Acting Schools in Atlanta, Georgia with Degree Program Overviews
Higher Education Articles March 1, 2013Within twenty-four miles of Atlanta, there are five schools that offer theater and acting degree programs. In this article, students will get an overview of three programs, admission information and requirements along with finding out the school with the right fit.
Atlanta Acting Schools Comparison
Students who want to study acting have several options within the Atlanta area. Students that decide to attend Clayton State University will have the opportunity to work with local theater and drama institutions along with developing their acting skills. Emory University is home to Theater Emory, which is a resident company and teaches acting students through various activities. Emory University educational process includes productions, tutorials, and labs. Theater degree program with different concentration is offered at Kennesaw State University. There are several performance venues at the school.
| Kennesaw State University | Emory University | Clayton State University | |
| Acting Programs | Bachelor of Arts – Theatre and Performance Studies Musical Theatre or Performance Studies | Bachelor of Arts – Theatre Studies Minor in Theatre Studies | Bachelor of Arts – Theater Minor in Theatre |
| Related Programs | Bachelor of Music – Performance Bachelor of Arts – Dance | Bachelor of Arts – Playwriting or Dance and Movement | Bachelor of Arts – Communication and Media Studies |
| Type of School | Public, four-year | Private, four-year | Public, four-year |
| Student Enrollments | 24,175 | 13,893 | 6,860 |
| Campus Setting | Large Suburb | Large Suburb | Large Suburb |
| Tuition and Fees | $14,916 (out-of-state), $5,340 (in-state) | $41,164 | $14,216 (out-of-state), $4,926 (in-state) |
| Financial Aid Percentage | 89% | 63% | 90% |
| Acceptance Rate | 64% | 29% | 39% |
| Retention Rate | 63% (part-time), 77% (full-time) | 96% (full-time) | 64% (part-time), 67% (full-time) |
| Graduation Rate | 41% (20% transfer-out rate) | 88% | 26% (27% transfer-out rate) |
| Relevant Resources | There are technology labs, visual arts resources center, performing arts library, two theaters, and performance center available to students | Theater Emory is available to students who want to collaborate with faculty members and professional performers | Students will have the opportunity to network with industry professionals through the Department |
| Noteworthy | The National Association of Schools of Theater (NAST) accredits the degree programs | Honors programs, study-abroad programs, student clubs, and internships are available to students | Student-centered classical and new productions |
| Distance From Downtown | 24.2 miles (31 minutes) | 5.8 miles (16 minutes) | 17.7. miles (25 minutes) |
Clayton State University Degree Programs
Clayton State University’s theatre department provides opportunities for students to participate in productions and drama pieces along with instruction from industry professionals. Notable faculty members include a six-year veteran from Walt Disney World Resort, playwright for Alliance Theater, and a twenty-year veteran in professional theatre.
Bachelor of Arts – Theatre
Both specialized and foundational topics in theatre are covered by the bachelor degree program at this school where the acting, interpreting and communication skills of students are developed. Several required courses such as intro to acting, acting styles, stagecraft, and play development. Students may select several electives and related upper-division courses, including visual arts, Shakespeare, improvisation for theatre, and acting for the camera. Students are encouraged by the department to minor in other field of study.
Minor in Theatre
Students are required to take a minimum of eighteen credit hours of theatre courses, if they want to minor in theatre. Required courses include intro to acting, theatre appreciation, and directing. Students will have to take three upper-division theatre electives to complete the minor.
Emory University Degree Programs
Students in all areas of study are encouraged to take electives and courses in the dance programs and theater studies. Along with several performances Theater Emory produces, students will be able to participate in their own theater projects. Many students who are in the theater program double major in another program. Emory’s theater program students have interned at numerous companies within the Atlanta area, and several students have completed their internships in New York and Los Angeles.
Bachelor of Arts – Theater Studies
Auditions are not required to be completed by students who want to enroll into this program, where thirty credit hours of core coursework are required. Subject areas include stagecraft, reading for performance, theater history and aesthetics and criticism. Multiple acting courses can be chosen such as speeches and monologues for acting, acting scene work, acting fundamentals and basic acting.
Minor in Theater Studies
Twenty-two credit hours are required to be completed by students for this minor program, which has coursework in reading for performance, stagecraft and acting, apart from a theater colloquia and a theater practicum. Two electives in upper-division theater topics should be taken by aspiring actors.
Kennesaw State University Degree Programs
The bachelor degree program is offered at this school with a concentration in acting, and students can select various courses in history, theory, performance studies and theatre. An applied sequence and a senior seminar are required to be completed by all theatre students.
Bachelor of Arts – Theatre and Performance Studies (Acting Concentration)
Required lower-division courses include performance studies, principles of acting and stagecraft. The acting concentration enables students to take courses in acting styles, intermediate acting, and acting for the camera. Near the end of the program, students will need to complete a professional/applied sequence that may involve additional hands-on learning experience, service-learning projects, internships, and international study opportunities.
Other School Options
Drama and acting courses are available at Spelman College, which is located 2.2 miles from downtown Atlanta, and this is a women’s college. Morehouse College offers a drama program and located 2.2 miles from downtown.
