<p>This was my D when we were researching schools. If you want to go for Broadcasting - then Univ of Missouri- Columbia is your school but you won’t get the best in theatre there. Indiana has incredible performing arts training and a very highly regarded Journalism school however MT is taught in a BFA MT program that would not be conducive to a double major however training in the 3 areas of voice, acting and dance are available outside that major and the J school is known for print not broadcasting although there is a communications major with broadcasting. </p>
<p>By far the best schools combining both these areas we found were Syracuse and Northwestern. They both have top notch J schools and great theatre training. You’ll have to investigate the possibility of training in both areas though if that is what you want. But if you want to start in one area and be at a school where in case you change majors to the other later, these definitely should be in your top choices. At one time a couple years ago Northwestern even had a program combining journalism and theatre or voice but last I checked they had it on hold.</p>
<p>Hoos -
Thank you very much for your input. I jsut looked them up and the look like they have great programs. I’ll add them to the list! (Shoot - just when I thought the list was getting smaller!) Thank you!</p>
<p>It doesn’t look like she has the stats for Northwestern, but who knows, there might be a miracle on June 6th (SAT retake)! :)</p>
<p>Northwestern is indeed very selective - it is the backup school of the Ivies and as you probably know with increased applications in recent years it’s probably much harder to gain admittance than present stats posted. </p>
<p>What I meant by investigating doing both was in some or many of the programs at the top of the list although they might have a fantastic program in MT or theatre - when we investigated those same teachers and classes were not available if doing a BA. That was the case at Michigan. I cant’ recall but it might also have been true at Syracuse. So although a school might have a great reputation as a BFA MT if you go there as a double BA Journalism and BA Theatre (or voice etc) you might not have access to the same teachers and classes that teach the BFA MTs…they are often reserved just for that program. </p>
<p>Hence one of the many reasons my daughter is a Hoosier. The only classes she is not in with the BFA MTs is voice and some MT workshops she must audition for. And in the case of voice Jacob’s School of Music is so fantastic it isn’t a real compromise in training.</p>
<p>I’ll keep that in mind. I’m sure it must make a significant difference - the instructors, that is. Great tip - thank you! That’s the kind of info you can’t ever get out of a brochure or a website - or even a tour unless you ask a specific enough question. Hooray for CC!</p>
<p>Am I understanding correctly - is she double majoring? </p>
<p>I’m on the Indiana University site now… which campus? Bloomington?</p>
<p>My D goes to Syracuse, which is a BFA program. There are no non-BFA students in the theater classes that I know of. It is possible to double-major in some areas, but I don’t know if journalism is one of them. It might take an extra semester or two to fit in all of the classes.</p>
<p>Yes Bloomington. Warning: To visit the campus at Bloomington is to fall in love. It’s the most beautiful campus we visited. When they say there are a ton of performance opportunities outside of the theatre dept - that is no joke. She is a BA Theatre taking voice lessons through Jacob and will probably end up with enough dance credits to minor in dance and pursuing a 2nd major. </p>
<p>This subject has been beat to death ad nauseum but talk to people on the above threads at the individual schools about the REALITY of any school mentioned that says you can do a BFA MT and double major. The BFA MT at most schools is by itself a double major and the REALITY of taking the classes for both is something you should talk to people already in the BFA MT about.</p>
<p>onstage - I was also thinking of the logistics. The theatre dept is at one end of campus and the J building way up the hill. If you had classes in theatre and journalism 15 min apart I just don’t see that working. I think that is why you need to talk to people there. Plus as you said, if the theatre claim at Syracuse is the BFA MT instructors and as a BA double major to study both concurrently you aren’t getting those same instructors you need to research just how great are the theatre instructors for the BA.</p>
<p>Actually, the journalism building is one of the closest on-campus to the theater department – it’s a big campus – and it’s also quite close to many of the dorms. (It’s also very close to Starbucks, which is probably even more important!) In Syracuse, a 15-minute walk isn’t bad – there is a very good bus system as well. </p>
<p>However, I’m not even sure there’s a BA theater program available at Syracuse. I believe that students who leave the BFA program after 2 years can opt for a B.S. in theater, but I don’t know if it’s even possible to start with the B.S. as a freshman. If it is, the instructors are definitely not the same as in the BFA program.</p>
<p>Another question to research on the Syracuse thread above. I think there was a question about this in the past, also. And as I recall at the campus visit meeting it was possible to start off in the BS Theatre. But I’m almost certain somewhere on the Syracuse thread this was discussed last year.</p>
<p>hi guys! i am planning on getting a ba in musical theatre and a double major in communications too! for what is worth, here are some schools i am looking at, some have already been mentioned :
wagner
muhlenberg
american
temple
fordham
drew
manhattanville
nazareth
ucla
umichigan
nyu
syracuse
University of Idaho
University of Washington
hope this helps at all</p>
<p>littlemermaid13, some of the schools you have listed do not offer a “BA in musical theatre”. Syracuse and NYU are 2 that come to mind - they offer BFAs in MT. It’s important to carefully look at the info on the theatre department websites for the schools on your list to understand the degrees, programs offered and the curriculum so that you can determined where you will have the opportunities you want. You do have on your list some very good BA schools with well regarded opportunities in MT and you should be able to find a number of schools that are good choices for you.</p>
<p>michaelNKat-thank you! I realize this, I have read that nyu, syracuse, and umich allow a double major, so i am interested in those schools! I also forgot to add James Madison on the list, that looks like a great BA school!</p>
<p>Marymount Manhattan has a Ba theatre, musical theatre minor. But if you do that combination, they said you can’t double major )O: I’m not sure if you can major in journalism and minor in musical theatre.</p>
<p>According to the IU College of Arts & Sciences 2008-2010 Bulletin, they offer a Theatre & Drama minor-not an MT minor. Go to their site and download the bulletin to get specifics on everything they offer.</p>
<p>I know this thread is old, but during my college search it came up and I wanted to point out a false statement that I keep seeing! Baldwin-Wallace MT is NOT a program you can double major in something else with. I called their offices while I was researching and a double major is not possible. Unless someone knows a person double majoring or is a double major themselves and says otherwise, I just wanted to make this clear.</p>
Hello! Reading about your daughter is like reading about myself and I am in a very similar situation to the one she was in a few years back when you posted this and I am just wondering what she ended up deciding on and where she went? I am currently a Public Relations major in the Journalism & Communications college at UF. Musical Theatre is my passion and what I’d love to do, but practically I feel that I need a degree in something else, but recently I have felt that I can’t ignore my passion and I would like to pursue musical theatre as a minor (which unfortunately is unavailable at my school as a minor–only as a BFA.) There is a theatre minor, but it is general and doesn’t include any music training. I am not wanting to move schools, but am unsure whether to pursue the Theatre minor or double major in PR and MT. So if you or anyone else who can help sees this, what did your daughter or others end up pursuing degree-wise and how has it worked out for her/them career-wise (MT &/or Journalism)? Or any suggestions of how to prepare for a possible career in MT while pursuing a practical degree if the minor/duel major is not an option?
@anortha - if you look At the dates of the posts, you will notice that most of the conversation took place 6-7 years ago. Many of the people who were posting then are no longer active members. I recommend starting a new thread (the moderators don’t like us to restart ones that are many years old) and asking your questions, you will find lots of people here willing to help!
Some other schools you may want to consider include Western Kentucky University, which has a great reputation in communications/journalism. They have a BFA in MT. I am sure you could do a dual major there if you wish as we have a friend who is currently doing so, along with a minor! There are some on CC who currently have students there. Perhaps they can chime in?
The University of Kentucky has an MT certificate which you could do in addition to a degree in communications or journalism. I would think other large universities that have MT might also fit the bill. Check with University of Alabama (which has a BFA in MT) or possibly University of Mississippi also. They also offer a BFA in Musical Theater.
I would suggest she take the ACT again as well. There are many schools that will give full tuition scholarships for an ACT of 30 or 31. She’s almost there.
Even though it’s a big school, Florida State’s program is very small - just be aware the odds of getting in the BFA are slim. But it’s a fantastic program and definitely worth looking into. I know when my D auditioned, a couple of years ago a lot of kids wanting to go to school in Florida were auditioning for University of Tampa and University of Miami. We did not, so i can’t tell you anything about the programs but they may be two schools to consider if you wish to stay in Florida. D has a friend at UCF who loves it. She has gotten to work at both Disney and Universal while in school which she has enjoyed.
If she loved Rollins, I’m wondering if small schools may be a better fit? Those would generally be private schools. But our experience was the private schools were generous with their scholarships. Elon is not one that was generous with aid, however although, as mentioned, it does have a great broadcast/journalism program. It’s MT program is also a tough admit. We do no kids there not in MT who are doing a lot of dance and are in an acapella group. I’m not sure they’ve been able to be in any shows though.
I have no issues with kids studying theater as undergrads. Many go on to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, marketing professionals, business executives, etc… Honestly, few people of any specific major end up in a job that directly matches their degree. Go to college to learn and expand your horizons. It is a time for figuring out what you want to do. I always recount the story of someone I know who was an economics major in college - and they are now a dentist. Of course they had to go back to school – but to me an economics major doing so is no different than a theater major doing so. Let them explore their passions and leave no stone unturned. As a performer, they are gaining wonderful skills. Who better to make a presentation on behalf of their organization or to address a jury? Who will have creative ideas to bring to the board room? Improv skills almost assure that they are going to be able to think quickly on their feet in any situation. And of course, who knows? They may just make it in the theater world! A theater degree is not a useless degree.