Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre
The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre program prepares students for life as working artists in the musical theatre field with fully developed skills in music, dance and acting.
Practical training and creative experiences are coupled with an interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum and a foundation in theatre history and theory. In their senior year, students in the Musical Theatre program may audition to participate in the Musical Theatre Showcase in New York City. The Showcase experience enables students to perform for prospective casting directors, managers and agents An audition is required for admission into the Musical Theatre program.
EMBARK ON A LIFE OF PERFORMANCE
For those aspiring to a career in Musical Theatre, Kent State offers a program designed to train talented young people in an intensive interdisciplinary study of music, theatre, and dance. Kent State's Musical Theatre program trains performers to feel comfortable with today's diverse musical forms and demands.
In addition students are required to participate in co-curricular productions prepared for the public. Musical theatre students will be evaluated at the end of their freshman, sophomore, and junior years to help them review past accomplishments and set future goals.
Kent State's Musical Theatre BFA program has alumni in New York, Chicago, and California, as well as some who are furthering their training in MFA programs throughout the United States. We at Kent State firmly believe that our Musical Theatre program offers solid intellectual training for the dedicated future theatre artist. We also work hard to further the growth of our program and students.
The faculty of this program is comprised of members from each specific performance discipline. Working together, they train students within the structures of each individual art form while they facilitate the student's understanding of each specific art's unique interdependency within the Musical Theatre format.
Terri Kent, Musical Theatre Coordinator
The BFA Musical Theatre Program is coordinated under the leadership of Terri Kent, Professor and Producing Artistic Director of Porthouse Theatre, Kent State University’s professional summer venue. She is a member of Actor’s Equity Association, SAG/AFTRA, the Society and Choreographers union. Directing credits include: Big River, Brigadoon, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, Oliver and Oklahoma (Porthouse Theatre); Cabaret and Children of Eden (Halle Theatre); Bye Bye Birdie, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Little Shop of Horrors, and Damn Yankees (Cain Park); and Godspell, Side show, Chicago, The Fantasticks, and Guys and Dolls (Kent State University). Terri Kent can be reached at tkent@kent.edu
Career Opportunities
The Musical Theatre program allows students to embark on a life of performance in the areas of acting, music, and dance. Alumni of Kent State University's Musical Theatre program have worked in local, regional, national, and international performance venues including Broadway, London's West End, and in film and television. Graduates of the Musical Theatre program also go on to careers as directors, composers, choreographers and educators.
Admission and Audition Requirements
General Admission for Freshman Students
Students most likely to be admitted and succeed at the Kent Campus have achieved a cumulative high school grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), and whose composite ACT score is 23 or better or an average SAT score of 1130. For more information on admissions, visit the Admissions website for new freshmen.
Apply for Freshman Admission to Kent State
General Admission for Transfer Students
Generally, a transfer applicant who has taken 12 or more semester hours with a college cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale may be admitted. An applicant who has taken fewer than 12 semester hours will be evaluated on both collegiate and high school records. For more information on admissions, visit the Admissions website for transfer students.
Apply for Transfer Admission to Kent State
School of Theatre and Dance Application and Musical Theatre Program Audition
Students that wish to enroll in the Musical Theatre program at Kent State University must also complete a separate application for admission to the Musical Theatre program and participate in a Musical Theatre audition.
Musical Theatre Application and Audition Requirements
Degree Requirements
Students in the Musical Theatre program must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours and maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA in major courses and overall 2.0 GPA to graduate. The Musical Theatre program can be successfully completed in 4 years (8 semesters) if an average of 15-16 credit hours are completed per semester.
In addition to 36 credit hours taken in Kent Core requirements, Musical Theatre majors can expect to take courses in musical theatre performance, voice, making theatre, fundamentals of production, dance, acting process, music theory, script analysis, piano, character and scene study, and theatre history. Students must demonstrate continuing progress and are thus evaluated annually through auditions, coursework and production responsibilities. Students are also required to complete practicum classes. Students are required to audition for all Main Stage theatre productions and accept roles if cast. The B.F.A. candidate is expected to develop theatre, vocal and/or dance skills equal to entry-level positions in the profession or as expected for admission into Master of Fine Arts programs.
View Musical Theatre Program Roadmap