Acting, B.F.A.

Offered by Theatre , the Acting, B.F.A. is designed for students who are interested in an intensive performance program leading to the pursuit of graduate study and/or careers in professional acting. These students immerse themselves in advanced techniques in acting, voice, and movement courses, and learn the application of these skills to characterization in a wide range of productions in which they perform.

University Requirements

Completion of Minimum University Requirements for an Undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree .

Minimum 120 credits and minimum GPA of 2.0
Completion of 45 upper-level credits, the residence requirement, the Writing Intensive requirement, and the General Education requirement

Admission to the Program

Students enter via audition and/or evaluation in one of the following ways:

Fall Semester Review: All acting students register for the fall Craft of Acting I course, and may apply for the Acting, B.F.A. at the end of their first semester. B.F.A. applicants who have demonstrated growth, commitment, and potential in their first semester coursework are invited to major.
Early Acceptance: Students may audition for early acceptance into the Acting, B.F.A. Accepted students may declare the major immediately upon registration, and do not need to apply in their first year.
Accelerated B.F.A.: Transferring students with prior college acting training may audition for the Acting, B.F.A. and placement in upper-level studio acting courses. Depending on previous coursework, the accelerated B.F.A. student may earn their degree in 4 or 5 semesters.

Major Requirements

Minimum 64 credits
Minimum grade of ‘C’ in courses applied to the major

Course Requirements

Acting Core (27 credits)

Complete the following:

Acting Requirements (33-34 credits)

Complete the following:

Production or Performance Requirement (4-12 credits)

Students participate in a production or performance course in each of their final four semesters. These may be fulfilled with any of the following:

Four-Year Academic Pathways

The Four-Year Academic Pathways webpage offers helpful sample pathways for students eager to explore their academic options and stay on track for a four-year graduation. These pathways provide a starting point for students to plan how to complete their degree in four years. However, it’s important to remember that these are just samples. In consultation with their academic advisor, each student will create an individualized degree plan that reflects their unique academic background, interests, and career goals.

Students must develop their personalized degree plan by the time they’ve earned 45 credits and regularly update it with their advisor as their goals and academic journey evolve. This approach ensures that students make thoughtful, strategic choices that set them up for success throughout their time at UMBC.

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

Qualified students may apply to an accelerated program, which allows them to take graduate courses as undergraduate students and later apply those courses to master’s degrees. A student may apply to participate in an accelerated program even if the desired graduate program is in a department other than the one in which they are majoring. More information is available from the Accelerated Program page of the Graduate School website.