Acting Schools in New Jersey with Program and Class Information
Higher Education Articles March 4, 2013There are many acting classes for aspiring actors to select from in New Jersey. Two of New Jersey’s largest schools are Montclair State University and Rutgers University in New Brunswick that offers bachelor and master degree programs in acting. In this article, we will look at popular schools that offer programs with concentration in film studies and cinema production services.
Acting Programs at Rutgers University
This four-year public university that began operations in 1766 is one of the nation’s oldest schools and attracts close to 57,000 students from their three New Jersey campuses. The Masson Gross School of the Arts, housed at New Brunswick at the university’s largest campus, offers bachelor and master degree programs in acting.
Bachelor of Fine Arts – Acting
This four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts program prepares actors to work professionally in television, film, and theater. Course topics such as script analysis, diction, characterization, improvisation, dance, and theater history are taught by faculty members who are professional actors. During a student’s junior year, they are taught classical acting at Shakespeare Globe Theater that is located in London.
Master of Fine Arts – Acting
The Master of Fine Arts program offers advanced courses in speech, movement, and voice with an emphasis on technical mastery and creative development. Students enrolled in the program are also required to take part in a three-year residency program. Once the first semester of study has been completed, acting students perform in fifteen to eighteen productions of the Rutgers Theater Company. When the third year is over, top students in the program can participate in acting showcases. Showcases are held in Los Angeles and New York City and are attended by casting managers, agents, and directors.
Acting Program at Montclair State University
Montclair State University is a four-year public institution that is located in Montclair, New Jersey and attracts over 18,000 students annually to their undergraduate acting program offered by the Department of Theatre and Dance at the College of the Arts. Since Montclair State University is in the vicinity of Manhattan, students enrolled in the acting program will have the opportunity to be part of the local New York theater scene.
Bachelor of Fine Arts – Theater
Enrolled students can use this program’s coursework to launch their professional acting careers in film, theater or television. Course topics include camera techniques, improvisation, classical acting, character motivation, body movement and vocal styles. Additional courses cover the history of theater, dance and stage combat. Students who are enrolled in this program will participate in a diverse series of stage productions. Advanced students in the program will have the opportunity to perform for theatrical agents, casting directors and other theater professionals at the New York Senior Showcase.