I’m currently about to start my senior year in High School (in France) and I still haven’t found any solid plans for my future studies. I’ve always had a passion for musical theatre and I would love to make a living out of it but my parents want me to have a more “solid backup” in case I don’t make it in the showbiz. As I am also very interested in physics and astrophysics, I’ve been trying to find a place where I could study both (physics and musical theatre), in vain. I don’t have any criteria, except that it has to be located either in the UK or in the US.
So if any of you knows a good college or university where I could study both, I would be really really really happy to hear about it.
I think your best bet would be to find somewhere you can double major with a BA in Theatre and Physics. There is no where that I am personally aware of where you could get a BFA in MT and also Major in Physics. Possibly you could go extra years and do it somewhere- but BFA’s are usually too structured/rigid to add in a major of that sort.
I’d guess a small liberal arts college might be your best bet. Many colleges also offer the option to major in one subject and minor in another, so that is another choice.
@allaureen I know people who have double majored in diverse subjects between NYU Tisch and other divisions at NYU. Not sure if Physics would work, but it might be worth checking. There a some knowledgeable NYU parents of current students and alums here on CC so one of them would know for sure.
You may find it a bit easier at BA Musical Theatre Programs. I teach at James Madison and we have a few students in the Musical Theatre major who choose to double major or dual degree. It is difficult to complete in 4 years without arriving with AP, IB, or dual enrollment credit coming in, and taking some summer classes. Where we are it is easier to double with the BA in Theatre, because there are fewer required courses. If you have questions please feel free to email me or PM me.
You may want to see what they say at Muhlenberg, Wagner, and American about the possibility to double major.
@KatMT - the tricky part at NYU is that 3 days are fully booked with studio… and those days vary each year. it can be challenging to get classes from other college (arts and science for example) to mesh. It “can” be done… taking science classes during a summer or J-term for example. But it is possible
@toowonderful THANKS! I remembered some people I knew there in the mid-late 00s double majoring, one even graduating early. But they definitely entered with AP, IB, etc… I also am not sure which studio they were in (if that even matters).
Interestingly enough I have a student who is at Boston U (BFA Acting with a MT concentration) who started as a double major in Physics. The course load was too overwhelming and the lab requirements were too time consuming. He changed to a Physics minor and it is all working great! It was a great choice of schools for him : )
@allaureen As others have said, check with NYU. My D graduated several years ago but she, and many of her classmates, were able to successfully double major. The second major, at that time, had to be from the College of Arts and Science. At Tisch, it’s easier than at most BFA programs simply because of the way that studio time is scheduled entirely on three days. My D never had to take summer classes and was able to complete her coursework during the regular school year. She did not enter with AP credits. It isn’t easy but it is/was certainly possible. And it won’t matter what studio.
Definitely consider Northwestern. My son is Theatre/MT and a Linguistics double major - he says that many kids in the Theatre program are double majors.
I believe Univ of Michigan also allows double majors in theatre and science/engineering.
I know someone who went to Univ of Evansville for BFA acting and physics. He ended up minoring in physics rather than getting dual degrees. Currently pursuing MFA acting.
Thank you for all your replies, I chose to apply for physics at Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Princeton, University of Chicago and American University and I will try to do theater at the same time
@allaureen Best of Fortune. I don’t know anything about the theater programs at Stanford, Princeton or U Chicago; what do you think about their theater offerings?
