My daughter is pretty much set on musical theater which I understand is geared towards the BFA for students who want to pursue musical theater. My understanding is that the BFA does not offer many general education courses (math, English, history etc) and so it may be viewed by employers as less valuable than a BA in acting for instance if the student is unable to land a position in theater.
Is that accurate or do BFA graduates get non-acting or non-theater based jobs as well?
I can’t answer your question about the ease of BFA students finding non-theatre jobs (I suspect that varies by specific school), since all of our D’s top choice schools (and the program she graduated from) were BA’s, but I do want to speak to your opening premise.
Many of the ultra-serious MT kids our D knows opted for BA’s over BFAs - and others chose Conservatories over BFA’s - so don’t enter the process thinking a BFA is the preferred option. I think BFA’s and Conservatories are more often discussed on CC due to their less-traditional college application processes and not because they ensure better professional MT outcomes.
I think it depends on the school.
I received my BFA 10-15 years ago. When I decided to go to Graduate School, I ultimately chose an MFA in Acting, but did receive admittance into other non-theatre programs as well.
I have colleagues from my graduating class in a multitude of fields - Law, Sports Management, Advertising, and Event Planning to name a few.
A reminder that an undergraduate degree is the new High School diploma - the most important thing is getting it. Graduate School is more vocationally based.
I honestly don’t think the letters of the degree will matter all that much. You will have a college degree. And even if you decide you want to go to law school or medical school or any other specialized field, chances are, you may need to go back to undergrad and take a few prerequisites for that particular field, no matter what your undergrad major was. This is not an issue unique to theatre people.
I have given this example in other threads, but I will repeat it here. I know someone who was an economics major who is now a dentist. They had to go back to undergrad and get some basic science classes out of the way before they could apply to dental school. To me, the value of that economics degree was no different than if she had gotten a degree in theatre. In both instances, you would go back to school to take care of your prerequisite classes, then go on to graduate school.
As far as the actual working world, I think in marketing yourself for jobs you need to focus on all the positive skills one gains in studying theater. For example, actors can make great presenters in the board room. They can bring a lot of imagination to solving a problem or developing a product. They are used to being part of an ensemble so they work well with others. If you’ve worked on the stage management side you have great organizational skills. Theatre majors have many, many marketable skills!
I would recommend, when possible, that theatre students take advantage of any leadership opportunities, internships and any sort of job they can get during college. These will all help fill out their resume.
It could be that being a theater person could make you stand out as an applicant in a sea of other majors. For many entry level jobs, I don’t think employers will think any differently of a theater major from an English major to a political science major. Many won’t even look at the letters before your degree. They will just see you graduated and where you graduated from. It is up to you to explain to them what skills you have and what makes you the best candidate for the job.
@artie1 I think the school you graduate from will matter more than the actual degree (BA, BFA or BM). A degree from an academically challenging school might be perceived differently than a degree from a less highly ranked school.
D has gotten jobs in business with her BM degree from NYU (VP with a MT concentration). I do think there is some cache that comes with her NYU degree that has helped her.
She has also been helped by the fact that she has 2 minors: one in the Business of Entertainment, Media and Technology and the other in English literature. She did this to make herself more marketable and to show that she has a strong academic background as well as talent. As a matter of fact, the talent agency she worked for (in their theatre department) favorably remarked on her literature background since part of her job was reading scripts and working with writers.
She was able to take these additional classes by coming in with some AP credits and having some 18+ credit semesters. So even though it is not a requirement for a MT degree, one can still try for an additional minor or can take some more academic classes.
D is now considering applying for her MBA and has been making the rounds at admissions fairs. Some admissions reps have mentioned that in order to be more competitive, she might consider taking a math class or two–even statistics–before applying for her MBA to show that she has that skill set. She did not take any math as an undergrad. (She took web design for her math requirement.) It all depends on her Quantitative score on her GMAT. If she does really well, she can probably do OK without the math class. If her score is more lopsided and quant is lower than her verbal scores (very likely) than she may need to enroll in a math course or two.
I think that there are many people (who might be doing hiring for “regular” jobs) who would have NO idea what the difference between a BA and a BFA in theater would be. They would just see “theater major”. To ME - this is no different than a history major, or a philosophy major, or really most of the humanities. And I agree with uskoolfish that the school itself may be more important than the major
Hmm interesting …so maybe D has a point when saying it will indeed matter if she goes to a more well known school for MT. Although some say the casting agents don’t care where you went to school as long as you’re talented…maybe the school thing only applies if you are applying for a regular job , not performance based… Who knows…
As a hiring manager, it does make a little difference. Partly due to the less rigorous coursework, but also in the sense that they may be a short-timer. I see someone who is looking for a job, not a career. Depending on the applicants available, I would not even interview someone with a degree too far out of the career field for which I am hiring. You can find a lot of anecdotal evidence to the contrary, but it can definitely make a difference.
If you are considering graduate school, that is an entirely different premise.
I think there is a huge difference between well known and academically rigorous. I think finding a BFA and getting admitted to one of the schools that has both characteristics is even slimmer. Most BFA’s are housed in schools that aren’t as academically challenging…many of these schools offer honors colleges and that might make a difference when getting hired outside your degree of choice. I don’t know if BFA kids can be part of the honors colleges though.
I think it depends on where you are trying to get a job. Many MT programs are found in small schools whose population outside of MT may be more regional in nature. Friendships are formed and relationships are made which are the foundation of networking in the future. The school most likely has a lot of alums near it’s location. And it’s reputation regionally may be just fine. So if you are seeking a non MT job in the area in which you went to school, your school’s credentials, although perhaps not top nationally, will suffice locally and regionally. In fact you could be better off. My husband and I both went to school out of state at some fairly prestigious liberal arts colleges in VA. We had no issues getting jobs after graduation in DC where everyone was familiar with our schools. But when we moved home, we found that while we went away to college, strong bonds were formed amongst peers at local colleges and State universities, and when we returned years later, their grads had an easier time getting a foot in the door because of who they knew from college - networking we had missed out on by going to college out of state.
Of course there is no doubt that a few schools like NYU and northwestern will be impressive anywhere you go. But besides the tippy top ones, I think the key thing is to do well in school, get involved, assume areas of leadership when possible, gain work experience when possible, and volunteer meaningfully. Establish strong ties with those surrounding you ( you never know when you’ll need therm as a reference or for assistance).
Just like we say over and over on CC, there are many different paths to a successful career in theater, likewise, there are many paths to successful careers in any other chosen profession. Find a school you love, with the training you seek that suits your needs and budget. Then make the most out of every opportunity there it affords.
Top name schools are a great choice for some. But they are no guarantee to future employment. So choose your school wisely, but more importantly, make the most out of the school you choose.
And @bisouu, D was offered spots in a number of different honors colleges at schools to which she applied. It can make for a tough schedule but it can be done.
Oops and one last thing … If you know you will be seeking an advanced degree later, it may make sense to spend less on undergrad and splurge on graduate school. This is true for any profession.
My D attended one of those less academically rigorous schools where she was in the Honors program as a BFA MT. Yes it was more work, but she made the commitment and stuck with it. I know her school is not the only one where BFAs can participate in Honors programs.
I think vvnstar makes some great points. My D didn’t double major or have a minor. She did work throughout college, as she had throughout high school, and had a nice non performance resume when she graduated. She was hired at the first two jobs she applied for when she made the move to NYC. One was as a personal assistant for a Broadway producer, and the other was for a front of house position at a well-known immersive theatre. She had to leave the PA job when she went on a spring tour, but she continues to freelance with that same producer from time to time. I saw on her Facebook page that today is her one-year anniversary at the other job. (Wow time flies!) She will leaving that one too as she heads out on a short fall tour, but she has already been told that they would love to have her back once she returns. She has shown them that she can learn quickly, work hard, step up to challenges when they happen, be proactive, be a team player, be flexible. Thank you theatre skills.
I’m not saying that there aren’t jobs out there that might overlook someone with a theatre degree. So maybe they don’t get an interview. But if they can get their foot in the door, then they can make a great case for why that BFA helped prepare them for the rigors of the (non performance) work world.
vvnstar- I think you gave very smart advice regarding where you place yourself after college. My brother attended Columbia U in the late 70’s but left NY after graduation to take a position in Texas. At the time, Texas folks were not impressed or did not recognize Columbia as the ivy it is. He lost the prestige of his diploma, networking, and lots of other perks due to his new location. It matters that you know where you want to build your career when choosing a school.
I don’t think most kids at UMich, CCM, CMU or other great Theatre schools usually plan to work in the market where they go to school. I also know many people who say they could only live in NYC for a finite # of years and who suggest saving those years for when you are actually working, but I know this varies by individual. That said, it’s true that kids can make lots of local connections in school that sometimes lead to local work, so D benifitted from going to school near a large theater market