Colleges That Have Acting in Los Angeles

University of California at Los Angeles

• UCLA provides more than 300 degree programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. Within the school's 419 acre campus is the School of Theater, Film and Television, where students can earn an MFA in acting, specifically. The program is an intensive, three-year course of study that prepares aspiring actors for "work in all styles of theater, television and film." Students are taught to express themselves using different parts of the body, through advanced courses in speech and movement. Students who wish to enter the program must first pass an audition, where they are excepted to show "promise, talent and dedication for the work."

  UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television
  102 East Melnitz Hall
  Los Angeles, CA 90095
  310-825-5761
  tft.ucla.edu

California Institute of the Arts

• California Institute of the Arts, commonly known as CalArts, is made up of five different schools, each focused solely on one aspect of the arts. One is the School of Theater, which offers a four-year BFA program and a three-year MFA program. The BFA program begins with a year of introductory acting courses, in which students develop their own style, followed by active participation in student theater collaborations. The MFA program, which is "very competitive," covers refined acting techniques, as well as an intense study of classical texts. Both programs also require students to take the Acting Studio for the Camera course, which teaches them the skills needed to excel on film sets.

  California Institute of the Arts
  24700 McBean Parkway
  Valencia, CA 91355
  661-255-1050
  theatercalarts.com

University of Southern California

• The University of Southern California, better known as USC, is famous for its top-notch film program; however, the school offers an MFA in acting as well. This three-year program takes a "rigorous" approach to training the voice and body to meet the demands of performance. Like CalArts, USC requires students to participate in courses that teach them how to act on camera. In the final year of the program, there are specialty courses, such as "Advanced Movement: Comedy," where students can develop their specific talents. With such a large film program at the same school, acting students have plenty of opportunity for collaboration.

  University of Southern California
  School of Theatre
  1029 Childs Way
  Los Angeles, California 90089
  213-821-2744
  theatre.usc.edu

Occidental College

• Occidental is a small, yet historic liberal arts college in Los Angeles. This well-rounded school is most famous for churning out political leaders, including Barack Obama and Jack Kemp, but it also has a theater program for students of acting. Although the program is for a BA in "theater," it teaches students proper technique for both the camera and the stage. The program even offers courses in theater and film production, including directing and set design, so that students can gain a complete perspective of the art.

  Occidental College
  600 Campus Road
  Los Angeles, CA 90041
  323-259-2500
  departments.oxy.edu