Bachelor of Theatre Arts at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

The Bachelor of Theatre Arts (BTA) lets independent-thinking, entrepreneurial theatre-makers and arts managers design a course of study around their own interests. Its flexibility suits students who want a minor or second major elsewhere at the university.

Faculty: School of Music, Theatre & Dance  |  Department: Department of Theatre & Drama  |  Duration: Minimum 120 credits  |  Intake: Fall (application deadline December 1, 2026 for Fall 2027)  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Location: Ann Arbor, MI, United States

What you will study

Roughly half of the coursework is within SMTD and half may be taken in other U-M schools. SMTD coursework covers acting, design, script analysis, theatre history, literature and criticism, technical theatre, stage management and a professional development forum; electives include playwriting, performing arts management, global theatre and ethnic studies, theatre and social change and solo performance. Liberal arts requirements include First-Year Writing, upper-level writing and a Race & Ethnicity course, and students complete an Immersive Learning requirement (internship, fieldwork, study abroad or equivalent).

Career pathways

Graduates work across performing arts organizations and adjacent fields, from Broadway to regional theatres, in roles such as stage management, dramaturgy and arts management, and many go on to graduate study.

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