tenure at a university, you will HAVE to work professionally (winter break or summer) unless you are publishing regularly (you may have heard "publish or perish"). Take it from me, this is very challenging - it's hard to get auditions that work with your teaching schedule for jobs that fall in that window of opportunity! However, I do have a colleague who has a prominent film career going, and she misses classes and meetings ALL THE TIME to go to auditions, shoots, etc., with no repercussions. Her highly-public celebrity status makes the difference. Me? I'm a great regional theatre actress - not film or tv. So my work is going to get less public notice...and less support for absence from the school.</p>
<p>My advice? Get a/an teaching/education degree if you want to teach high school. Get a BFA and MFA if you want to teach at college/university. If these are not your PRIMARY objective, go out and work professionally. When you have a substantial resum</p>
<p>If you are an education major, you are indeed minoring in your credential subject (in this case, theatre).</p>
<p>If you are a performance major, many universities forbid double majoring. The reason for this is that the curriculum is so demanding, classes must be taken in a certain order, and performance and rehearsal (for class) duties outside of the classroom should be your main focus. If not, you won't be in the program for long. The commitment level in reputable performance programs is substantial; and doesn't leave room for a minor or second major.</p>
<p>However, nothing can stop you from majoring in performance, then CONTINUING to study in a minor area, earning that degree distinction. It just likely won't happen at the same time you are actively participating in a performance degree program.</p>
<p>Please feel free to ask me any questions via PM.</p>
<p>eve</p>