Become a versatile and well-rounded theater professional with expertise in acting, singing, and dancing through the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater in Temple’s School of Theater, Film and Media Arts. This rigorous 124-credit undergraduate degree prepares you for a career in musical productions. Graduates go on to work in professional theaters around the world.
Through intensive hands-on coursework and performance opportunities, you’ll gain strong technical skills and knowledge in the genre and history of musical theater. This program is interdisciplinary: along with studies in the Theater Department, you’ll refine your musicianship through courses in the Boyer College of Music and Dance. Put the skills and concepts you learn into practice by participating in one of the numerous productions in the Center for Performing and Cinematic Arts, which include musicals, student-directed productions, dramas and showcases. Students can also exercise their artistic abilities in singing ensembles, dance performances and workshops conducted by visiting artists.
The close-knit quality of the degree program encourages personal and artistic growth. Faculty mentor students artistically and academically on an individual basis. Undergraduate students also have the opportunity to collaborate with MFA students in the Musical Theater Collaboration graduate program.
Yes. Acting 1 is a required course for each theater major including Technical Production and Management.
Recent on-campus productions include Chicago, Guys and Dolls, Our Town, and Romeo and Juliet.
After graduation, Temple alumni have appeared in productions on Broadway, on national tours, and at major theaters in and around Philadelphia including the Arden Theater Company, Paper Mill Playhouse and Walnut Street Theatre.
A practicum is participation in at least one departmental production activity by fulfilling a production contract. It is preferred that students do at least one contract in each area of the four production areas - script, process, product, and audience.
General theater courses will give you a broad foundation in theater education, while more specialized offerings will teach you technical skills in singing, acting and dancing. Students take a core group of courses in both theater and music divisions. Some of the courses you may take include
In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, the Bachelor of Fine Arts offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.
Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.
These tuition costs apply to the 2025–2026 academic year.
Pennsylvania resident: $21,360.00 per year
Out-of-state: $37,032.00 per year
The Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts has a centralized advising office with five staff members. This advising team serves all undergraduate students in the Boyer College of Music and Dance and the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts.
Advisors help students navigate the undergraduate curriculum for each degree program. The academic advising team for music, dance, theater, and film and media arts majors is located in Mitten Hall, Suite 200 West.
To schedule an advising appointment based on your individual needs or for more help, contact the advising team.
Phone: 215-204-2227
Peter Reynolds is the faculty contact and head of Musical Theater.
Phone: 215-204-8628
Email: peterr@temple.edu
Student clubs and organizations give you the opportunity to gain stage performance or production experience, express yourself without classroom restrictions, and network with other theater professionals. In addition, you can make friends and enhance your social life. Consider joining one or more of the following clubs.
Spend a semester in the land of Shakespeare with the London Study Away Program. Live in the heart of London while studying theater. Supplement your coursework with free attendance at nine theatrical productions, courtesy of the American Institute for Foreign Study. You can also take advantage of internship opportunities to work with local English theaters as a box office attendant, clerical assistant, representative production assistant or another position.
In addition, you can broaden your education by spending a semester or summer in Los Angeles studying the film industry as part of the Los Angeles Study Away Program. Explore the various facets of filmmaking through meetings with artists and industry professionals, lectures and on-site events, and special programs.
The Theater Department is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre as well as a member of the University Resident Theatre Association.