Hello! Texas State was honestly not even on my radar until recently, as I was unsure if I wanted a program that was specific to one area in theatre (in this case, acting or MT.) However, the more I look at the program, the more I really love it. But, I am wondering if it would be possible to double major as a BFA student there (my other major would be a BA in Psychology.)
Texas State is a terrific program and one that has quickly become highly competitive to get in. I think for most BFA programs - if you are willing to go to school for more than 4 years - it is almost always possible to double major. But that usually means more time and money. The difficulty often comes in scheduling your needed classes around the requirements for your BFA degree. BFAs usually have a very tightly defined schedule of classes you must take - often times you have no choice in when you take those required classes, particularly if it is a program where your BFA class takes their classes together as a group. Those students who come in with college credit via AP credits or other means have some space freed up in their schedules for elective courses and therefore have a little more flexibility and room to take more classes outside of their major. So get as many AP credits as you can while in high school if you really want to pursue both degrees.
I would ask of each school you are considering how possible it would be to double major and how long it would take to fulfill degree requirements for both majors. As with all things MT, each school will be different in its requirements.
Be mindful that some programs may be interested in whether MT is a strong priority for you or not. Some will encourage learning in other areas. Some may prefer students whose sole focus is MT.
Thank you- this was incredibly helpful!!! I do have plenty of credits through AP testing and my community college. Who do advise I ask at the college? Someone from the respective departments or a counselor?
I think its usually best to start with someone in the musical theater department who understands what classes you will need to take and when in order to obtain that degree. You may even be able to determine this from their website as many programs list their curriculum on their website. It may take a phone call though to find out WHEN you must take each of the required classes. Some programs may have many options for when you can take classes. Some may give you no option at all.
Once you have information about the MT requirements, you can either ask your advisor or perhaps the head of the other department in which you want to major and see how the classes required for your 2nd major will fit around the classes required for MT. As I said, sometimes what you run into is that some classes are not offered every semester, or some classes aren’t offered at a time you can take them, so you have to wait until another semester to take them. This could result in you having to go to school longer in order to complete both majors. But this will be specific to each school and program.