<p>I need an opinion on something. I am a 26 year old guy living in TN with a bachelor's in Business Information Systems. After i graduated i realized i loved acting and since then i got agents and have been auditioning and doing short films. The problem is i also work full time in IT jobs and have been trying to get a plan of going back to school for either a masters in Theater or a BFA in acting. </p>
<p>Does anyone have any opinions on options for these? i have to use 2 semesters of loans for my undergrad degree but not much so i know i still can get more loans. The problem is most out of state schools that are really good are so uber expensive and i don't know how i'd ever afford them. I have looked into University of Memphis and Southern Miss as well as other places. I feel like getting a degree with theater, along with the experience, will let me enter that world better than just doing this part time. Sorry for the rant, any advice on this is welcome. Thanks!</p>
<p>You already have a Bachelor’s degree and so you can’t apply to a school to earn a BFA. You would need to seek an MFA. Be aware that these are by audition and so you also would need to get some training to prepare to be competitive for admissions. Another option, which is cheaper, is to take acting classes that are reputable and get into the field that way.</p>
<p>I agree. I think the issue i face is that i work full time so it’s really difficult to get into theater b/c the performances usually interfere with work. I am trying so hard to find a way to jump into this full on and focus on this while having the money to survive.</p>
<p>soozievt, is that really true, that you can’t apply for a second BA? We toured Berkelee in October and our tour guide was pursuing his second bachelor degree there (BM), with a BA from St. Olaf’s. Also, I thought some of the Juilliard BFA candidates have BAs from other places.</p>
<p>I, too, was surprised. I’ve known plenty of people who have obtained more than one Bachelor’s Degree. Is this something that is peculiar to the theatre world?</p>
<p>Yes, glassharmonica, Juilliard does have many students with BA’s, but as I recall from one of the info sessions, those students don’t get BFA’s. They get acting certificates, I think.</p>
<p>I think nalajen is correct about Juilliard. </p>
<p>Those who I know that have more than one Bachelor’s degree, earned them simultaneously. Examples: a BM and a BA or a BS and a BA or a BA and a BEng.</p>
<p>I have never heard of having an undergraduate degree and being able to apply as a freshman applicant to a college. Usually if you have college credits and have enrolled at a college previously, you must apply as a transfer student. I haven’t heard of if you actually have a DEGREE, that you can apply to start a new undergraduate degree. </p>
<p>Perhaps Berkelee works differently, something like Juilliard. </p>
<p>I could be wrong about other colleges and would be happy to be enlightened. :D</p>
<p>One option for someone who already has a degree is to attend some of the two year training programs in NYC such as Neighboorhood Playhouse or Circle in the Square Theater School. Those with college degrees can and do attend such programs. These are not programs that grant degrees, just certificates.</p>
<p>I’m not advocating that it’s a good idea to go for a second bachelor’s degree, only mentioning that I have met people who have done this. I did ask the tour guide at Berkelee and he replied something to the effect that Berkelee does not offer an MFA in his discipline; hence his second bachelor’s degree (the first was a liberal arts BA.) He told me that he had to start from scratch (this was in the context of his describing the liberal arts courses at Berkelee in a positive light, as someone who already had a liberal arts degree from another college.) This issue did come up in the CC music major forum, where it was pointed out that it’s hard or impossible to get federal financial aid for a second undergraduate degree. One could probably settle this question by contacting individual admissions offices. </p>
<p>However, I agree with your suggestions of exploring two-year training programs and other non-degree options rather than starting from scratch with a new BA.</p>
<p>Berkelee may be different since it is so specialized and offers some programs that may not have any graduate school options.</p>
<p>But since the OP wants to go into acting, and has an undergraduate degree, then typically such a person would then apply to an MFA program in Acting.</p>
<p>I would also expect that trying to get an MFA or a certificate would be a lot more sensible than pursuing a second Bachelor Degree. My older daughter is soldiering on with her undergrad degree, knowing there are plenty of interesting options available to her once she has that “piece of paper”. She is a music major; she has told me there is a marvelous singer at her school doing her BM in Performance; she has a BA in a totally unrelated field. Of course, in spite of her huge talent, she was completely lacking in all of the basic coursework (music) that she needs.</p>
<p>FWIW, there are 2 older students in my D’s program. One is in his 40s and one is in his 60s. Both have undergraduate degrees in other fields. I believe both are BA - not BFA - students but I am not positive. I just saw the gentlemen in his 60s play Mac the night watchman in The Philadelphia Story and he was terrific. He also saw him in Will Rogers Follies last year. I know the guy in his 40s is in my D’s ballet class. So it can be done. Like glassharmonica I am not saying this is the way to go - just sharing some info.</p>
<p>Are MFA acting programs are as difficult to get into as MFA writing programs? If so-- applying for an MFA from an unrelated film may be a waste of time and money. I teach creative writing at a university and my best students will apply to 13 or 14 MFA programs and feel lucky to get into one or two-- and they are coming from a position of being very well prepared with lots of support. Since BFA acting programs are so difficult to get into, I would logically assume that MFA programs would be even harder, and possible even harder than MFA writing programs…</p>
<p>So I would say that the OP with a degree in “Business Information Systems” would probably find little overlap in doing second Bachelor’s degree. (Maybe things would be different had he been an English major.) Still, taking courses a la carte, or immersing himself in a theater certificate program might be a better choice and certainly less of a commitment and expense.</p>
<p>Glassharmonica, from what I understand, MFA acting programs are indeed very hard to get into. </p>
<p>For a female with a recent BA, the likelihood of being admitted into one of the highest ranked MFA programs is just about nil. </p>
<p>For somebody like the OP, who is a guy and is also a little older, it might be marginally easier. He would have to research programs carefully as to their selectivity. And, as always, so much hinges on the audition.</p>