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Northwestern School of Communication

Undergraduate Programs

Majors and Minors

The Department of Theatre offers two majors, two minors and a certificate option.

Theatre Major

Student actors surround African American male in a bright red suit and robes seeming like Roman times

Intensive training in the theatrical arts, nested in the context of a liberal arts education.

Dance Major

Six female dancers in gray outfits with shorts face stage right while two clasp hands

The study and performance of dance in the context of a liberal arts education.

Theatre Minor

Theatrical performance, design, and history, literature and criticism.

Music Theatre Certificate

Five female performers on stage in red sing with their arms extended upward

A selective program, requiring auditions for first and second year students majoring in theatre, voice and dance.

Modules

Modules are intensive programs of study that allow students to explore a particular area in-depth. Modules also provide opportunities to apply learning in practice through co-curriculars and internships and to engage in professional development through exposure to industry professionals and NU alumni in the field. The following modules are open to Theatre majors.

Acting for Screen

Silhouetted assistant claps the scene board while two female actors wait on couches on a living room set

A course of study designed for RTVF and Theatre Majors to focus on the craft of performance for narrative cinema, television, and web media.

Children & Communication

Child and therapist interacting

Students will study the nuanced interplay between biology and environment that contribute to building developmental foundations for communication.

Creating the Musical

Stage full of actors holding papers in their raised right hands

Students will explore the arts of book writing, lyric writing and composition, while cultivating an effective and healthy collaboration in music theatre.

Playwriting

Four performers on stage hold hands wide to frame each other

This module is designed to nurture a community of playwrights, ultimately preparing them to present themselves effectively to the profession.

Theatre Management

Actors take stage direction in front of green screen

The module prepares students to begin careers as theatre managers and leaders.

Theatrical Design

Student hand draws a caped purple costume on computer with digital pen

The module prepares undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career as a theatrical designer.