Program Overview

Introduction to the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting is a competitive program designed to prepare students for work in professional theatre, film, and television. The program includes a specialized training process that includes a sequence of acting, voice, and movement with highly skilled faculty members.

Performance Opportunities

Acting students are required to audition for the Fall and Spring semester shows, made up of a diverse season of plays and musicals. They will also participate in a Sophomore Showcase with area talent agents and casting directors from which many students secure agents for film, television, and commercial work. Additionally, there are many student-produced performance opportunities, such as Project Spotlight and a new play festival during the summer called Pegasus PlayLab. Students may also perform at local theatres and venues, including Orlando Shakes, Orlando REP, Mad Cow Theatre, Winter Park Playhouse, Garden Theatre, Walt Disney World, and Universal Studios.

Techniques and Training

The program covers various techniques, including:

• Voice: Linklater, Fitzmaurice, Lessac, Dialects
• Acting: Stanislavski based Meisner, Hagan
• Movement: Laban, Alexander, Period Movement, Stage Combat

Opportunities to Learn and Grow

Students will become certified in various weaponry for stage combat and can train in singing and dancing with the musical theatre and dance faculty. Acting students often collaborate with the UCF Film and Television students as performers for their projects and work with the animation department to learn motion capture. Each year, UCF presents master classes with Broadway and regional theatre performers and producers, film actors, and entertainment staff from Walt Disney World and Universal Entertainment. Students can also participate in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Competition, which includes categories in playwriting, directing, dramaturgy, musical theatre, and devising.

Alumni Achievements

Acting alumni have been seen in recurring and guest starring television roles, such as In the Dark, New Amsterdam, The Good Place, and Grand Hotel. Some have had directing jobs at Theatre Words USA National Tour, La MaMa, Asolo Theater, American Stage, and more. Others have written for theatre and television with Francis Ford Coppola New Play Festival, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Davis Entertainment, Geffen Playhouse, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Nashville Shakespeare Festival, and more. Several have also done voice-over work for shows and video games, such as Avengers Assemble, American Dad, Star Wars Resistance, and World of Warcraft.

Application Requirements

Students must apply and be accepted through both the UCF School of Performing Arts and UCF Undergraduate Admissions. It is encouraged to apply to both UCF Undergraduate Admissions and the UCF School of Performing Arts as early as possible. The school can provisionally accept students prior to being accepted by UCF Undergraduate Admissions, but the school cannot offer official acceptance of study until students receive their UCF acceptance.

Audition Process

• Acceptd (video submission): The video audition submission for the B.F.A. Acting program is not a pre-screening audition.
• Live, on-campus audition: Scheduled on February 28, 2026.
• Virtual-live audition: Scheduled on February 21, 2026.

Audition Requirements

For all auditions, students must submit:

• 8×10 headshot (color)
• Résumé
• Two contrasting monologues
• Transcripts from prior colleges (unofficial transcripts are accepted for the audition process, but official transcripts must be submitted to UCF for transfer credits to be officially evaluated)

Audition Tips

• Be prepared.
• Be professional.
• Choose pieces that are age-appropriate.
• Take your time and do not rush through your pieces.
• Understand the language and the given circumstances of your monologue.
• Take adjustments with poise and focus.
• Have clear diction and good pronunciation.
• Breathe take time to breathe with strong, full breath support throughout your pieces.
• Have clear, committed, and appropriate physical choices for each monologue.
• Take time to speak with current students who are audition volunteers.

Admission Decision

In most cases, applicants will be notified of their BFA Acting acceptance status in March 2026; however, some students may be notified of their status after that time.