Theater Arts (BA/BS)

The Department of Theatre Arts combines a broad liberal arts education with practical experience through University Theatre productions and studio coursework.

Create purposeful works of art and use your voice to change the world. With outstanding facilities, knowledgeable faculty members, and a supportive theatre community, the University of Oregon’s Department of Theatre Arts provides everything you need to hone your craft and achieve your goals.  

You’ll be given the opportunity to write, direct, and manage your own performances through classes and the Pocket Playhouse, a fully operational theater for undergraduates. In addition, you’ll study the history, literature, and cultural aspects of theater across the globe, providing you with a valuable liberal arts background. Learn practical skills such as playwriting, acting, wood construction, sewing, and stage management. Take risks and gain insight in a nurturing and engaging environment. An adventure awaits you, whether your focus is on acting, stage production, or designing dazzling costumes.

For its undergraduate major program, the Department of Theater Arts has three principal objectives:

  1. The attainment, by all of its majors, of a broad liberal arts education
  2. Sufficient instruction to provide an appreciation of the different areas of theater
  3. Direct experience in several aspects of theater production

Students study acting, directing, design, costume, lighting, stagecraft, history, dramatic literature, and theory. Courses in these fields are available to both majors and nonmajors.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Demonstrate knowledge, research, and analysis of theatre history, dramatic literature and critical theory across time and cultures, employing effective written and oral communication.
  • Demonstrate the comprehension of form and content in theatre through production-related practice, applying skillsets of design, technology, management, and performance.
  • Demonstrate personal theatrical aesthetic and artistic vision through script analysis and interpretation, integrating the visual and material/physical in collaborative practice.
  • Demonstrate understanding of degree requirements and production expectations for the major, and chart prospective internship and other educational or professional opportunities in current theatre and related fields during and especially after college.

Theater Arts Major Requirements

Courses used to fulfill the major requirements must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of mid-C or better.

TA 210Introduction to Design4
TA 211–212Theater Production I-II8
TA 250Introduction to Acting4
TA 271Introduction to Theater Arts4
TA 367–369History of the Theater I-III12
TA 470Majors Seminar4
TA 490Theater Capstone: [Topic] (Play Direction, Playwriting, Devising, Dramaturgy)4
Three of the following: 13
TA 321
Scenery Production
TA 322
Costume Production
TA 323
Lighting Production
TA 324
Production
Three upper-division courses in acting, directing, design, technical production, or playwriting12
Three upper-division courses in history, literature, criticism, or dramaturgy 212
Total Credits67
1

Production assignments are 1–4 credits each and are arranged individually between the student and faculty member overseeing the area of interest.  

2

With the consent of an advisor, a student may substitute a course in another department for one of these courses, selected from a list approved by the theater arts faculty.

Approved Courses

Acting, Directing, Design, Technical Production or Playwriting Courses
TA 410
Experimental Course: [Topic]
TA 416
Costume Design
TA 418
Costume Pattern Drafting
TA 420
TA 452
Advanced Acting: [Topic]
TA 441
Scene Design: Single Set
TA 445
Advanced Projects in Theater Technology: [Topic] 1
TA 467
Lighting for the Stage
History, Literature, Criticism, or Dramaturgy Courses
TA 411
Costume History I
TA 412
Costume History II
TA 471
Studies in Theater and Culture: [Topic] 1
TA 472
Multicultural Theater: [Topic] 1
1

Repeatable when topic changes

Grading Options

Some courses in theater arts are offered pass/no pass (P/N) only. Work counts toward fulfillment of the 180-credit requirement for a BA or BS only if satisfactorily completed.

Transfer Students

Transfer students must complete six 4-credit, upper-division courses and two of the production courses listed in the course list in residence at the University of Oregon.

Honors in Theater Arts

At the end of each academic year, the department’s faculty selects certain graduating seniors and confers on them departmental honors. Criteria include academic performance as well as the quality of participation in the production program.

Four-Year Degree Plan

The degree plan shown is only a sample of how students may complete their degrees in four years. There are alternative ways. Students should consult their advisor to determine the best path for them.

Bachelor of Arts in Theater Arts

Degree Map
First Year
FallMilestonesCredits
TA 271 Introduction to Theater Arts 4
WR 121Z Composition I 4
First term of first-year second-language sequence 4
TA 250
or TA 210
 Introduction to Acting
or Introduction to Design
 4
 Credits 16
Winter
TA 211 Theater Production I 4
Second term of first-year second-language sequence 4
TA 250
or TA 251
 Introduction to Acting
or Acting Scene Study
 4
WR 122Z
or WR 123
 Composition II
or College Composition III
 4
 Credits 16
Spring
TA 212
or TA 210
 Theater Production II
or Introduction to Design
 4
TA 250
or TA 252
 Introduction to Acting
or Acting Auditions
 Complete UO writing requirement4
General-education course 4
Third term of first-year second-language sequence 4
Meet with TA advisor  
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48
Degree Map
Second Year
FallMilestonesCredits
General-education course 4
First term of second-year second-language sequence 4
TA 321 Scenery Production 1
TA 322 Costume Production 1
TA 323 Lighting Production 1
TA 324 Production 1
TA 271
or TA 210
or TA 211
 Introduction to Theater Arts
or Introduction to Design
or Theater Production I
 4
 Credits 16
Winter
Second term of second-year second-language sequence 4
General-education courses 8
TA 321
& TA 322
& TA 323
& TA 324
or TA 251
 Scenery Production
or Acting Scene Study
 4
 Credits 16
Spring
Third term of second-year second-language sequence (Overall UO GPA of 2.00 or higher) 4
General-education courses 8
TA 321
& TA 322
& TA 323
& TA 324
or TA 252
 Scenery Production
or Acting Auditions
 4
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48
Degree Map
Third Year
FallMilestonesCredits
TA 367 History of the Theater I 4
Group-satisfying courses 8
Upper-division course with TA subject code 4
Meet with TA advisor  
 Credits 16
Winter
TA 368 History of the Theater II 4
TA 470 Majors Seminar 4
Group-satisfying courses 8
 Credits 16
Spring
TA 369 History of the Theater III 4
Upper-division course with TA subject code 4
General-education course that also satisfies a multicultural requirement 8
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48
Degree Map
Fourth Year
FallMilestonesCredits
TA 490 Theater Capstone: [Topic] 4
Upper-division courses with TA subject code 8
TA 321
& TA 322
& TA 323
& TA 324		 Scenery Production
and Costume Production
and Lighting Production
and Production 		4
Meet with TA advisor  
 Credits 16
Winter
TA 490 Theater Capstone: [Topic] 4
Upper-division course with TA subject code 4
Elective courses 8
 Credits 16
Spring
Elective courses (Overall UO GPA of 2.00 or higher) 8
Upper-division courses with TA subject code 8
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48

Bachelor of Science in Theater Arts

Degree Map
First Year
FallMilestonesCredits
TA 271 Introduction to Theater Arts 4
WR 121Z Composition I 4
TA 250
or TA 210
 Introduction to Acting
or Introduction to Design
 4
Mathematics course 4
 Credits 16
Winter
TA 211 Theater Production I 4
WR 122Z
or WR 123
 Composition II
or College Composition III
 4
TA 250
or TA 251
 Introduction to Acting
or Acting Scene Study
 4
Mathematics course 4
 Credits 16
Spring
TA 212
or TA 210
 Theater Production II
or Introduction to Design
 4
TA 250
or TA 252
 Introduction to Acting
or Acting Auditions
 4
General-education course 4
Mathematics course 4
Meet with TA advisor  
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48
Degree Map
Second Year
FallMilestonesCredits
TA 271
or TA 210
or TA 211
 Introduction to Theater Arts
or Introduction to Design
or Theater Production I
 4
TA 321
& TA 322
& TA 323
& TA 324		 Scenery Production
and Costume Production
and Lighting Production
and Production 		4
General-education courses 8
 Credits 16
Winter
TA 321
& TA 322
& TA 323
& TA 324
or TA 251
 Scenery Production
or Acting Scene Study
 4
General-education courses 12
 Credits 16
Spring
TA 321
& TA 322
& TA 323
& TA 324
or TA 252
 Scenery Production
or Acting Auditions
 4
General-education courses 12
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48
Degree Map
Third Year
FallMilestonesCredits
TA 367 History of the Theater I 4
General-education courses 8
Upper-division course with TA subject code 4
Meet with TA advisor  
 Credits 16
Winter
TA 368 History of the Theater II 4
TA 470 Majors Seminar 4
General-education course 4
General-education or elective course 4
 Credits 16
Spring
TA 369 History of the Theater III 4
Upper-division course with TA subject code 4
General-education course that also satisfies a multicultural requirement 4
General-education or elective course 4
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48
Degree Map
Fourth Year
FallMilestonesCredits
TA 490 Theater Capstone: [Topic] 4
TA 321
& TA 322
& TA 323
& TA 324		 Scenery Production
and Costume Production
and Lighting Production
and Production 		4
Upper-division courses with TA subject code 8
Meet with TA advisor  
 Credits 16
Winter
TA 490 Theater Capstone: [Topic] 4
Upper-division course with TA subject code 4
Elective courses 8
 Credits 16
Spring
Upper-division courses with TA subject code (Overall UO GPA of 2.00 or higher) 8
Elective courses 8
 Credits 16
 Total Credits 48