While many students know they want to get into a top-tier conservatory and spend the rest of their lives pursuing their Broadway dreams, some students want to pursue a highly academic university career in tandem with their passion for Musical Theater. (And by the way, choosing a standard academic college won’t prevent you from pursuing a profession in the arts whatsoever!) Below is our list of top academic schools that also have great Musical Theater programs:
USC
USC’s Musical Theatre program is top-tier. It’s a partnership between USC’s renowned School of Cinematic Arts and School of Dramatic Arts. It’s an innovative program in that it focuses on storytelling for different platforms. Courses include Film and Television Case Study, Creating Content for the Actor, Songwriting for Musical Theatre, Movement for Musical Theatre, Industry Landscape, Choreography and Performance, and more.
MICHIGAN
Michigan’s Department of Musical Theatre is highly renowned. It includes both a BFA in Musical Theatre and a minor in Musical Theatre Composition. Required coursework includes Musical Theatre Performance and History, Acting, Theatre History, Technical Theatre, Music Theory, Piano, Dance, private voice lessons, and more.
NYU
NYU actually offers two musical theatre programs: One within Steinhardt and one within Tisch. So what’s the difference? Both are very prestigious. Steinhardt offers a Bachelor of Music and is a bit more focused on music and the classic side of things. Whereas Tisch offers a BFA in Drama with a focus in Musical Theatre, that’s a bit more acting-focused. The added bonus of going to NYU, of course, is that Broadway is right in the school’s backyard.
YALE
Yale’s Department of Music houses its Musical Theater program. The curriculum focuses on history, composition, lyric writing, music theory, dramatic theory, and dramatic history. Course offerings include: American Musical Theater: History and Context, Composing for Musical Theater, Stephen Sondheim and the American Musical Theater Tradition, and Lyric Writing for Musical Theater.
NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern’s School of Communication is home to its Theatre major, which includes a focus in Music Theatre. Course offerings include Music Theatre History, Theatre and Social Change, Gender & Performance, Partnered Swing Dancing, Advanced Voice Styles, Dialects for the Stage, Playwriting Genres, and many more.
UCLA
One of the many benefits of UCLA for the dramatically-inclined is that’s very close to the heart of Hollywood and is in a town full of performers and performance-happenings. UCLA’s School of Theatre, Film, & Television houses its Theater BA, along with a Musical Theater emphasis. Courses include Musical Theater Vocal Styles: Rock, Costume Design, Dance for Musical Theater, and many more.
CARNEGIE MELLON
Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama offers an option in Acting and Music Theater. In addition to a wide range of classes, students in the Acting and Music Theater option also have the opportunity to participate in Playground, the annual Festival of Independent Student Work. They can also participate in a showcase for industry professionals in Pittsburgh, New York and Los Angeles.
DUKE
Duke’s Trinity College of Arts and Sciences is home to its Department of Theater Studies. Duke offers a major in Theater Studies, along with a minor in Musical Theater. Minor requirements include coursework in American Musicals, Forms of Musical Drama, a Music Theater practice component, as well as additional seminars.
Students who want to pursue Musical Theater in college should position themselves as experts in that field throughout high school. Make sure your extracurriculars and classes are aligned with Musical Theater so that the top programs see you as someone who’s serious about continuing to pursue an area of expertise in which you’re already proficient.
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