Theater Major

Our program is designed to allow you to continue to study your passion while pursuing other areas of study. You can expect very little lecturing and more hands-on experience with production and design both on the stage and behind the scenes. This will provide you with real-world skills and experiences that can be applied toward your personal desires.

Program Details

Program Overview

The Theater Program at Stritch is designed to allow you to continue to study your passion while pursuing other areas of study as well. Concentrations in Performance and Design fit nicely with coursework ranging from Education to Communication to Business and beyond. Opportunities to be involved in hands-on production work both on stage and behind the scenes provide real-world skills training and are open to all students regardless of area of study. Scholarships for involvement are also available to all students, as well as work-study opportunities in the Scene Shop, Costume Shop and Arts Administration.

Program Concentrations

This program is made up of the following concentrations. Learn more about concentrations.

Theater Performance

Concentration Overview

Continue your training in performance with classes in improvisation, response, creativity, play and classical texts, as well as developing your artistic instrument (yourself). Classes directly prepare students for performance in various productions each year as well as creative leadership.

Courses in this Concentration

Theater Design

Concentration Overview

Continue your passion for theatrical craft with classes designed to develop all sides of the technical theater craft including sound, lights, set design and stagecraft. When paired with performance work and work-study in the scene or costume shop, students develop hands on skills for executing various theatrical events on a professional stage.

Courses in this Concentration

Concentrations on this page are required for this program. Additional courses or concentrations may need to be added to meet program or credit requirements.

Program Coursework

The specific degree requirements on the website are for illustrative purposes and may change at any time. Please contact the Registrar's Office, Academic Advising or refer to the course catalog for detailed program requirements.

Liberal Arts Core

The Liberal Arts Core Curriculum is rooted in the Liberal Arts and our Franciscan heritage. It is designed to create a framework to develop knowledge, skills, and responsibilities necessary to educate students so that they will be prepared to contribute to the world guided by a concern for issues of justice and ethical behavior.

LEADERSHIP: 4 credits

Freshman Seminar (1 cr.)
Spiritual & Ethical Literacy (3 cr.)

FOUNDATIONAL LITERACIES/SKILLS: 12 credits

Personal Branding Communication (3 cr.)
Writing for the 21^st Century (3 cr.)*
Quantitative Problem Solving (3 cr.)*
Language & Culture (3 cr.)

*For ‘Writing for the 21^st Century’ (English) and ‘Quantitative Problem Solving’ (Math), you may need additional courses depending on your placement.

CORE LITERACIES: 15 credits – Choose one (1) course from each broad theme. Course options can be found in the course catalog or on the academic advising page. Broad themes are:

Narratives of Identity (3 cr.)
Science, Environment & Culture (3 cr.)
Social Tensions (3 cr.)
The American Experience (3 cr.)
Approving the Better Things (3 cr.)

Professional Core

Culminating Experience

Giving students a culminating experience as well as practical work experience, the Professional Core is a graduation requirement for every Stritch student in a bachelor’s degree program. This bachelor’s degree program includes completion of the Professional Core consisting of three courses:

Pre-Internship
Internship
Capstone

Dinah Aming'a, '22

Double major in Psychology and Theater

The new curriculum ensures that my passion for acting and helping people can be turned into a career. Theater and Psychology were meant for me, and I wouldn't change that for the world. My advice for students looking at either major is to be ready to learn and expand more than what the classroom teaches you. Be thirsty for knowledge and you will enjoy psychology and also being a performer.

Laura Ellingen, '19

Theater and Communication Double Major

I enjoyed working with local nonprofits as part of my coursework. I had the opportunity to collaborate with and write a grant for Renaissance Theaterworks and intern at Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, where I could immediately apply my coursework to the professional workforce. The combination of learning skills in the classroom and applying those skills in the community and workplace prepared me well for entering the workforce upon graduation.

Katie Lindgren, '18

Theater (Technical Emphasis) with minor in Communications

I am forever thankful for my Theater degree, but will stand by the fact that I believe it goes best with another major or minor. Theater pairs so wonderfully with many other degree options at Stritch and it allows you to follow all of your passions.

Collaborative production receives recognition

Stritch’s production of “The Last Cyclist” in April 2019 (a collaboration with the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center) was listed as one of the best shows in Milwaukee of 2019 by the Shepherd Express and Wisconsin Theater Spotlight. Students worked alongside professional actors, designers and stage managers for this special production.

Job Opportunities

There is a wide variety of opportunities if you are interested in theater. A focus in theater can prepare you to develop skills that will make you marketable in their any career field.

There is no limit to what you can accomplish with a theater degree.

Theater Careers

For additional information contact admissions or program faculty.

Admissions