Program Overview

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Musical Theatre at Marshall University is a comprehensive program that brings together the expertise of the School of Music and the School of Theatre and Dance. This unique program is designed for students who want to pursue professional work in musical theatre, requiring proficiency in singing, acting, and dance.

Program Details

The Musical Theatre degree program offers a diverse array of courses, providing focused and intensive study and performance to grow as actors, dancers, singers, and musicians. The program is designed to prepare students for entry into professional musical theatre careers or for graduate studies in Musical Theatre.

Program Highlights

• Solid Foundation: Success in this competitive field requires proficiency in singing, acting, and dance, and the BFA in Musical Theatre provides excellent instruction and mentorship as well as numerous opportunities for performance experience.
• Dedicated Faculty: The School of Music and the School of Theatre and Dance both have outstanding faculty who are committed to student success and to delivering the personalized instruction that performing artists need.
• Unique Support: Marshall's Center for Wellness in the Arts provides educational, preventive, and therapeutic services relating to wellness and injury prevention in the performing arts.

Featured Courses

• DAN 305 - Dance for Musical Theatre: Various dance forms and styles necessary for musical theatre, with training in rhythm and coordination and emphasis on classic and modern techniques and routines.
• MUS 310 - Perf Arts Entrepreneurship: Skills required to create careers as entrepreneurial performing artists or to supplement an arts career in entrepreneurial pursuits, including planning, self-promotion, networking, audience building, and marketing.
• MUS 496 - Musical Theatre Capstone: A culminating Musical Theatre performance and critical self-reflection, where students develop proposals with input from faculty mentor.

Career Opportunities

The BFA in Musical Theatre degree program prepares students for careers such as:

• Choreographer
• Dancer
• Musician or singer
• Music director and composer
• Producer
• Director

The Value of a Marshall Education

At Marshall University, students pay less on average each year than the state average, and graduates earn more, faster. The average annual cost is $8,327, compared to $10,899 for other WV public universities, $11,793 for the metro area, and $12,803 for national public universities. The earnings ratio is 1.32, meaning that for every $1 spent on a Marshall degree, $1.32 comes back in future earnings.