Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting

The BFA in Drama degree provides you with a vital mix of coursework that combines theory and practice and encourages the development of skills and talents. The School of Theatre offers a full range of liberal arts and professional degree programs that prepare undergraduate students for a variety of career opportunities in theatre.

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting Program Distinctions

The BFA in Acting at UNCG’s School of Theatre offers the “best of both worlds” by pairing conservatory-style training with the vast resources of a major public research university. It provides personalized mentorship, competitive performance programs, and a direct pipeline to the entertainment industry. It offers highly personalized mentorship, a dedicated on-camera curriculum, and frequent onstage performance opportunities.

Accreditations and affiliations include:

• National Association of Schools of Theatre
• Southeastern Theatre Conference
• United States Institute for Theatre Technology Inc.
• North Carolina Theatre Conference
• Theatre Communications Group

The BFA Acting Student Experience

BFA students engage in an intensive program of study specializing in one area of theatre to hone their craft.

• Students who audition and are chosen for the rigorous BFA Acting program immediately begin a range of intensive classes in acting, voice, movement, acting for the camera, stage combat, and Shakespeare, along with courses in theatre history, technical theatre, and general liberal arts courses.
• The School of Theatre draws from a long list of accomplished alumni and other visiting artists for workshops and talkbacks that connect students to real-world experience.

Our BFA Acting Alumni

Alumni have pursued careers on Broadway, Off-Broadway, streaming sites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, film and broadcast television, and major regional theatres. Many graduates continue their education with master’s and doctoral degrees at schools including Yale School of Drama, Florida State University, New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Graduates include Tony, Grammy, and Emmy winners; Broadway stage managers; produced playwrights; working directors, actors, designers, and technicians; and faculty and staff at theatre companies, colleges, and universities. Notable alumni include:

• Bonnie Becker: Production Stage Manager (“School of Rock,” “Billy Elliot,” “Legally Blonde”)
• Jonathan Bohun Brady: Artistic Director, Bartlett Theater in Durham, N.C.
• David Byrd: Managing Director, Virginia Stage Company in Norfolk, Va.
• Chris Chalk: Stage and Screen Actor (“Fences,” “Detroit,” “12 Years a Slave”)
• Julie DeVore: Assistant Production Manager (“School of Rock”)
• Joseph Forbes: Broadway Scene Designer (“The Producers,” “Hairspray,” “Book of Mormon”)
• Marcy Bethel Frank: Costume Design (“In the Next Room,” “American Idiot”)
• Hugh Hysell: Producer and Actor (“Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” “Peter and the Starcatcher”)
• Beth Leavel: Actress and Tony Award Winner (“The Prom,” “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Bandstand,” “Mama Mia”)
• Anne Pitoniak: Actress (“’night, Mother”)

After Graduating with Your BFA in Acting

Potential careers include:

How to Apply to the Acting BFA Program

Students interested in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama should complete UNCG’s undergraduate admission process and the School of Theatre application/audition process. There is also an audition process for the BFA performance programs.

Frequently Asked Questions About the BFA In Acting