Bachelor of Arts in Drama Degree Program Guide

BA Drama degree guide header image

There's a rush you get from live theatre and it's pulsing through your veins. Whether you're waiting in the wings for your entrance, calling cues on the headset or watching, perched on the edge of your seat - you feel a magnetic charge in the air. If you love creating theatre, the BA (Bachelor of Arts) Drama program is for you!

Throughout this four-year degree program, you will combine theory and practice while engaging in the many aspects of the theatrical process. The flexibility of the BA program will allow you to build your own degree, and concentrate your theatre courses in the areas that most interest you. The BA Drama program here at UAlberta has a strong focus on performer-created theatre. That means we emphasize the creation of theatre, as well as the interpretation of theatre. It's the difference between performing a script that was written by someone else or performing a work that was born out of one's own creative process.

Academic Requirements for BA Drama Majors

General Requirements and Information
  • The minimum Faculty requirement for a major concentration is 6 units (2 courses) at the 400-level. However, students wishing to concentrate in Drama are required to complete an additional 3 units at the 400-level or above to fulfill the departmental requirement, for a total of a minimum of 9 units (3 courses) at the 400-level or above
Course Requirements
  • DRAMA 103 - Critical Analysis of Playtexts
  • DRAMA 150 - Making and Performing Theatre
  • Minimum of 30 units and a maximum of 48 units (at least 9 units of which must be at the 400-level or above), including: 
    • DRAMA 203 - Performance Analysis
    • DRAMA 208 - Theatre History I
    • DRAMA 257 - Scene Study I
    • DRAMA 279 - Introduction to Theatre Production
    • DRAMA 308 - Theatre History II: Modern Theatre.
  • 3 units from your choice of:
    • DRAMA 306 - Historical Approaches to Western Dramatic and Theatrical Theories
    • DRAMA 327 - Community-Based Theatre
    • DRAMA 406 - Contemporary Approaches to Dramatic and Theatrical Theories
    • DRAMA 409 - Contemporary Theatre.
  • 3 units from your choice of:
    • DRAMA 302 - Modern Canadian Theatre
    • DRAMA 312 - Indigenous Theatre in Canada
Additional Notes
  • DRAMA 203, DRAMA 208, DRAMA 257, and DRAMA 279 should be taken in the second year
  • Further courses are available in acting, community-based theatre, design, directing, dramatic and theatrical theory, improvisation, movement, oral communication, performer-created theatre, playwriting, production and performance, technical theatre, and theatre history
  • Students may select Drama options to obtain broad exposure to theatre or may focus on specific areas of interest

Academic Requirements for BA Drama Minors

Minor Requirements
  • A minor in Drama requires at least 12 units at the senior level, of which 6 units must be at the 300-level or above
  • Students interested in a minor in Drama should take the following courses as their Group 1 Breadth and Diversity Requirement of their Bachelor of Arts program:
    • DRAMA 102 - Play Analysis
    • DRAMA 149 - Theatre Making for Everyone

The University of Alberta Calendar will always contain the most up-to-date degree requirements for your program, and your requirements are determined by the calendar year you were admitted in.

What kinds of courses can BA Drama students take?

  • DRAMA 101 - Introduction to Theatre Art
  • DRAMA 102 - Play Analysis
  • DRAMA 149 - Theatre Making for Everyone
  • DRAMA 203 - Performance Analysis
  • DRAMA 240 - Voice for Performance
  • DRAMA 279 - Introduction to Theatre Production
  • DRAMA 302 - Modern Canadian Theatre
  • DRAMA 312 - Indigenous Theatre in Canada
  • DRAMA 331 - Movement and Physical Theatre
  • DRAMA 452 - Solo Performance
  • DRAMA 453 - Physical Comedy

What kinds of careers can you pursue with a BA Drama degree?

There are many different fields and career paths that students can pursue with a BA Drama degree. From performing arts to production management, graduates are equipped with project management, public speaking and creative thinking skills to name a few, that are assets in today’s job market. Although there is a list of career options below, it is important to understand that careers are not linear. Intentionally engaging in a variety of activities and following your curiosities will open new opportunities that you might not have expected. To learn more about how you can put your Arts degree to work, stop by the HUB Career Centre (8917 HUB Mall) for more information.

  • Actor
  • Director
  • Playwright/Screenwriter
  • Voice Actor
  • Stage Manager
  • Light and Sound Designer
  • Set Designer
  • Arts Administrator
  • Educator (Professor, Secondary or Primary)
  • Arts Journalist & Critic
  • Public Relations Specialist
  • Workshop Facilitator
  • Cultural Programmer
  • +More!

Interested in gaining work experience related to your career goals? If so, apply to Arts Work Experience to gain full-time, PAID, work experience before you graduate!

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