Acting Colleges in Florida

Florida State University

• Established in 1851 in the state capital of Tallahassee, Florida State University is home to more than 38,000 undergraduate and graduate students. In 2010, U.S. News and World Report ranked the school 102nd among all universities in the United States. The college grants both a Bachelor of Arts degree in acting and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in musical theater. Both programs require an audition for admission.

  Students in the acting program take classes in technical theater, play analysis, design, production, theater management and theater history in addition to the required courses in acting. Undergraduate students in both programs have the opportunity to participate in a summer learning program in London, England. Each year, the university sponsors at least six productions, and acting students can also perform in student-produced laboratory shows throughout the year.

  Florida State also offers master's and doctoral degrees in acting and theater. Approximately 96 percent of freshmen and 81 percent of continuing students receive financial aid, according to the 2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges. Florida residents benefit from discounted tuition rates.

  Florida State University
  239 Fine Arts Building
  Tallahassee, FL 32306
  850-644-6200
  theatre.fsu.edu

Rollins College

• A private, nonsectarian institution with more than 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students, Rollins College is in Winter Park, a suburban community located five miles north of Orlando. U.S. News and World Report ranked the school the best university offering master's degree programs in the southern United States in 2010.

  The college's Bachelor's degree in Theatre offers a performance concentration that does not require auditions for enrollment. Students in the program take classes in acting, script analysis, dramatic literature, history of theatre and movement. All acting majors must complete a culminating senior project by performing a lead role in one of the university's nine productions; creating, producing or performing a solo or one-person performance; or creating a community-centered project related to acting and theater.

  Around 71 percent of students at Rollins benefit from some form of financial aid, explains the 2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges. The university offers a limited number of scholarships exclusively for theater students.

  Rollins College
  1000 Holt Avenue
  Winter Park, FL 32789
  407-646-2161
  rollins.edu

University of Miami

• Founded in 1925, the University of Miami is a private, nonsectarian college in Coral Gables, a suburban area six miles south of Miami. Home to more than 15,300, the college received the 50th-place ranking among all universities in the Untied States from U.S. News and World Report in 2010.

  The college offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in performance. Admission to the program is highly competitive, and an audition is mandatory for consideration. Students in the program take courses in acting, voice, speech and movement, and can also study singing, musical theater and dance. The college features an average class size of just 10 students in its performance courses.

  Each year, the university has accomplished actors and actresses visit the university for guest lectures and workshops. Past guests include Angela Lansbury, Jason Alexander, Richard Gere and Ray Liotta. Approximately 85 percent of all students at the University of Miami receive financial aid, reports the 2009 Barron's Profiles of American Colleges.

  University of Miami
  P.O. Box 248025
  Coral Gables, FL 33124
  305-284-4323
  miami.edu