What schools can a student major in Musical Theater and also minor in something like business WITHOUT needing extra semesters/summer classes? Mostly she’s looking in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Honestly, not many. A BFA program takes up so much time that there is (usually) no time for minors. Not saying that it isn’t possible at some schools, but as I said- very few. It usually takes someone extra semesters to achieve a minor. If she is very interested in theatre and a minor, your best bet would to be have her look at a Theatre BA where she could more easily achieve both.
The question would be what does the minor require? If it is just 20 credits, it’s possible with very good planning.
Most BFAs require about 65 credits in theater, dance, art. The school or college might have extra core requirements too. There just isn’t a lot of room for electives (which is what a minor would be).
Why do you think she needs a minor? My school didn’t offer minors, so I’ve gone my entire life not having one.
I think it’s great that she wants to minor! MT students with other academic aptitude should absolutely dive into those interests as well. For example, jobs while auditioning are important and if one has a “side job” they are educated in and care about, it can be beyond rewarding.
I know minors have been possible at Michigan, Rider, UCLA (BA MT), UMiami, and now even Boston Conservatory@Berklee.
Actually, there are more than you may think. I required both of my students to choose a program where a minor or double major was possible. I did NOT have a backup plan for myself and when I found that I needed one, I had to regroup and wasted quite a few years finding a new path to something I would be happy doing. Both of my students had AP credits or dual credits to transfer in. One of them is attending a small private school and even with the BFA MT, she has a lot of options for minor. And she is considering getting teaching certification as well. The other one had a lot of AP credits and I think had 18? Credits towards his BA core. He is getting a BFA MT but has met with an advisor and is hoping to do a double major with a degree he designs (possibly BA) in Design Thinking and Human Factors. It should be doable but he may need to go an extra year or a few summers. All of the programs they were accepted at allowed at least a minor. That was one of their main criteria. Many programs allow you to explore your passions alongside earning a BFA, even if it is not in the theatre or music department.
For a list of schools off the top of my head:
Texas Tech
UCO
Nebraska Wesleyan
Millikin
TCU
Ball State
NYU
Samford
U Alabama
U Alabama Birmingham
Western Michigan
Ohio Northern
We have a large spreadsheet which may include this info. Will look and see and post more later.
She is thinking of minoring in Hospitality Management or Business Management.
@Mooshi22 Cornell has theater (aka PMA) and hospitality management. PMA does occasionally stage musical theatre productions. Students with an interest in musical theatre do vocal performance training through Music and acting, dance and movement in PMA. Purportedly, there are also independent student clubs that stage musical theatre productions, such as the Melodramatics.
Cornell’s program in hospitality is considered the most rigorous in the country. I would not plan on a dual major there unless it’s something highly connected like econ.
re #8, while it does have repute as the elite hospitality program, in my quite dated experience not all its students were typically sweating it out in the stacks with the premeds. Social skills are important in the hospitality industry , and the students did not neglect their extracurricular training in this aspect, by all appearances. Though no doubt they did not cruise through there either.
Unless what is meant was not course rigor so much but rather unusually highly specified curriculum/courses, leaving less time than typical for other elective courses. Don’t know about this, didn’t look.
But the bigger issues are :
- The Arts & Sciences and Hotel colleges do not seem to participate together in the concurrent degree program, so far as I can tell; (however there is a business minor available through the business school)
- Cornell PMA may have some musical theater opportunities, but it is likely not as robust as an actual musical theater major.
Rigorous as in- once you’ve fulfilled the major requirements, you aren’t going off and “exploring” a completely unrelated discipline…
You can at Elon. My son had friends who double majored BFA MT and BA in Arts Administration with a Business Minor. Or you can just get the Business Minor without the BA in AA. You can minor in other things as well.
Along the same thread, my Son is looking for programs that would allow a BFA in MT but also explore writing or directing. Any ideas come to mind
@HGHMom take a look at Molloy/CAP21. The students really write their own works throughout Junior and Senior year. Their performances are based on “projects” so, for example, in junior year, the program brings in guest directors who work with the students to write, stage, and perform their own pop musical. One of the directors is Rob Rokicki who wrote “The Lightning Theif”. They also have a class/project for creative ensemble where, again, they write, stage, and perform their own show.
In addition to the projects, there are electives for directing, creative writing, script writing, etc.
I don’t know that there’s a minor per say, but there are definitely options for developing in those areas.
It doesn’t fit your geographical region but the University of Oklahoma allows for minors.
FSU allows minors; I currently have MT students minoring in Communications, Education, Psychology, Event Planning/Management and Entrepreneurship.