Southern Illinois University - Theater
Take center stage with theater at SIU!
Come with potential. We’ll take care of the polish.
By the time you graduate, you will have appeared in at least eight and as many as a dozen productions. That’s because you’ll start performing as a freshman.
In fact, we want you to audition for every SIU musical and play. Yep, every one. Talent isn’t just for upper classmen!
See what SIU can do for you
B.F.A. in Musical Theater
This nationally-accredited program includes eight semesters in singing, dancing and acting, yet has room for a minor. Learn from passionate professionals who know what it takes to make your dreams a reality!
It is common for musical theater majors to have performed in as many as 12 productions in four years, performing in not only musicals, but straight plays, operas, operettas, summer and student productions.
B.A. in Theater
In the Theater program, undergraduate students can earn a Bachelor of Arts in theater one of five specializations
- performance
- playwriting
- dramaturgy
- theatrical design
- technical production.
Courses cover topics including voice, movement, acting, directing, theater history, production design and technical theater in all dramatic genres.
M.F.A. in Theater
Earning a graduate degree in the Theater program at SIU offers extremely specialized, advanced training in one of six areas of study.
- directing
- playwriting
- costume
- lighting
- scenic design
- technical direction
Successful graduates receive hands-on, practical knowledge within their chosen field and become experts in their career paths throughout the three-year course.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the BA programs in the Theater program historically find successful careers in all areas of theater upon completing their degree at SIU. Touted as a gateway degree to the entertainment industry and with an almost 100% employment rate for technical design students, SIU opens the door to many successful career opportunities.
Careers include
- Theme Parks
- Renaissance Fairs
- Cruise Ships
- With the Disney Corporation
- Carnival Cruise Lines
- Broadway Theater
- The Muny in St. Louis
- Cirque de Soleil
- As Theater Promoters
- Concert Managers
- Stage Managers
- Educators in the field