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University of Massachusetts - Amherst

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ProgramOfficial Program Page

Program snapshot

Admissions

No PrescreenNo AuditionNo InterviewUniversity App Required

Program profile

Study AbroadTransfer In FriendlyNo Admission Audition

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BA Theater

ProgramOfficial Program Page

Program snapshot

Admissions

No PrescreenNo AuditionNo InterviewUniversity App Required

Program profile

Study AbroadTransfer In FriendlyNo Admission Audition

Program Structure

Broad liberal-arts BA with no formal track or concentration selection

All majors study performance, design and production, directing, and dramaturgy, then shape an individual focus through electives and upper-level work

Performance Study

Contemporary acting and directing, voice, movement, and ensemble training

Advanced work may include classical rhetoric, Shakespeare, Molière, monologue and scene work, directing, and musical theater

Design & Production Study

Scenic, lighting, costume, sound, technical direction, and stage-management coursework

Project-based classes connect AutoCAD, drafting, model building, properties construction, and automation to department productions

Advanced students may be invited to design mainstage productions

Dramaturgy Study

Play analysis, theater history, dramatic theory, critical writing, and creative writing

Advanced students may serve as production dramaturgs or enroll in the graduate Dramaturgy Workshop

Theater 320, 321, or 322 fulfills the Junior Year Writing Requirement

Productions & Flexibility

Four to six professional-quality productions annually across two main stages, plus studio productions, independent projects, and Fringe Fest

Five College access allows coursework and productions at Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Amherst College at no extra charge

Professional internships include Silverthorne Theatre Co., Shakespeare & Co., Williamstown Theatre Festival, and WAM Theatre

Notable Alumni

Richard Gere — Bill Pullman, Jeffrey Donovan, Rob Corddry, Katy Geraghty, Amy Levinson, Constance Congdon, Ifa Bayeza, Jane Cox, David Korins, Justin Townsend, and Ben Stanton

School info

Snapshot

Avg GPA (W)

4.04

Admit rate

60%

school-wide

Grad rate

83%

Enrollment

23.7K

Earnings

$72K

10yr after

Costs & aid

In-state tuition

$19,212

Before aid

Out-of-state tuition

$43,299

Before aid

Cost of attendance

$39,896

Before aid

Average net price

$22,383

After aid

Undergraduate Costs · umass.edu College Scorecard

Program info updated Aug 20, 2:54 PM

Program Highlights

Program Structure

Broad liberal-arts BA with no formal track or concentration selection

All majors study performance, design and production, directing, and dramaturgy, then shape an individual focus through electives and upper-level work

Performance Study

Contemporary acting and directing, voice, movement, and ensemble training

Advanced work may include classical rhetoric, Shakespeare, Molière, monologue and scene work, directing, and musical theater

Design & Production Study

Scenic, lighting, costume, sound, technical direction, and stage-management coursework

Project-based classes connect AutoCAD, drafting, model building, properties construction, and automation to department productions

Advanced students may be invited to design mainstage productions

Dramaturgy Study

Play analysis, theater history, dramatic theory, critical writing, and creative writing

Advanced students may serve as production dramaturgs or enroll in the graduate Dramaturgy Workshop

Theater 320, 321, or 322 fulfills the Junior Year Writing Requirement

Productions & Flexibility

Four to six professional-quality productions annually across two main stages, plus studio productions, independent projects, and Fringe Fest

Five College access allows coursework and productions at Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Amherst College at no extra charge

Professional internships include Silverthorne Theatre Co., Shakespeare & Co., Williamstown Theatre Festival, and WAM Theatre

Notable Alumni

Richard Gere — Bill Pullman, Jeffrey Donovan, Rob Corddry, Katy Geraghty, Amy Levinson, Constance Congdon, Ifa Bayeza, Jane Cox, David Korins, Justin Townsend, and Ben Stanton

Program Highlights

Program Structure

Broad liberal-arts BA with no formal track or concentration selection

All majors study performance, design and production, directing, and dramaturgy, then shape an individual focus through electives and upper-level work

Performance Study

Contemporary acting and directing, voice, movement, and ensemble training

Advanced work may include classical rhetoric, Shakespeare, Molière, monologue and scene work, directing, and musical theater

Design & Production Study

Scenic, lighting, costume, sound, technical direction, and stage-management coursework

Project-based classes connect AutoCAD, drafting, model building, properties construction, and automation to department productions

Advanced students may be invited to design mainstage productions

Dramaturgy Study

Play analysis, theater history, dramatic theory, critical writing, and creative writing

Advanced students may serve as production dramaturgs or enroll in the graduate Dramaturgy Workshop

Theater 320, 321, or 322 fulfills the Junior Year Writing Requirement

Productions & Flexibility

Four to six professional-quality productions annually across two main stages, plus studio productions, independent projects, and Fringe Fest

Five College access allows coursework and productions at Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Amherst College at no extra charge

Professional internships include Silverthorne Theatre Co., Shakespeare & Co., Williamstown Theatre Festival, and WAM Theatre

Notable Alumni

Richard Gere — Bill Pullman, Jeffrey Donovan, Rob Corddry, Katy Geraghty, Amy Levinson, Constance Congdon, Ifa Bayeza, Jane Cox, David Korins, Justin Townsend, and Ben Stanton

Key Info

Enrollment Term

University AppApplication

Apply

Common App

Fee

Application Fee

$90

Opens

Common Application OpensAug 1, 2026

Fall Transfer Application OpensJan 1, 2027

Deadline

Fall Early Action Application DeadlineNov 5, 2026

Fall Regular Decision Application DeadlineJan 15, 2027

Fall Transfer Application Priority DeadlineMar 1, 2027

Fall Transfer Application Final DeadlineApr 15, 2027

Official page · umass.edu Important Dates Deadlines · umass.edu

Program AppApplication

Dates

Opens later

Apply

Common App School Website

Admissions Declaring Major Or Minor · umass.edu

Good to Know

Application Logistics

First-year applicants apply to UMass Amherst through the Common Application

Transfer applicants use the Common Application or MassTransfer application

UMass requires transfer applicants to declare a major and be admissible to that major

After university admission, contact Undergraduate Program Director Elisa Gonzales to declare the Theater major

Declaring by sophomore year is recommended because a later declaration can delay graduation

Theater Admission

There is no separate Theater application, portfolio, or admission audition

Theater is a broad BA without formal tracks or concentrations; all majors study performance, design and production, directing, and dramaturgy

Transfer

Greenfield Community College's Theater associate degree is an approved MassTransfer program linked to UMass's College of Humanities & Fine Arts

Transfer Pathway

MassTransfer lists Greenfield Community College's Theater associate degree as linked to UMass's College of Humanities & Fine Arts; admitted UMass students in good standing may declare the BA Theater major with no audition.

Greenfield Community College · umass.edu

What's The Process

Admission Audition

No audition is required to enter or declare the Theater major

Admission to UMass Amherst comes first; the major is declared after enrollment

Production Casting

Auditions for department productions are separate from program admission

First-year students, minors, and non-majors may audition for productions

Scholarship Info

Department Scholarships & Awards

Susan M. and Larry G. Benedict Scholarship — design, production, and management; generally around $1,000 each for three students annually

Ed Golden Acting Scholarship — acting talent; generally around $1,000 each for one or two students annually

Frank Prentice Rand Scholarship in Drama — directing, producing, playwriting, and dramaturgy; generally around $750 each for three or four students annually

Penny Remsen Design and Technology Theater Internship Fund — internship support up to $1,500, usually for one or two students annually

Stephen Driscoll BADA Scholarship — 50% of tuition and airfare for one top-scoring UMass Theater student in the Midsummer in Oxford audition

Denise Lessard Wagner Community Spirit Award — non-monetary recognition for graduating seniors

Theater students also participate in college-wide and campus-wide award programs

School info

Snapshot

Avg GPA (W)

4.04

Admit rate

60%

school-wide

Grad rate

83%

Enrollment

23.7K

Earnings

$72K

10yr after

Costs & aid

In-state tuition

$19,212

Before aid

Out-of-state tuition

$43,299

Before aid

Cost of attendance

$39,896

Before aid

Average net price

$22,383

After aid

Undergraduate Costs · umass.edu College Scorecard

Program Structure

Broad liberal-arts BA with no formal track or concentration selection

All majors study performance, design and production, directing, and dramaturgy, then shape an individual focus through electives and upper-level work

Performance Study

Contemporary acting and directing, voice, movement, and ensemble training

Advanced work may include classical rhetoric, Shakespeare, Molière, monologue and scene work, directing, and musical theater

Design & Production Study

Scenic, lighting, costume, sound, technical direction, and stage-management coursework

Project-based classes connect AutoCAD, drafting, model building, properties construction, and automation to department productions

Advanced students may be invited to design mainstage productions

Dramaturgy Study

Play analysis, theater history, dramatic theory, critical writing, and creative writing

Advanced students may serve as production dramaturgs or enroll in the graduate Dramaturgy Workshop

Theater 320, 321, or 322 fulfills the Junior Year Writing Requirement

Productions & Flexibility

Four to six professional-quality productions annually across two main stages, plus studio productions, independent projects, and Fringe Fest

Five College access allows coursework and productions at Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and Amherst College at no extra charge

Professional internships include Silverthorne Theatre Co., Shakespeare & Co., Williamstown Theatre Festival, and WAM Theatre

Notable Alumni

Richard Gere — Bill Pullman, Jeffrey Donovan, Rob Corddry, Katy Geraghty, Amy Levinson, Constance Congdon, Ifa Bayeza, Jane Cox, David Korins, Justin Townsend, and Ben Stanton

Updated Aug 20, 2:54 PM