Any colleges within 2 hours of NYC that offer musical theatre?
Already have NYU, Pace, MMC, Monclair, Molloy, Rider
if anyone has any other colleges (or conservatories but really looking for colleges) please let me know!
Manhattan School of Music?
The University of the Arts (my D is entering her sophomore year as a MT student there and absolutely loves it), Wagner, Drew, Long Island Post, Hofstra
Hartt is about two hours away, too far?
Wagner
AMDA BFA/2YR CERT
Five Towns College BM w/MT conc BM
Hofstra BFA w/MT Minor Aud 2nd yr
Long Island Post BFA
Manhattan School of Music BM
Manhattanville College BA Music w/MT conc
Marymount Manhattan BA w/MT Minor
Molloy/CAP21 BFA
New York U: Steinhardt BM
New York U: Tisch BFA
Pace BFA
Wagner College BA
Fairleigh Dickinson Madison/Florham BA w/MT conc
Montclair State BFA
New Jersey City BA Music MT
Rider BFA
Rowan BA
Temple BFA MT, BA Theater w/MT concentration
U Arts BFA
West Chester U BA w/MT emp
U Hartford-The Hartt School BFA (2 hr 58 min)
Western Connecticut State BA
Also:
CAP21 2YR CERT
Circle in the Square Theatre School 2YR CERT
Muhlenberg (not technically an MT program) BA
There may be more within 2 hours in Pennsylvannia, I didn’t have time to see which ones were within 2 hours drive such as Desales, Clarion, etc. You can find a comprehensive listing of MT programs by state in the “Big List of MT Colleges: By State” thread that is pinned to the top of this forum.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/musical-theater-major/801037-big-list-of-mt-colleges-by-state-p16.html
@EmsDad , Isn’t Tisch a BFA in Drama with a minor in MT, similar to Hofstra?
@Notmath1 - all Tisch studios at NYU get a BFA in drama- no distinction for MT.
Whatever the name on the degree, the NSB program at Tisch is an MT curriculum:
The New Studio on Broadway integrates foundational acting training with vocal and physical techniques drawing upon the repertoire of the American musical, contemporary American plays, and the traditional classical canon to hone the actor’s instrument in all aspects of all three disciplines essential to be an actor in the Musical Theatre: Acting, Singing and Dancing.
@EmsDad - all Tisch studios have individual curriculums- and NSB is fully MT. But they all get the same degree. I don’t know if that would be considered a good thing or a bad thing, or a thing at all
Pace still has bragging rights as the only 4 year BFA degree in musical theatre in Manhattan 
Not sure why that creates “bragging rights” for Pace as NYU grads can be found in the playbill for virtually every musical on bway - no matter what the diploma paper says…
In my view, NYU/Tisch is similar to CMU in this regard…you can follow an Acting or a MT track option and either way, the degree is a BFA in Drama. However, most people would agree, I think, that if you study in NSB studio (or it used to be CAP21 studio when my D attended) at NYU/Tisch, you have attended a BFA in MT program, and same with the MT track at CMU. This is true even if the diploma states “BFA Drama.”
MT is NOT a minor at Tisch. It is not similar to what Hofstra offers. It is a full on MT program resulting in a BFA degree, much like the way that CMU offers a full study in MT that results in a BFA degree that is officially called “drama.”
@soozievt thanks for clarifying. I didn’t realize New Studio on Broadway was a 4 year program.
And @toowonderful I was trying to make a joke. Didn’t mean to offend. My apology
@Notmath1 - no worries And just for clarity with NYU - any of the “primary” Tisch studios (which is where a student is placed as a freshman- NSB, Adler, Meisner, Strasbourg, Playwrights, Experimental Atlantic) you CAN do for all 4 years . But what’s cool is that you can also switch- either b/c you want to try something new, or you want to work on a specific skill. There are also studios like stonestreet (film acting) and Classical that you can move into for advanced training in jr/Sr. year. And options for study abroad too (my D is about to leave for a semester at RADA )There is a ton of flexibility - very unique for a BFA program
Just to add: The colleges around Philly, though certainly 2 hours from NYC, will have more of a Philly emphasis, as Philly itself has a vibrant theatre scene. Not NYC of course, but vibrant. If you are wanting the 2 hours because you want the connection to NYC, it’s good to be aware of the Philly scene as well. For instance, Muhlenberg, UArts and Temple (and other programs) are strong presences in the Philly area.
@BroadwayK When you want no more than a 2 hour distance from NYC, it depends on how you want to travel, what time of day and with what frequency.
Are occasional trips into the city doable from Muhlenberg, Rider or Temple? Certainly. Occasional trips to see shows? Yes. But frequent auditions, or a regular internship? No. On paper according to train schedules, you can make it in or out of the city within 2 hours once you are on a train, but trains are subject to scheduling that might not be that frequent throughout the day and night–and you still need to get to the train each way and to your destination from Penn Station each way.
So obviously going to school in Manhattan makes going on auditions and having internships do-able, even on some days that you might have classes.
Schools like Molloy, Montclair, Wagner, Hofstra or LIU Post are a little more inconvenient, but definitely doable too.
I agree living in Manhattan for sure is ideal for doing shows in Manhattan. But I think it is definitely possible to do internships or shows while living 2 hours away. Inconvenient but possible and doable. I live outside Philly, and I know many people who commute to NYC for their regular jobs from down here, by bus or train. For years. You get used to it. Yes, rush hour lengthens the time, but auditions are generally not during rush hour, and internships also. Also, taking the train helps alleviate rush hour worries.
As far as acting, people definitely go up to NYC to audition, and people who are based in NYC come down to audition for shows here in Philly, and will do shows if something pans out. It’s true if you do a show, it’s a pain to commute up or down, but people do just that if they have to.
Of course if you really want to be based in NYC, you would live in NYC. But if you are talking about which school to go to, I wouldn’t worry about it overmuch. I think it’s wise to widen your choices, and a two hour distance is reasonable. Although as I said, for schools based in Philly, you might want to consider taking advantage of the Philly theatre community (on top of NYC).
What about the auditioned BA at Fordham?
Fordham is not an MT program.