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DePaul University

Chicago, IL

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No PrescreenNo AuditionNo InterviewNo PortfolioUniversity App Required

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ProgramOfficial Program Page

Program snapshot

Admissions

No PrescreenNo AuditionNo InterviewNo PortfolioUniversity App Required

Program profile

Study AbroadTransfer In Friendly

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BA Theatre

ProgramOfficial Program Page

Program snapshot

Admissions

No PrescreenNo AuditionNo InterviewNo PortfolioUniversity App Required

Program profile

Study AbroadTransfer In Friendly

Training

Required core includes Politics, Pop Culture, and the Stage; Making Plays: Theater and the Art of Production; Stage Direction; Acting and Performance; Design Workshop; Artist as Entrepreneur; and Performance: Communication, Creativity and the Body

Six upper-level THE courses — including the Seminar: Topics in Dramatic Literature sequence (THE 434/435/436) — anchor the history, literature, and criticism emphasis

The performance requirement is satisfied by ACT 380 Advanced Acting and Performance, a PRF course, or a DES course

Program head Reza Mirsajadi is Artistic Director of Chicago Playworks, The Theatre School’s production strand for families and young audiences

Professional Development

Fourth-year coursework centers on self-reflection and professional growth, with many students interning during their final year

Combined bachelor’s and master’s degree option available

Published career paths include arts advocacy, theatre leadership, theatre administration, theatre entrepreneurship, theatre creation, and work as a theatre artist

Degree Flexibility

Two-thirds of the curriculum is liberal studies and electives and one-third is theatre — of 192 total quarter hours, 68 are the major, 84 are Liberal Studies (21 courses), and 40 are open electives

Built for double majors and transfer students; pairs with another DePaul major or minor without leaving The Theatre School

Depending on transferable credit, some transfer students can finish the BA in as little as two years

Students with sufficient experience who have completed the prerequisites may apply to take conservatory specialization courses

Third-year electives may be drawn from the School of Cinematic Arts and the College of Communication

Three entry terms — Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters — instead of a fall-only start

Value

Every admitted Theatre School student receives a renewable merit scholarship of $15,000–$30,000; the school awards $14M+ annually

Tuition is billed as a guaranteed flat package rate, locked at the first-year rate for the standard length of the program

Admission requires no audition or interview, so no audition travel or $65 audition/interview fee is involved

School info

Snapshot

Avg GPA (W)

3.78

Admit rate

76%

school-wide

Grad rate

68%

Enrollment

14.1K

Earnings

$69K

10yr after

Costs & aid

Tuition & fees

$51,303

Before aid

Average net price

$30,902

After aid

Undergraduate Tuition And Fees · depaul.edu College Scorecard

Program info updated Aug 26, 2:07 PM

Program Highlights

Training

Six upper-level THE courses — including the Seminar: Topics in Dramatic Literature sequence (THE 434/435/436) — anchor the history, literature, and criticism emphasis

The performance requirement is satisfied by ACT 380 Advanced Acting and Performance, a PRF course, or a DES course

Program head Reza Mirsajadi is Artistic Director of Chicago Playworks, The Theatre School’s production strand for families and young audiences

Professional Development

Fourth-year coursework centers on self-reflection and professional growth, with many students interning during their final year

Combined bachelor’s and master’s degree option available

Published career paths include arts advocacy, theatre leadership, theatre administration, theatre entrepreneurship, theatre creation, and work as a theatre artist

Degree Flexibility

Two-thirds of the curriculum is liberal studies and electives and one-third is theatre — of 192 total quarter hours, 68 are the major, 84 are Liberal Studies (21 courses), and 40 are open electives

Built for double majors and transfer students; pairs with another DePaul major or minor without leaving The Theatre School

Depending on transferable credit, some transfer students can finish the BA in as little as two years

Students with sufficient experience who have completed the prerequisites may apply to take conservatory specialization courses

Third-year electives may be drawn from the School of Cinematic Arts and the College of Communication

Three entry terms — Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters — instead of a fall-only start

Value

Every admitted Theatre School student receives a renewable merit scholarship of $15,000–$30,000; the school awards $14M+ annually

Tuition is billed as a guaranteed flat package rate, locked at the first-year rate for the standard length of the program

Admission requires no audition or interview, so no audition travel or $65 audition/interview fee is involved

Program Highlights

Training

Six upper-level THE courses — including the Seminar: Topics in Dramatic Literature sequence (THE 434/435/436) — anchor the history, literature, and criticism emphasis

The performance requirement is satisfied by ACT 380 Advanced Acting and Performance, a PRF course, or a DES course

Program head Reza Mirsajadi is Artistic Director of Chicago Playworks, The Theatre School’s production strand for families and young audiences

Professional Development

Fourth-year coursework centers on self-reflection and professional growth, with many students interning during their final year

Combined bachelor’s and master’s degree option available

Published career paths include arts advocacy, theatre leadership, theatre administration, theatre entrepreneurship, theatre creation, and work as a theatre artist

Degree Flexibility

Two-thirds of the curriculum is liberal studies and electives and one-third is theatre — of 192 total quarter hours, 68 are the major, 84 are Liberal Studies (21 courses), and 40 are open electives

Built for double majors and transfer students; pairs with another DePaul major or minor without leaving The Theatre School

Depending on transferable credit, some transfer students can finish the BA in as little as two years

Students with sufficient experience who have completed the prerequisites may apply to take conservatory specialization courses

Third-year electives may be drawn from the School of Cinematic Arts and the College of Communication

Three entry terms — Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters — instead of a fall-only start

Value

Every admitted Theatre School student receives a renewable merit scholarship of $15,000–$30,000; the school awards $14M+ annually

Tuition is billed as a guaranteed flat package rate, locked at the first-year rate for the standard length of the program

Admission requires no audition or interview, so no audition travel or $65 audition/interview fee is involved

Key Info

Enrollment Term

University AppApplication

Apply

Common App· Only option

Deadline

Transfer Admission (Rolling)

Deadlines · depaul.edu

Program AppApplication

Deadline

Winter Quarter Application DeadlineNov 1, 2026

How To Apply · theatre.depaul.edu

Submission Requirements

Transcripts

Official high school transcript sent directly to the Theatre School Admissions Office at theatreadmissions@depaul.edu — transcripts are not considered official if sent by the applicant

Official college transcripts as well if you have taken college credit courses you want considered for transfer credit

Transfer applicants who have completed over 30 college credits, or who are 24 or older, are not required to submit high school transcripts unless requested

Applicants whose transcripts are not in English must also submit a word-for-word English translation of all pages

Test Scores (Optional)

SAT or ACT scores are optional for almost all applicants; homeschooled applicants must submit them

ACT college code 1012, SAT college code 1165

Proof of English Proficiency

Required for students educated outside the U.S. for secondary school

Any exam on the Theatre School international list is accepted; official scores are due by the application deadline

How To Apply · theatre.depaul.edu

Verified for Fall 2027 entry

Good to Know

Application Logistics

Apply with the Common Application or the Transfer Application and name Theatre (BA) as your major

Within 24 hours of submitting, you receive a confirmation email with access to Blue Demon Domain, DePaul’s application status portal

Because there is no audition or interview, the $65 Theatre School audition/interview fee does not apply; there is no fee to submit the Common Application or Transfer Application

Enrollment

Three entry terms: Fall Quarter (deadline February 1), Winter Quarter (November 1), and Spring Quarter (March 1)

Inter-college transfer is open — current DePaul students may switch into the Theatre (BA) by updating their major in Campus Connect at any time

Transfer Pathway

Previous college credit can be applied to both liberal studies and select theatre course requirements in the Theatre (BA), and depending on how much credit transfers, some students complete the degree in as little as two years. The major accepts fall, winter, and spring quarter entry, and current DePaul students may transfer in by updating their major in Campus Connect at any time.

FAQ · theatre.depaul.edu

What's The Process

Audition Process

No audition, prescreen, portfolio, or interview is required for admission to the Theatre (BA) major

The Theatre (BA) is a humanities-based, academically focused degree admitted on the university application alone

This is the only undergraduate Theatre School major with no artistic admission review — all 14 BFA majors require either an audition or an interview

Scholarship Info

Theatre School Merit Scholarship

Every admitted Theatre School student is awarded a renewable merit scholarship of $15,000–$30,000 in the admission decision letter

Awarded automatically with admission — no separate scholarship application is required

Scholarship review combines the applicant's academic record with the admissions audition or interview; the Theatre (BA) has no audition or interview requirement

Renewable up to four years provided the student remains in good standing

The Theatre School awards more than $14M in scholarships each year

Need-Based Aid

FAFSA is not required for the Theatre School Scholarship, but is required for need-based aid (DePaul FAFSA code 001671)

File the FAFSA by February 15 for full consideration; packages are generally available by April 1

School info

Snapshot

Avg GPA (W)

3.78

Admit rate

76%

school-wide

Grad rate

68%

Enrollment

14.1K

Earnings

$69K

10yr after

Costs & aid

Tuition & fees

$51,303

Before aid

Average net price

$30,902

After aid

Undergraduate Tuition And Fees · depaul.edu College Scorecard

Training

Six upper-level THE courses — including the Seminar: Topics in Dramatic Literature sequence (THE 434/435/436) — anchor the history, literature, and criticism emphasis

The performance requirement is satisfied by ACT 380 Advanced Acting and Performance, a PRF course, or a DES course

Program head Reza Mirsajadi is Artistic Director of Chicago Playworks, The Theatre School’s production strand for families and young audiences

Professional Development

Fourth-year coursework centers on self-reflection and professional growth, with many students interning during their final year

Combined bachelor’s and master’s degree option available

Published career paths include arts advocacy, theatre leadership, theatre administration, theatre entrepreneurship, theatre creation, and work as a theatre artist

Degree Flexibility

Two-thirds of the curriculum is liberal studies and electives and one-third is theatre — of 192 total quarter hours, 68 are the major, 84 are Liberal Studies (21 courses), and 40 are open electives

Built for double majors and transfer students; pairs with another DePaul major or minor without leaving The Theatre School

Depending on transferable credit, some transfer students can finish the BA in as little as two years

Students with sufficient experience who have completed the prerequisites may apply to take conservatory specialization courses

Third-year electives may be drawn from the School of Cinematic Arts and the College of Communication

Three entry terms — Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters — instead of a fall-only start

Value

Every admitted Theatre School student receives a renewable merit scholarship of $15,000–$30,000; the school awards $14M+ annually

Tuition is billed as a guaranteed flat package rate, locked at the first-year rate for the standard length of the program

Admission requires no audition or interview, so no audition travel or $65 audition/interview fee is involved

Updated Aug 26, 2:07 PM