Learn to fulfill your creative potential and develop a strong foundation from which to launch an artistic career by earning the Bachelor of Arts in Theater in Temple’s School of Theater, Film and Media Arts. This 124-credit-hour undergraduate degree program is meant to impart the cognitive and creative skills necessary to cultivate the next generation of theater actors, designers, directors and teachers.
Through intensive hands-on coursework and performance opportunities, you’ll gain strong technical skills and knowledge of the field and history of theater. Our interdisciplinary Theater BA program offers incredible flexibility thanks to a variety of concentrations and an artistic environment in the bustling heart of Philadelphia where students enjoy a vast array of opportunities for learning inside and outside of the classroom.
The Theater Studies Sequence, an alternative to choosing one of the more specialized concentrations, is ideal for theater students who are interested in a more well-rounded curriculum. A broad foundation of theater classes gives way to opportunities for more tailored advanced courses, guided by the student’s goals and faculty input.
This program affords maximum flexibility and the chance to pursue a variety of coursework, as well as a minor or double major. Though the focus will always remain on the theater, general Theater majors develop lifelong skills that extend well beyond the stage, such as leadership, creativity and effective communication. Graduates are prepared for careers both within the world of theater and outside of it.
Yes. Acting 1 is a required course for each theater major including Technical Production and Management.
Recent on-campus productions include Chicago, Guys and Dolls, Our Town, and Romeo and Juliet.
After graduation, Temple alumni have appeared in productions on Broadway, on national tours, and at major theaters in and around Philadelphia including the Arden Theater Company, Paper Mill Playhouse and Walnut Street Theatre.
A practicum is participation in at least one departmental production activity by fulfilling a production contract. It is preferred that students do at least one contract in each area of the four production areas - script, process, product, and audience.
You can focus on Theater or you can take one of the following concentrations.
Prepare to enter a graduate acting program or pursue a career in film, theater and TV. This program provides high-caliber training in the context of a liberal arts education, so you can thrive either in a graduate conservatory program or professionally. This concentration is available to students in their junior year. Specific curriculum is recommended for acting-focused students to build up to their audition which occurs at the end of sophomore year.
View Concentration DetailsPrepare to enter a graduate design or production program or pursue a career in film, theater and TV. This program provides high-caliber training in the context of a liberal arts education, so you can thrive either in a graduate conservatory program or professionally. Read more about the Design and Production concentration in the Bachelor of Arts in Theater program.
View Concentration DetailsUncover who you are as a theater artist and discover what it means to be a storyteller in mind, spirit and imagination. Develop the skills of a well-rounded theater artist under the philosophical foundation of the collaborative process, preparing for the next level of training in theater, television and film. Receive high-caliber instruction and prepare to thrive either in a graduate conservatory program or in the real-world of directing. Intensive and varied craft-oriented classes, combined with experiential work in minimalist to full-scale productions, allow students to develop the skills needed for creative communication and artistic leadership.
View Concentration DetailsThe Theater BA program is designed to combine liberal arts classes with intensive theater studies, leading to a comprehensive overview of the world of theater. Over the course of the program, students will work toward either a Theater Studies Sequence or one of three other concentrations. As such, students are encouraged to choose courses which best fit their desired area of focus.
Students who pursue the Design and Production concentration have the option to take a Theater internship as one of their required courses, in addition to the foundation courses.
Learn more about Theater Major courses.
The Theater Education 4+1 Program allows students to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Theater with a focus on theater education, a Master of Education, a minor in English and a certificate to teach in secondary schools in Pennsylvania. Students in the 4+1 Program begin taking graduate-level courses in their junior and senior year, which leaves only 19 credit hours of graduate work to be completed after earning the BA in Theater.
Learn more about Temple's offerings for the Musical Theater Major and the Technical Production and Management Major.
In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, the Bachelor of Arts offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.
Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.
These tuition costs apply to the 2025–2026 academic year.
Pennsylvania resident: $21,360.00 per year
Out-of-state: $37,032.00 per year
The Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts has a centralized advising office with five staff members. This advising team serves all undergraduate students in the Boyer College of Music and Dance and the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts.
Advisors help students navigate the undergraduate curriculum for each degree program. The academic advising team for music, dance, theater, and film and media arts majors is located in Mitten Hall, Suite 200 West.
To schedule an advising appointment based on your individual needs or for more help, contact the advising team.
Phone: 215-204-2227
For visits and questions regarding recruitment for the Theater BA, contact the following staff member.
Josette Todaro is the associate director of recruitment.
Phone: 215-204-3209
Email: josette.todaro@temple.edu
The head of each discipline in the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts provides academic and program support for students.
Marie Anne Chiment is the faculty contact and head of Costume Design.
Phone: 215-204-4024
Email: chiment@temple.edu
Fred M. Duer is the faculty contact and head of Scenic Design.
Phone: 215-204-2804
Email: fmduer@temple.edu
David Ingram is the faculty contact and head of Theater Studies.
Phone: 215-204-6257
Email: dingra@temple.edu
Matthew Miller is the faculty contact and head of Theater Education & Stage Management.
Phone: 215-204-4263
Email: mbmiller@temple.edu
Jason Norris is an assistant professor of lighting and project design in the Theater Department.
Phone: 215-204-1050
Email: jason.norris@temple.edu
Peter Reynolds is the faculty contact and head of Musical Theater.
Phone: 215-204-8628
Email: peterr@temple.edu
Melanie Julian is the faculty contact and head of Undergraduate Acting.
Phone: 215-204-1324
Email: melanie.julian@temple.edu
The head of each discipline in the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts provides academic and program support for students.
Marie Anne Chiment is the faculty contact and head of Costume Design.
Phone: 215-204-4024
Email: chiment@temple.edu
Fred M. Duer is the faculty contact and head of Scenic Design.
Phone: 215-204-2804
Email: fmduer@temple.edu
David Ingram is the faculty contact and head of Theater Studies.
Phone: 215-204-6257
Email: dingra@temple.edu
Matthew Miller is the faculty contact and head of Theater Education & Stage Management.
Phone: 215-204-4263
Email: mbmiller@temple.edu
Jason Norris is an assistant professor of lighting and project design in the Theater Department.
Phone: 215-204-1050
Email: jason.norris@temple.edu
Peter Reynolds is the faculty contact and head of Musical Theater.
Phone: 215-204-8628
Email: peterr@temple.edu
Donna Snow is the faculty contact and head of Acting.
Phone: 215-204-8414
Email: dsnow@temple.edu
Student clubs and organizations give you the opportunity to gain stage performance or production experience, express yourself without classroom restrictions, and network with other theater professionals. In addition, you can make friends and enhance your social life. Consider joining one or more of the following clubs.
Spend a semester in the land of Shakespeare with the London Study Away Program. Live in the heart of London while studying theater. Supplement your coursework with free attendance at nine theatrical productions, courtesy of the American Institute for Foreign Study. You can also take advantage of internship opportunities to work with local English theaters as a box office attendant, clerical assistant, representative production assistant or another position.
In addition, you can broaden your education by spending a semester or summer in Los Angeles studying the film industry as part of the Los Angeles Study Away Program. Explore the various facets of filmmaking through meetings with artists and industry professionals, lectures and on-site events, and special programs.