Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Arts Trevecca Nazarene University

Trevecca’s Bachelor of Arts in dramatic arts is designed to prepare you for a competitive career in professional theatre or theatre education, or for graduate studies in theatre. You can tailor your degree to your passions and goals by specializing in specific aspects of theatre like acting, directing, design, playwriting, or stage management.

Program Benefits

• Participate in four or five campus productions each year.
• Take advantage of incredible internships and jobs available in the exciting Nashville market.
• Enjoy our small class sizes and supportive campus community.
• Learn from faculty who possess high degrees in their fields, who have relevant and valuable real-world experience, and who make an effort to know you personally.

What to Expect

As a student in Trevecca’s dramatic arts program, you’ll not only build a solid foundation in the dramatic arts, but you’ll have the chance to tailor your education to meet your passions and goals by specializing in one or more of the following aspects of theatre: acting, directing, design (set, costumes, lighting), playwriting or stage management.

This program is incredibly hands-on. You’ll have the opportunity to participate in four or five on-campus theatre productions each year. You’ll also participate in an internship that provides professional experience and valuable networking relationships with potential employers. Past students have completed local internships with the Nashville Repertory Theatre, Nashville Children's Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera, and Studio Tenn, and others have done internships in New York, L.A., and overseas.

Dramatic arts faculty and coursework will encourage and equip you to be creative in your artistic pursuits. As a senior theatre student, you will create and present an original project in your specialized focus area. The project presentation is open to the general public and, in combination with your foundational coursework, gives you a professional capstone experience that prepares you for graduate studies and/or employment after graduation.

Why Choose Trevecca?

Founded in 1901 and a leader in online education for more than two decades, Trevecca helps students discover and pursue an individual calling by providing innovative instruction; cultivating a supportive, Christ-centered community; and establishing relationships that open doors.

Recognized nationally and locally for academic quality, Trevecca has earned a reputation for providing the world with servant leaders, problem solvers, and difference makers. Trevecca’s holistic approach to education encompasses intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth.

As a Christian university, we offer programs that explore the ways faith intersects with your field of study. This means you can gain your dramatic arts degree in a supportive, Christian community with small classroom sizes and engaged faculty members who care about you and your goals.

General Education — 51 hours

Major — 39-40 hours

• COM 1000 Production Participation and Project Attendance 0
• COM 3010 Theories of Communication 3
• COM 2410 Acting I: Theory and Practice (FE-10) 2
• COM 2950 Script Analysis 1
• COM 3400 Theatre History and Dramatic Literature 3
• COM 3450 Playwriting Workshop 2
• COM 4000 Advanced Public Speaking 3
• COM 4030 Design and Production for the Stage (FE-10) 3
• COM 4040 Play Directing (FE-10) 3
• COM 422A-F Drama Practicum 1
• COM 4510 Career Internship in Communication Studies 1-3
• COM 4410/ENG 4410 Modern Drama in Performance 3
• COM 4550 Research Methods in Communication Studies 3
• COM 4600 Junior/Senior Seminar in Dramatic Arts 1
• COM 4800 Senior Project in Communication Studies 1-2
• Electives in Dramatic Arts 2-3
• COM 1000: 6 satisfactory semesters
• COM 422A-F: 3 hours required
• COM 4510: 3 hours required
• COM 4800: 2 hours required

One of the following three courses is also required — 2 hours

• COM 2420 Acting II: Improvisation and Viewpoints 2
• COM 3410 Acting III: Meisner 2
• COM 3420 Acting IV: Shakespeare 2

Additional Requirement — 2 hours

ITI 1900 Business Information Technology 2

Minor (Student’s Choice) — 15-18 hours

General Electives — 9-13 hours

Total Credit Hours: 120

With your degree in dramatic arts, you’ll be ready for an exciting career in theatre. From acting to set design to playwriting, your degree prepares you for a variety of theatre roles. It also prepares you for a career in theatre education or graduate studies in theatre.

• Actor
• Director
• Stage Manager
• Arts Administrator
• Lighting Designer
• Set Designer
• Costume Designer