Bachelor of Musical Theatre at West Virginia University

West Virginia University

United States of America, Morgantown

University Rank:#1001

West Virginia University offers the Bachelor of Musical Theatre as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its Morgantown campus in United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 4 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for musical theatre and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on August 16, 2027.

About Bachelor of Musical Theatre

Department website: http://theatre.wvu.edu/

Degree Offered

Bachelor of Fine Arts

Nature of the Program

The School of Theatre & Dance and the School of Music offer a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Musical Theatre with the goal to train students for successful careers in musical and stage performance in the competitive entertainment industry. Over the four-year course of study, musical theatre majors will take classes in acting, voice, dance, choreography, theatre history, stage production, music theory, musical theatre literature, and other special topics.

Freshmen and sophomore students receive four to six hours of acting instruction per week as well as beginning work in music, voice and dance. In the sophomore year, students receive an additional four hours per week in stage movement and in voice and speech. These first two years of performance study coincide with a rigorous and wide-ranging liberal arts course work.

Musical Theatre Studio

The junior and senior years for the BFA in Musical Theatre are known as the Musical Theatre Studio and continue the student's work in voice, dance and acting with twenty hours a week dedicated to actor training.

This conservatory-style training within an academic setting allows the Musical Theatre Studio faculty to elevate and intensify the training with a select group of students (see Student Assessment below). The students in Musical Theatre Studio will also have opportunities to train with faculty within our Studio Acting Program with potential classes in Meisner training, Shakespeare, Comedic Styles and Auditioning.

The BFA students in the Musical Theatre Studio along with our MFA Acting students and the BFA students in the Studio Acting Program are the core of the School's casting pool. Students will have the opportunity to perform in one to two major musical or opera productions along with four to five other main stage offerings as well as 10-12 workshop and second stage opportunities per year.

Student Assessment

Routine assessment is vital to the continued growth and success of the BFA in Musical Theatre. This assessment includes and occurs with daily in-class critiques, faculty reviews, end-of-semester evaluations as well as rehearsals and public performances. These types of assessment, both formal and informal, monitor the development of the BFA student's technique and process development, their artistic growth and commitment, and application of the craft and study of Musical Theatre to the other liberal arts.

Examples of student assessment and progress within the BFA in Musical Theatre include:

Audition for entry into the program.
- Requirements for auditioning and specific dates for our Audition/Portfolio Days may be found on the College of Creative Arts website.
Auditions for credit-bearing performance opportunities (THET 200/300/400):
- Musical Theatre majors will participate in a number of opportunities designed to incorporate classroom and process skills into a public performance.
- At the completion of each of these productions, the students will receive an evaluation of their participation.
End-of-sophomore year assessment for continuation in the BFA in Musical Theatre and advancement to the Musical Theatre Studio.
- After two years of actor training and study, there is an assessment process for students to move on to the Musical Theatre Studio and their junior year of study. This process allows the Musical Theatre faculty to ascertain a student's potential for professional development as an actor. This assessment includes review of a student's GPA, credit hours, an essay of professional goals, attendance, class participation as well as an audition of material and genres covered within the first two years of study.
- Students seen as having professional potential and a good academic standing will proceed into their junior year and the Musical Theatre Studio.
- Students seen within this assessment as not having professional potential or with academic issues are not invited to continue to the Musical Theatre Studio. These students may be advised to consider different degree programs within or outside the School of Theatre & Dance. They may also be advised to continue their studies in Theatre and Acting, improve their academic standing and re-audition for the Musical Theatre Studio in the following year.
End-of-semester jury reviews for continuation in the program:
- At the end of each semester, each Musical Theatre Studio student will take part in an evaluation that consists of a discussion of the student's progress in the areas of talent, trainability, demeanor, professional discipline and potential as well as the demonstrated acquisition of the identified learning goals.
- These evaluations serve to monitor and record the student's progress toward the completion of the degree.
- The reviews will be administered by the Area Coordinator for Performance and shall include participation and feedback from theatre, music, and dance faculty.
- Evaluation of the students in the Musical Theatre Studio include voice juries (a requirement in the curriculum for Voice) and consultation with the Dance faculty on student proficiency.
- Written evaluations will be used to indicate areas of strength and weakness. The written evaluation will be shared with each student, and a copy will be placed in the student's advising file to be used as part of the on-going assessment of the student's progress in the program.
At the discretion of the Area Coordinator for Performance, students who do not successfully pass the evaluation will be either put on probationary status or removed from the program.

Musical Theatre

Common Body of Knowledge and Skills for B.F.A. Theatre students

Students must acquire:

Technical skills requisite for artistic self-expression in at least one major area of production (for example, acting, design/technology, playwriting, musical theatre) and those skills must be progressively developed to the highest level appropriate to the particular area of concentration.

An overview understanding of the major aspects, techniques, and directions in the area of concentration.
Fundamental, comprehensive understanding of the various elements and basic interrelated processes of creation, interpretation, performance, and production.
Fundamental, conceptual understanding of the expressive possibilities of theatre.
Knowledge and skills sufficient to work in both collaborative and individual roles in matters of theatre interpretation.
Growth in artistry, technical skills, collaborative competence, and knowledge of repertory through regular performance and production experiences. Students must have such experiences throughout the degree program.
Repertory. Students must acquire:
1. Familiarity with theatre literature of various historical periods, cultural sources, and modes of presentation.
2. Experience with specific repertories and comparative standards of production quality through performance, academic study, and attendance at productions.
Theoretical and Historical Studies
1. Students must acquire:
  1. The ability to analyze plays perceptively and to evaluate them critically.
  2. An understanding of the common elements and vocabulary of theatre and of the interaction of these elements, and be able to employ this knowledge in analysis, including analyses of their productions.
  3. The ability to place works of theatre in historical and stylistic contexts and have some understanding of the cultural milieu in which they were created.
  4. The ability to develop and defend informed judgments about theatre.
2. Technology. Students must acquire a working knowledge of technologies and equipment applicable to their area(s) of specialization.
Synthesis. While synthesis is a lifetime process, by the end of undergraduate studies students should be able to work independently on a variety of professional problems by combining, as appropriate to the issue, their capabilities in performance, repertory, theory, history, and technology, as well as other fields they have studied.

Upon completion of any B.F.A. professional undergraduate degree program:

Students must demonstrate achievement of professional, entry-level competence in the area of specialization including significant technical mastery, the capability to produce work and solve professional problems independently, and a coherent set of artistic/intellectual goals that are evident in their work.
Students must demonstrate their competence by developing a body of work for evaluation in the major area of study. A senior project or presentation in the major area is required in many concentrations, and strongly recommended for all others.
Students must have the ability to communicate ideas, concepts, and requirements to theatre professionals and laypersons related to the practice of the major field. Such communication may involve oral, written, visual, and musical media.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre

Essential Competencies, Experiences, and Opportunities (in addition to those stated for all B.F.A. degree programs above)
1. Achievement of the highest possible level of performance as an actor-singer. Studies in acting shall continue throughout the entire degree program.
2. Thorough development of skills in acting and skills in dance as appropriate to musical theatre.
3. Thorough development in basic musical skills including voice performance, musicianship, and music theory. Studies in voice should continue throughout the degree program.
4. Opportunities to develop a high level of skill in sight-singing.
5. Opportunities for performance in workshops and full productions of musical theatre in a variety of formal and informal settings. Performance of a significant role in at least one full production during advanced study is regarded as an essential experience.
6. Opportunities for developing repertory and techniques for auditions.

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Bachelor of Musical Theatre at West Virginia University

Entry Requirements

Must have at least a 2.5 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale for general admission.
Must meet English Proficiency or request conditional admission and admission to the Intensive English Program (IEP).
Please be advised that some Engineering majors may reach capacity and therefore will be restricted from entry.
For direct admission to some colleges and majors, SAT or ACT scores are required and must be sent to WVU directly from the respective testing services. Please review the program requirements. For all other majors, international students are encouraged but not required to submit SAT or ACT scores, if available. SAT/ACT scores are useful for determining scholarship eligibility.
WVU welcomes applications from students with IGCSE and O-Level Certificates from an approved UK exam board for admissions consideration. We require a minimum of five subject passes, of which two must be English and Mathematics. The average of the grades must be at least a 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale). A passing grade in the subject of English will be accepted as evidence of sufficient English ability.

English Requirements

PTEMin 53
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 79

Tuition and Fee Information for Bachelor of Musical Theatre at West Virginia University

Application Fee 60

How to Apply for Bachelor of Musical Theatre at West Virginia University

Review the admissions requirements, English Language Proficiency requirements (scores are for undergraduate levels only) and our undergraduate application deadlines.
To apply for an on-campus program, complete either the WVU Application or the Common App and include the nonrefundable fee of $65.

WVU Application The Common App
To apply for an online program, use the steps for WVU Online Campus applicants.
Have your Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic or Duolingo English Test scores sent to WVU.
Send the following information to WVU:
- Copies of all official academic records/transcripts in original language of issue (transcripts from U.S. institutions must be sent to WVU directly from the institutions).
- Copies of all academic certificates or diplomas in original language of issue.
Note: Original or certified copies of official records/transcripts must be submitted after admission or upon arrival.
- English translations of academic records/transcripts and certificates/diplomas.

Bachelor of Musical Theatre at West Virginia University

West Virginia University

United States of America, Morgantown