Theater Arts (BA/BS) < University of Oregon

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:

The attainment, by all of its majors, of a broad liberal arts education
Sufficient instruction to provide an appreciation of the different areas of theater
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

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
TA 210	Introduction to Design	4
TA 211–212	Theater Production I-II	8
TA 250	Introduction to Acting	4
TA 271	Introduction to Theater Arts	4
TA 367–369	History of the Theater I-III	12
TA 470	Majors Seminar	4
TA 490	Theater Capstone: [Topic] (Play Direction, Playwriting, Devising, Dramaturgy)	4
Three of the following: ¹		3
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 playwriting		12
Three upper-division courses in history, literature, criticism, or dramaturgy ²		12
Total Credits		67

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

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
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
Fall		Milestones	Credits
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 requirement	4
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
Fall		Milestones	Credits
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
Fall		Milestones	Credits
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
Fall		Milestones	Credits
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
Fall		Milestones	Credits
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
Fall		Milestones	Credits
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
Fall		Milestones	Credits
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
Fall		Milestones	Credits
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

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Theater Arts (BA/BS)