Curriculum Requirements: BA in Theatre 2009

Five years ago the Department of Theatre undertook a substantial revision of its undergraduate major that instituted a series of six “Foundation” courses to help students build a stronger, more uniform knowledge base, and to better prepare them for the upper-level courses in the program. While the curriculum change has been heartily embraced, we have found several ways to strengthen it. A re-designed undergraduate curriculum will be implemented in fall 2009. These changes will streamline coursework, introduce students to faculty- taught upper level courses sooner, allow students to take co-requisite courses their first year, and emphasize upper level course work in specialty areas.

• 55 credit hours of course work
• 28 credit hours must be at the 300-400 level
• No grade less than (2.0) may be applied toward the major (including Supporting Courses)
• No course for the major may be taken as Pass/Fail or Audit (including Supporting Courses)

REQUIRED BENCHMARKS

• 30 Credit Benchmark: THET 114, 116, 479 and either 222 or 223
• 60 Credit Benchmark: THET 114, 116, 222, 223, 2 THET 479s, 12 credits from a combination of Area Menus and Supporting Courses
• 90 Credit Benchmark: 114, 116, 222, 223, 3 THET 479s, 27 credits of Area Menu and Supporting Courses

Students who do not meet benchmarks may be asked to leave the major. A course time conflict outside the Department is not an acceptable excuse for not meeting your benchmark.

In the listing below, all courses are three credits unless otherwise noted. Prerequisites are listed in the Undergraduate Catalog or the Schedule of Classes on www.Testudo.umd.edu. Courses listed in the Area Menu are ones that are regularly offered -- but not necessarily each semester. Other courses, which satisfy the requirement, will be announced as they are offered. Please note that some courses require prerequisites and auditions.

FOUNDATION SERIES: 16 credit hours required
THET 114 – Fundamentals of Theatre Craft
THET 116 – Fundamentals of Design
THET 222 –Foundations of Acting and Performance
THET 223 –Text and Context in Western Theatre
THET 479 – Production Practicum (1 credit)
[For many positions, THET 114 must be completed first.]
4 total credit hours required [Positions must be completed in three different areas.]

AREA MENU:  18 total credit hours required
Area Menu courses provide advanced training in three areas: Performance, Design/Production, and History/Theory. Students select courses from each Area as delineated below. Student must audition and/or complete prerequisites for some courses.

Performance Area:  3 credit hours required
*Courses marked with an “*” require auditions. Students may only audition twice for any course requiring an audition for enrollment. Many courses have prerequisites; please check Testudo online for registration information.

THET 210 – Movement for Actors
*THET 310 – Voice for the Actor I
*THET 411 – Voice for the Actor II
*THET 324 – Acting: Character Development
*THET 325 – Acting: The Acting Process Part I
THET 330 – Play Directing I [prerequisite, all six fundamentals courses]
*THET 420 – Acting IV: Language and the Actor
*THET 424 – Movement II: Advanced Studies in Movement for the Actor
*THET 425 – Acting: The Acting Process Part II
THET 430 – Play Directing II
*THET 451 – Musical Theatre Workshop I
*THET 452 – Musical Theatre Workshop II

Design/Production Area:  6 credit hours required
(Many courses have prerequisites - see Testudo online for registration information.)
THET 273 – Theatre Graphics I
THET 282 – Stage Makeup
THET 284 – Stage Costume Construction I
THET 371 – Scenic Design I
THET 372 – Stage Property Design
THET 373 – Rendering for the Theatre I
THET 377 – Lighting Design I
THET 380 – Sound Design
THET 383 – Costume Design I
THET 384 – Costume Construction II
THET 457 – Advanced Lighting Technology
THET 465 – History of Fashion (not a Theatre History course)
THET 470 – Advanced Stagecraft
THET 471 – Design Studio in Scenery
THET 472 – Scene Painting I
THET 473 – Rendering for the Theatre II
THET 474 – Stage Management
THET 475 – History of Art, Architecture, and Décor
THET 477 – Design Studio in Lighting
THET 481 – Theatre Graphics II
THET 482 – Scene Painting II
THET 483 – Design Studio in Costume

History/Theory Area:  9 credits required (6 of which must be at the 400 level)
THET 250 – American Musical Theatre & Popular Performance
THET 290 – American Theatre 1750-1890
THET 291 – American Theatre 1890 - Present
THET 293 – Black Theatre & Performance I
THET 294 – Black Theatre & Performance II
THET 388 – Special Topics in Performance Studies
THET 488 – Special Topics in Theatre History before 1800 [prerequisite THET 223 required; one 200/300 level theatre history course, recommended]
THET 489 – Special Topics in Theatre History from 1800 to the Present [THET 223 required ; one 200/300 level theatre history course, recommended]

All seminars offered at the 400/600 levels require undergraduate students to obtain permission from the instructor and to complete either THET 488 or 489 successfully. These courses are not regularly offered and undergraduates need to take the 400-level version not the 600-level graduate course version.
THET 408/608 – Seminar: Theory & Performance Studies
THET 410/610 – The American Theatre
THET 485/685 – History of Theory Before Modernism
THET 486/686 – History of Modern Theory & Performance
THET 487/608 -- Post Modern Theatre and Performance
THET 498/698 – Seminar: Special Topics in Theatre History

SUPPORTING COURSES:  21 credit hours

• 12 credits must be THET courses
• 15 credits must be upper level (300/400)
• Supporting course credits may come from the list below OR from any of the courses listed in the Performance, Design/Production, or History/Theory Menus OR any combination of the four menus (Performance, Design/Production, History/Theory, and Supporting Courses)
• Students may petition to their advisor for other suitable courses to be used
• When selecting Supporting Courses, remember that sufficient Upper Level (300/400) courses must be taken - a student will only be able to take one or two at 100-200/level
• Courses in other Departments may not be offered every semester or even every year.
• For Course Prerequisites - Contact the Department that is offering the course or check Testudo [http://www.testudo.umd.edu/]

ARTH 200 - Art of the Western World to 1300
ARTH 201 - Art of the Western World after 1300
ARTH 250 - African Art
ARTH 275 - Pre-Columbian Art
ARTH 290 - Art of Asia
ARTT 100 - Two Dimensional Art Fundamentals
ARTT 110 - Elements of Drawing
ARTT 150 - Introduction to Art Theory
ARTT 200 - Three Dimensional Art Fundamentals
ARTT 334 – Elements of Sculpture
ARTT 353 – Elements of Photography
ARTT 354 – Elements of Computer Graphics
CLAS 374 – Greek Tragedy in Translation
CLAS 375 – Ancient Comedy
DANC 482 – History of Dance I
DANC 483 – History of Dance II
DANC 210 – Dance Production
DANC Performance [up to 3 courses total may be used with permission of advisor]
ENGL 205 -- Introduction to Shakespeare
ENGL 244 - Introduction to Drama
ENGL 304 – Major Works of Shakespeare
ENGL 305 -- Shakespeare & Contemporaries
ENGL 403 – Shakespeare: The Early Works
ENGL 404 – Shakespeare: The Later Works
ENGL 434 – American Drama
ENGL 450 – Renaissance Drama
ENGL 451 – Renaissance Drama
ENGL 454 – Modern Drama
LATN 301 – Plautus
LATN 302 – Ovid
MUSC 480 through 485
MUSC Performance [up to 3 courses total may be used with permission of advisor]
SPAN 424 – Drama of the Sixteenth Century
SPAN 436 – Spanish Baroque Drama
SPAN 437 – Spanish Drama of the Seventeenth Century
SPAN 456 – Nineteenth Century Drama & Poetry
SPAN 462 – Twentieth Century Drama
SPAN 473 – Latino Drama
THET 286/386 Experiential Learning [up to 6 credits may be used]
THET 406/606 – Teaching Basic Theatre
THET 429 – Actors Studio [up to 4 credits may be used]
THET 479 -- Theatre Practicum [up to 4 credits above the requirement in the Foundation Series]
THET 499/399/299 -- Independent Study [up to 6 credits may be used]