<p>I was just wondering what schools with great MT programs also have great academic programs? For example I would love to go to OCU, but my parents would never let me because for anything other than musical theater its not a good school. So what schools would qualify for both? </p>
<p>I'm planning on a double major btw lol.</p>
<p>Elon University has a top-notch academic program and just as good of a Musical Theater program. I highly reccomend it in your case</p>
<p>University of MICHIGAN!</p>
<p>kitkatt 565, as you look for schools that have strong academics and MT programs, it will be very important that you carefully investigate whether the demands of the MT program in reality enable you to meaningfully partake of liberal arts let alone double major. Take the time to look at the required curriculum for MT so that you can determine whether there will be time in your schedule for other academic pursuits. For example, Carnegie Mellon is a great school academically and has a widely acclaimed BFA MT program. The demands of the MT curriculum are such, however, that there is virtually no time to take classes outside of the department. In contrast is a school like Northwestern where students get a BA in theater with a certificate concentration in MT and have much more opportunity to take a wide scope of liberal arts classes.</p>
<p>As a general rule (and there are always individual schools that are an exception), schools with BFA MT programs have a very structured and sequenced curriculum where there is little time to take other classes let alone majoring or even minoring in something else (CMU at one extreme, schools like Syracuse permitting up to 8 classes outside of the department). Schools with BA MT programs generally are structured to permit and even require a greater number of other classes and at most BA MT schools a student must meet the general distribution requirements for all majors. At BA schools there is usually the opportunity to double major or at least minor in something else.</p>
<p>So, make sure to look into the differences between BFA and BA programs and look closely at the required curricula at various schools in order to understand whether a school that you've been told has great academics and a great MT program will really enable you to take advantage of both.</p>
<p>NYU is a strong university academically and has top notch MT (and acting) program. This is a BFA school through Tisch and a BM (I believe) through the Steinhardt (sp?) School. I have known students who have gone here and double majored. </p>
<p>I teach in BA MT program -- and it is difficult to double major here, but not impossible... we do have students who do so and graduate in four years (this becomes easier if they come in with AP or dual enrollment credits). As MichaelNKat pointed out in most BA programs (and some BFA programs) students will be required to take the full liberal arts core.... meaning math, science, english, history, foreign language, etc... and the major requirements. I have taught at two BA Musical Theatre programs and at both students took far beyond the required number of credits in the major. A BA at a school will only allow so many credits -- usually between 120 - 124 to be required for the degree, so many students end up taking many more credits to balance the required general education calsses with the performance oriented courses in their major.</p>
<p>kitkatt, with what other subject are you wanting to combine your musical theater degree?</p>
<p>Why do you say OCU is not a good school academically? I think you should revisit that issue.</p>
<p>I have not heard of too many people double majoring along with an MT program. I know at my S's school some people double major in MT and VP and I also think some double major with education, but these doubles usually take 5 years instead of 4. Are your parents thinking of an Ivey situation?</p>
<p>Could anyone contribute to a list of schools that allow you to minor or double major in a subject totally unrelated to MT?</p>
<p>I know that with BA programs you could probably double major or minor, but what about BFA/BM programs?</p>
<p>The only BFA programs I know of that let you double major are UMich and NYU (I might be wrong on NYU). </p>
<p>Schools' curriculums that I think would allow time for a minor (don't quote me on these):
Illinois Wesleyan
Otterbein
Ball State
Hartt (this one's a real question; I've heard that it's about a 80/20 balance with MT/lib. arts but their website makes that seem unlikely)
Florida State
Elon
Emerson
Syracuse</p>
<p>Any contributions/corrections? Anything would be really helpful. Thanks!</p>
<p>I am pretty sure that BFA Musical Theatre students do not have time to minor in another subject at Syracuse -- this could have changed since I was there, however.</p>
<p>Last year my son applied and was accepted to the Syracuse acting program. He was interested in minoring in German, which they told him was possible, but very difficult.</p>
<p>Northwestern used to have a great double program with Journalism at Medil and Voice Performance. They stopped this the past year and were reevaluating it. If you are going to be a 2009-2010 Freshman you might want to contact Northwestern about the status. </p>
<p>If you are looking for a school that in addition to the BFA MT training actually provides you with enough academic courses that after you graduate you could apply to law school, for example, then the only one I've found is Univ of Michigan so far. </p>
<p>You could look at BA programs with the Ivies in Acting.</p>
<p>If the MT curriculum at Syracuse is the same as last year, there is a limited opportunity to take classes outside of the department. My recollection is that the MT curriculum has space for 8 courses from other departments (including 2 semesters of mandated freshman writing) which is not enough for a minor. I believe the acting curriculum has more room for electives from outside of the department.</p>
<p>UMich allows a double major with MT, and it is not uncommon for students to double major. My son is not- the BFA is demanding enough as it is- but it is definitely possible.</p>
<p>A question for the OP - why will your parents not be happy with a BFA major? Do they think it will limit opportunities in other areas? They may not believe it, but you can do pretty much anything with a BFA that you can do with an English, Psychology, Political Science, etc. major or you can go to grad school or law school.</p>
<p>I concur with cartera. I've spent my career in higher education and can say that the quality of the college or university is what is respected in the undergraduate degree. As specialized as an MT degree is, the university/college name behind it will matter in the "real world" of non-performance opportunities more than will the major for things like grad school and first job. This logic puts schools like CMU, Michigan, NYU, Northwestern, Indiana as worth considering if looking at other options after graduation. I think you will find the quality of academics even in the MT major to be challenging and rewarding in all of these schools, as well.</p>
<p>Some observations from a guy who started out in theater, is still AEA, keeps an oar in the theater water for fun, and has consulted to many Fortune 500 human resource departments while teaching at a large university:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Employers cast a jaundiced eye on any theater major, whether it be a BA or BFA. I'm not sure how many corporate types know the difference in the two degrees, but I can say that a quick scan of a transcript that includes many courses in vocal performance, movement for the actor, etc. will raise an eyebrow or two. Businesses tend to be staffed, at the higher levels, by non-artists. And I believe I can safely say that artists and those who think good art is a cardboard copy of dogs playing poker nailed to the wall, have a difficult time understanding each other.</p></li>
<li><p>The value of a BA degree is, simply, in the general skills one <i>should</i> acquire. These skills include such things as the ability to recognize logical fallacies, construct a convincing argument, conduct meaningful research, tease meaning out of symbolic mush, use the scientific method appropriately and well, and write (and think) cogently, convincingly, and economically. To the degree that BFA courses focusing on very specific skills, such as stage combat, interfere with the time needed to take courses that sharpen those general skills, the BFA impedes one's ability to function at a high level outside the theater world.</p></li>
<li><p>I, and most of the colleagues with whom I correspond regularly, pretty much agree that it is not possible to acquire those general skills, at the highest level one is capable of achieving, at most colleges. When it comes to preparation entering college, the Millennials tend to be about 1.5 to 2 years behind the Xers (and maybe Boomers, but I didn't teach in those days). I believe they actually fall further behind during their college years in most institutions. It is simply not possible to teach valuable, general skills when classes the first two years contain a high percentage of remedial material, and the reading and comprehension skills of the average student are rudimentary.</p></li>
<li><p>There are still colleges that produce excellent results, but they tend to be (with a very few and very admirable exceptions) those that attract students with elite academic skills. No remedial material at those places.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>All of what I've written above is, of course, subjective. But I do believe it represents consensus among faculty across a wide range of institutions.</p>
<p>Now, here's something even more subjective: I have little regard for the BFA. My experience with actors who have only BFAs is that they tend to have very poor skills in script interpretation, understand little of psychology and its obvious application to the theater world, almost never do research, and are often intellectually incurious to the detriment of their work. BFA actors do learn a lot of useful tricks to make them more employable in theater immediately coming out of college, perhaps, but I believe that the BFA tends to inhibit their growth, so that they often end up using the same old tired tricks throughout their careers.</p>
<p>I suggest you consider getting a BA or, perhaps, more than one BA, and then going on to get an MFA. If you want a career in theater, I think that education would serve you better, in the long-term.</p>
<p>Tarhunt, maybe things have changed drastically (in fact, they probably have) since I got out of college in the early 1980s and was seeking a job, but I was NEVER asked for a college transcript during my early job search. In fact, I was never even asked about my GRADES in college. Once I got an interview (and no transcript was required for that, either, just a resume and, in my case, clippings from various newspaper articles I had written as a college student and during internships), it was all about what I said and did in the interview. Of course, once a person has that first job in his or her field, even where one went to college seems to fade in importance, because when seeking the <em>next</em> job, it only matters what one did in the first job and so forth.</p>
<p>In my personal experiences since college, as well as my husband's and now my kids, all job hunting has involved a resume and never has any of us ever had to show a transcript, list of courses taken, or grades or GPA. This includes professional level jobs.</p>
<p>I can only speak with authority about legal employment - I am an attorney but have been a headhunter for lawyers for over 20 years. Some of my very best candidates had degrees in the arts. Granted, they went on to law school, but had no problems getting into some of the top schools in the country. I have placed attorneys with degrees from several major conservatories, including Juilliard. They are not successful only because they go into litigation and bring acting skills to the courtroom. The majority of attorneys at the largest firms - my clients - never see the inside of a courtroom. Fortunately, my clients have learned that music and theater majors are hard working multi-taskers - very sought after skills in an attorney.</p>