@theaterwork it depends on the program. Viterbo has a fairly heavy liberal arts core (45 credits, but can be as little as 39 credits with some credits co-counting). I take probably a few less gen eds than my peers, as I came in with my literary analysis, social sciences, artistic awareness, and half my English requirements completed from APs and/or transfer credit. My arts administration double major also completes some of my gen ed requirements for me as well. In the interest of full disclosure, I also took 9 credits this summer–3 credits each of Statistics (my math gen ed requirement), Art History (for my arts admin major), and Microeconomics (for my arts admin major). This will just help to open my schedule up a bit so I have room to take things like Playwriting and Alexander Technique in my upper years. Many of the students in my program elect to take a math sequence like College Algebra or Calculus–I elected to take Stats because working with data will be useful for me as an administrator.
No math or foreign language requirement at Otterbein.
@theaterwork, CCM uses their Music Theory course to fulfill the University’s math requirement.
No math or science at Montclair. They do have to take 2 semesters of a language, but my daughter is taking sign language.
I wonder at most schools if you had a lot of foreign language in high school can you test out of the language?
I know of a number of colleges where you can test out of a language requirement, even without AP - but like everything else…you have to check school by school…
I know at some colleges a student can test out of language if they had at least 3 full years in high school and pass a proficiency exam. I don’t know if that holds true in a BFA program but I can’t see why it shouldn’t.
Both a math and foreign language are required at BW and I do not believe a student can test out. My S had 4 years of HS Chinese and is still required to take a language.
At James Madison there is an online placement test that incoming matriculated students take if continuing with a foreign language from HS, students will place into a level at James Madison (JMU) where they need to complete 1 - 3 semesters at JMU. If a student tests into a 300 college level of the language, they can either take the semester at JMU, or take the test again in the foreign language department to test out completely.
I think it comes up again and again, but pretty much every school has a policy for just about everything. There are no assumptions that can be made. No BA is like any other BA, no BFA is like any other BFA, no BM is like any other BM.
Almost every school will allow you to “test out” by taking a CLEP test. The CLEP works similar to taking AP tests, in that you must achieve a certain score to receive credit and I think it costs about $80/test. @artskids even Baldwin Wallace accepts CLEP credit for foreign languages, but there is no test for Chinese. CLEP only offers tests for Spanish, German , and French.
Many BFA MT programs do not have a foreign language requirement.
Almost all programs accept foreign language AP test credit if scores meet their criteria. AP credit criteria varies by schools, so Google "AP Credit " to check the scores required for credit.
For programs with a foreign language requirements, I think many/most offer a placement test for Freshman to see if they have to take Introductory classes (if the students have not already taken AP or CLEP tests). For programs with foreign language requirements, the criteria is normally 1-2 semesters of Sophomore level classes. Students have to place out or take 1-2 Freshman level language courses before being able to take the Sophomore level classes that satisfy the requirement.
My d’s Fall Freshman schedule for Western Michigan’s MTP program is:
- Intro to Acting
- MT Ensemble Vocal Technique
- Theatre Practicum
- Ballet
- Jazz
- Aerobics (Gen Ed Health requirement)
- Biologic Anthropology (Gen Ed Science requirement)
D placed out of the first class in Music Theory, otherwise she would be taking Intro to Music Theory. WMU does require one Math course but you can take “Excursions in Math.” WMU requires 37 hours of Gen Eds. They are generous with AP Credit - D placed out of 23 hours, so she only has 4 Gen Ed classes left after her first semester.
Freshman do get cast in shows so they cannot schedule any classes after 4pm. Private voice lessons begin the 2nd semester of their Freshman year, after the fall class in group voice.
NYU Tisch lumps their math requirement under a science umbrella. Essentially two courses needed in those discplines. Here is the description but before I cut and paste it can I just say - GO MATH! Sigh…
Sciences: (8 pts) required for Freshman; 2 courses for not less than (6 pts) for Transfers - social sciences, politics, sociology, economics, psychology, anthropology, natural science, mathematics, biology, chemistry, geology, physics.
So I should have checked with d before posting her schedule. Of course I left out something. For completeness I’ll just post everything again.
Program is OCU BM double major in MT and VP.
Freshman Fall semester
Piano III
Private voice
Private vocal coaching
Music theory I
Aural skills I
English lit and composition
OMT lab ( opera / musical theater lab)
Ballet ( levelled beyond basic movement)
Acting I
Ad astra women’s chorus
17 credits total
Spring semester
Piano IV
Music theory II
Aural skills II
Private voice lessons
Private vocal coaching
Liberal arts Seminar: children’s theatre can change the world
Tap ( levelled beyond basic movement)
Acting II
Ad astra women’s chorus
Total 16 credit hours
There is both a math and a lab science requirement at OCU, though d has placed out of the math requirement.
There is a piano proficiency requirement for both VP and MT majors. Normally you take 4 semesters of class piano, but you can place out of some of it which my d was able to do. You can’t really place out of any of the music theory classes or aural training , and again there are 4 semesters of each required.
Interesting to see both the differences and similarities between the programs! I think this thread could be a really good one for folks down the line.
From what I can tell …class schedule for Boston Conservatory BFA MT:
Freshman Seminar
Writing Workshop
Acting foundations
Voice & Speech foundations
Movement foundations
Music Theatre foundations
Ear training
piano
private voice
Intro to Theatre
Tap technique
Jazz technique
Ballet technique
18.5 credit hours
Second semester is the same - except a History of MT class instead of Intro to Theatre
Freshman do get cast in shows too…auditions are during orientation week.
D’s fall semester schedule at The University of the Arts:
Acting studio
Private voice lesson
MT performance
First year writing
Music skills (theory and keyboard)
Music skills lab
Survey of Theatre Arts
Costume technology
Creative practices
Ballet
Jazz
D’s fall semester schedule at NYU Tisch NSB
Acting
Voice
Ballet
Sight Singing
Small Group Music
Music Theory
Vocal Performance
Contemporary Dance
Speech
Private Voice
Writing the Essay
Intro to Theatre Studies
For my fellow Canadians on cc, here is what my fall semester schedule is for first year at Sheridan College’s MT Program:
DANCE
Ballet I
Jazz I
Tap I
Styles - Partnering I
Styles - MT Jazz I
Dance History
VOCAL
Vocal Technique I
MT Vocal Performance I
MT Repertoire I (Golden Age)
History of MT I (Golden Age)
Commercial Performance (Pop) I
Private Vocal Tutorials & Coaching Sessions
MUSIC
Ear Training I
Music Theory I
History of Music
ACTING
Improvisation
Authenticity
Acting Techniques, Impulses and Archetypes
History of Acting
ACADEMIC
English - Composition and Rhetoric
For second semester, the dance classes stay the same (move to level II) but history is replaced with anatomy & physiology. Vocal classes stay the same as well (level II), but the acting ones are all different and focus more on contemporary acting. The music courses move up to level II as well without history of music, with the addition of classes in keyboarding and music technologies. And for the academic class, there is a liberal arts elective.
Kind of shocked that this first semester is flying by so quickly! D texted me last night with her classes for spring and I thought I would add them here …
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Musical Theatre, BFA
Acting II
Musical Theatre II
Playwriting (counts as her 1st year writing course as well)
Ballet
Stage Management
I guess they’re bringing in a NYC working professional to teach the Stage Mgmt class - pretty neat!
My D’s fall semester looks like this:
Illinois Wesleyan University
BFA MT
Music theory (replaces math class)
Keyboard
Tap
Modern
Ballet
Private Voice with separate accompanist
Weekly session with accompanist
Choir
MT Repertory class
Acting I
X hours - working/learning stagecraft (250 hours required to complete degree)
Writing course (can’t remember which one she’s taking, lol.)
Has AP credit for several gen ed classes. Will have to take a foreign language at some point.