Program Recognition
•Teacher Education program accredited by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI)
•Graduates earn K-12 drama teaching licensure valid for elementary, middle, and high school
Training
•Choose either a BA or a BS in Theatre Arts Education
•Curriculum pairs theatre arts (acting, directing, dance/movement, lighting, costuming, production) with education coursework
•Students move "from the front of the stage, to the back of the stage, and into the classroom"
•Faculty include program coordinator Michael Hannah (PhD) and director Joshua Yoder (MFA)
•Required directed student teaching placement in K-12 schools
Performance & Productions
•Three public productions staged each academic year
•Performances in Hayes Auditorium, renovated in 2017 for state-of-the-art audio/visual production
Professional Development
•Intern with Lees-McRae Summer Theatre, the professional company founded in 1985 that has sold 250,000+ tickets staging large-scale Broadway musicals
•Travel with faculty and peers to the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), the largest theatre convention of its kind in the U.S.
•Mock auditions performed in front of multiple professional companies
Location
•Set in Banner Elk in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina
Study Abroad
•May-term travel courses to England or New York City
