Most theater education BA programs require a high school diploma and an associate's degree or its equivalent, as determined by the theater department's prerequisites. Some programs require a proven knowledge or background in acting, directing or stage production. Check with each school's theater department for individual requirements.
Some theater departments offer a theater education program that operates independently of the regular theater department; others incorporate aspects of both the theatrical and education programs. Other theater departments ask students to follow the curriculum of the regular theater program while completing an education program separately. Topics covered in a theater education program generally include the basics of production design and directing, scene staging, script development, theater history, modern American theater styles and dramatic studies.
New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development offers a bachelor's degree in theater education. The University of Utah offers a theater education degree, requiring students to complete both the university's standard theater program and a separate education certification. Emerson College's theater education program trains students in all aspects of theater, preparing them to teach from the kindergarten to 12th-grade levels. Other top BA theater education programs are offered at the State University of New York at Potsdam, the University of Arizona and the University of Central Florida Conservatory Theater.
Possible career options for a theater education graduate include becoming a high school drama teacher, college theater educator, regional theater instructor, drama historian or theater curator. The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics states that college-level theater educators earn $56,120 a year on average. Qualified theater educators often find jobs in costume, set and stage design, play direction and stage management.