BFA Theater Acting at Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Programme overview

The BFA in Theater is a four-year programme with Acting, Design, Dramaturgy and Production concentrations, emphasizing studio classes, academic coursework and productions. Acting students train in Meisner, on-camera work, devising, classics and global theater.

Faculty: Mason Gross School of the Arts | Department: Theater | Duration: 4 years | Study mode: full-time | Location: New Brunswick, NJ, United States

What you will study

Year 1 covers acting fundamentals, on-camera, voice and speech, movement and auditioning; year 2 adds advanced scene study and contemporary auditioning; year 3 covers TV, film, classical and modern styles and stage combat; year 4 includes fall study abroad, a professional showcase in NYC and business-of-the-business training. Students study at the Rutgers Conservatory at Shakespeare's Globe in London and are eligible for productions from the second year.

Official programme page

Application information

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Fall (September) entry: first-year Early Action application due November 1, 2026 and Regular Decision due December 1, 2026 for September 2027 entry; Spring (January) entry for 2027 is open to first-year and transfer applicants to the School of Arts and Sciences, with an application due date of October 1, 2026.

New Brunswick, Fall/September 2027: first-year Early Action November 1, 2026 (decision by January 31, 2027); first-year Regular Decision December 1, 2026 (decision by February 28, 2027); all transfer applicants February 1, 2027; candidate reply date May 1, 2027. Applications after the due dates are considered on a rolling, space-available basis. Applicants must apply by December 1 to be considered for honors and merit-based scholarships.

New Brunswick, Spring/January 2027: all first-year and transfer applications due October 1, 2026; online decision December 1, 2026; candidate reply date December 7, 2026.

Applications are submitted through the Rutgers Application or the Common App. SAT and ACT scores are optional for Rutgers-New Brunswick undergraduate applicants (SAT code 2765, ACT code 2592); Rutgers maintains test-optional and test-blind policies through 2027. Application fee is paid online by credit card or by mailed check; fee waivers are accepted from the National School Lunch Program, military or veteran applicants, College Board, NACAC, ACT and EOF.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.rutgers.edu/apply

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