The B.A. program consists of a comprehensive study of acting, directing, design, music theatre, playwriting, stage management, theatre production, and dramatic theory, criticism, literature, and history. It involves hands-on participation in productions as an actor, designer, writer, technician, or stage manager. Auditions for all productions at UCI are open to undergraduates, and some productions are open exclusively to undergraduates. The B.A. program does not require an entrance audition.

There can be few subjects as broad or as fundamental to human civilization as those of Drama and Theatre. The B.A. in Drama is part of a larger education which includes close consideration of world history and politics; human psychology and desire; music, dance, literature and art; visual and aural aesthetics, and both ancient and contemporary technologies of communication. While Drama is rightfully considered an entertainment, it is an entertainment that begins with the greatest literature ever written – from the classics of Euripides, Shakespeare and Molière to modern Americans like Tennessee Williams, August Wilson and David Henry Hwang – as presented in the most sophisticated performance techniques from Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas developed over 3,000 years. And Theatre – the practice of Drama – is a hands-on collaboration that involves real-time interactions with other artists, and displaying the results to real-life audiences.

There currently is no audition required for admittance into the Drama major. Applicants to the drama major have the option of submitting an audition or portfolio based on their specialization. This supplemental portion is optional. 

All students must meet the University Requirements.

School Requirements: None.

Departmental Requirements for the Major in Drama

Sample Program for Freshmen

Honors in Drama Program

The Honors in Drama is a designation designed to recognize the generalist undergraduate Drama student, one who has chosen to focus on breadth in their education, as opposed to depth in one area. Such students are often ineligible to be considered for Honors in a specific area (Acting, Design, etc.), and the Honors in Drama designation is a recognition of the high quality of scholarship and work that the student has accomplished within the Department.

Eligibility requirements include: 1) at least one year in good standing as a Drama major; 2) anticipated graduation date within one year of application; 3) not currently receiving any other honors through the Drama Department; 4) completion of at least three upper-division courses, spanning at least three areas (acting, directing, design, stage management, music direction, dramaturgy, or literature/theory/criticism); 5) minimum overall GPA of at least 3.2, with a minimum GPA of 3.4 in all UCI Drama courses; 6) completed participation in at least five UCI Drama mainstage, director class projects, or faculty mentored productions as cast, designer, stage manager, dramaturg, crew chief, assistant director, assistant designer, or assistant stage manager (DRAMA 100, DRAMA 198, or DRAMA 199); 7) completion of four DRAMA 101 units.

Admission to the Honors in Drama program is competitive; only truly exceptional students (no more than 10 to 20 percent of those eligible) will be admitted to the program. To apply, a student must have a faculty recommender. Students may apply directly to the program, or faculty members may submit nominations. Completed applications and a resume, CV, dossier, or portfolio are due on the first day of spring quarter. After reviewing the application and resume, etc., faculty will vote on admissions to the honors program. A simple majority is required to make the award. In the event of a tie, the Drama Chair casts the deciding vote.

Criteria for admission include a demonstrated commitment and contributions to UCI Drama productions and scholarship that spans multiple areas of the Department, including acting, directing, design, stage management, music direction, dramaturgy, literature/theory/criticism, producing, technical production, and/or playwrighting. Students should have also demonstrated commitment and contributions to UCI Drama’s culture, including issues of leadership, diversity and mentorship.

Honors in Acting Program

Admission to the Honors in Acting Program requires both eligibility and a special audition. The eligibility requirements for sophomore-level transfer students and native UCI students are (1) at least one year in good standing as a UCI Drama major; (2) completion of DRAMA 130 or DRAMA 136 and at least one section of either DRAMA 135 or DRAMA 142, all at UCI; (3) honors students must possess and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.2, with a GPA of 3.4 or higher in all acting courses; (4) performance in at least three official UCI Drama productions; (5) completion of six units of DRAMA 101 (Production/Crew); and (6) completion of the eligibility form.

The eligibility requirements for junior-level transfer students are (1) one year in good standing as a UCI Drama major; (2) completion of DRAMA 130 or DRAMA 136 at UCI; (3) honors students must possess and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.2, with a GPA of 3.4 or higher in all acting courses; (4) completed performance in at least one official UCI Drama production; (5) completion of four units of DRAMA 101; and (6) completion of eligibility form.

A student’s audition will determine final admission to the Honors in Acting program. Only truly exceptional students, no more than 10 to 20 percent of those eligible, will be admitted. The Honors auditions, for eligible candidates only, are held at the end of fall quarter and by special arrangement. Auditions will consist of a standard presentation: one classical and one modern monologue, totaling no more than three minutes.

Honors in Acting Program students receive (1) the “Honors in Acting” notation on their official transcript at graduation; and (2) nomination and recommendation for national University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA) auditions. Honors in Acting students may also be eligible to join M.F.A. Acting students in on-campus auditions for professional theatres and attend M.F.A. Actors’ “Dynamics” classes.

Honors in Design/Technology Program

The Honors in Design/Technology Program provides the opportunity for Drama majors to concentrate on the study and practice of scenery, costume, lighting, sound design, or technology. Honors in Design/Technology students study basic and advanced design and production techniques, participate in classes with graduate design students, and may serve as an assistant to a graduate student or faculty designer, or design a production at UCI.

Eligibility requirements are (1) at least one year in good standing at UCI as a Drama major; (2) completion of DRAMA 50A, DRAMA 50B, DRAMA 50C, DRAMA 50D for Scenic or Costume designers; or completion of DRAMA 50C, DRAMA 50D and two of DRAMA 50A or DRAMA 50B for Sound or Lighting designers (3) completion of at least two courses selected from DRAMA 50E, upper-division studio courses (DRAMA 150–162, 167–169, 171, or 179), or graduate-level design courses, including at least one from the design area in which the student is applying for honors; (4) possess and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.2, with a GPA of 3.4 or higher in all design and production technique courses; (5) completion of four out of eight units of DRAMA 101 (Theatre Production); and (6) completion of the eligibility form.

Admission to the Honors in Design/Technology Program is competitive. Students may be admitted as early as the winter quarter of their sophomore year. Upon completion of eligibility requirements, the student will schedule an informal portfolio review with a member of the design faculty appropriate to the student’s specialty area(s).

Only truly exceptional students will be admitted to Honors in Design/Technology as determined by the Design faculty.

If the faculty mentor determines that the student is a good candidate for the Honors in Design/Technology Program, the mentor will present the student's portfolio to the Design Faculty. The Design Faculty, led by the Head of Design, will then decide if the student shall be admitted to the Honors in Design Program.

Honors in Design/Technology students receive (1) the “Honors in Design/Technology” notation on their official transcript at graduation; (2) an assistant designer assignment with a graduate student or faculty designer; (3) special consideration to design a budgeted and technically supported production; and (4) Honors in Design students may also receive nomination and recommendation for national University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA) interviews.

Honors in Design/Technology students are expected to maintain a high level of performance and commitment to their work and the Drama Department. Honors students meet with their faculty mentor at the beginning of every quarter to evaluate their progress and check that all grade, course, and production requirements are being satisfied.

Once admitted into the Honors in Design/Technology Program, students are expected to:

1. Maintain an overall GPA of a least 3.2, with a GPA of at least 3.4 in all design and production technique courses.
2. Remain in good standing as a Drama major.
3. Satisfy any provisional conditions for acceptance into the Honors in Design/Technology program.
4. Complete production assignments as assigned by the faculty mentor.
5. Continue to take at least two courses (as enumerated in the eligibility section) or independent studies per year, at least half of which must come from the area of design in which the student is applying for honors.
6. Complete any safety and auxiliary training commensurate with M.F.A. students in a particular discipline.
7. Maintain the Drama Department’s CORE values.

Should a student, having been previously admitted to the Honors in Design Program, fail to meet expectations, the Design Faculty will meet to evaluate the situation; the student may lose their Honors in Design status and have to re-apply to the Program.

For more information contact the Head of Design in Drama or Area Head of design discipline.

Honors in Directing Program

The Honors in Directing Program provides the opportunity for Drama majors to concentrate on the study and practice of stage direction. Honors in Directing students study basic and advanced directing techniques, participate in the directing studio classes with graduate Directing students, and direct two full plays in the Director Class Projects series. Honors students also have the opportunity to receive credit as the assistant director to a Drama Department main season show, or as a production internship with a professional theatre company.

Admission to the Honors in Directing Program is competitive. Candidates must first complete DRAMA 184 (Directing) and receive instructor approval to enroll in DRAMA 185 (Advanced Directing). Candidates must apply, as a director, for DRAMA 198 (Director Class Project) by submitting a proposal to direct a play in the Director Class Project. If the proposal is accepted, the candidate must declare to the Head of Directing that the production is to count as an audition for admission to the Honors in Directing Program. A committee of three Drama faculty members, including the Head of Directing, will then see and evaluate the production for clarity of interpretation, unity of style, strength of acting, and ensemble performance, and will examine the candidate’s self-evaluation and the evaluations of the director by members of the cast. The Head of Directing will inform the candidate of the committee’s decision as to whether or not the candidate is admitted to the Honors Program.

Undergraduate Drama majors can be admitted into the program as early as the winter quarter of their freshman year but no later than the spring quarter of their junior year. Faculty may admit students to the program retroactively if all the requirements for Directing Honors have been met by their final year, but only if a faculty committee of three has seen their workshops and agrees to admit the candidate.

To achieve the Honors in Directing distinction, students must fulfill all the courses required of the regular Drama major, with an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher. In addition, students must complete the following courses with a GPA of 3.4 or higher:

1. DRAMA 184 (Directing).
2. Two courses in DRAMA 185 (Advanced Directing). In this course, undergraduate Directing students present work in the Directing Laboratory along with graduate Directing students.
3. Two Director Class projects, one of which must be taken as DRAMA 198 (Director Class Project) with the candidate serving as director. The candidate must stage a second Director Class Project as DRAMA 199, for which a letter grade is earned.
4. Four additional units to be satisfied by any of the following: DRAMA 199 (as a summer internship, approved by the Head of Directing, with the candidate serving a professional theatre company as director, assistant director, or production assistant); DRAMA 199 (as a production/directing project for Playwright’s Workshop); DRAMA 100 (as assistant director to a faculty director); or DRAMA 199 (as assistant director to a graduate director’s thesis production).

Honors candidates meet with the Head of Directing at the beginning of every quarter to evaluate their progress and to check that all grade and course requirements are being satisfied. Successful graduating seniors will receive the “Honors in Directing” notation on their official transcript and will receive a nomination and recommendation for national University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA) interviews.

NOTE: All of the above courses are open to all students even though they may not qualify for the Honors Program.

Honors in Dramatic Literature, History, and Theory Program

The Honors in Dramatic Literature, History, and Theory Program is designed to challenge superior students beyond the scholarly requirements of the Drama major. It provides them with the opportunity to advance their knowledge of dramatic literature, history, and theory and to further develop their writing, analytical, and research skills. An additional purpose of the program is to better prepare students for graduate study in not only dramatic literature, history, and theory, but in all fields in the humanities and social sciences, as well as in law.

Eligibility requirements are (1) completion of DRAMA 40A, DRAMA 40B, DRAMA 40C and two courses selected from DRAMA 103–129 (for upper-division writing credit), or equivalents to these courses from other institutions; (2) possess and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.2, with a GPA of 3.4 or higher in all dramatic literature, history, and theory courses; and (3) completion of the eligibility form.

Admission to the Honors in Dramatic Literature, History, and Theory Program is competitive. Students must apply to the program prior to the spring quarter of their junior year. Upon completion of eligibility requirements, applicants must submit at least two critical essays, most likely written previously for courses, totaling no more than 30 pages. These essays will be used by the Honors Committee (comprised of the Head of Dramatic Literature, History, and Theory and two additional members of the Drama faculty) to determine admission. Only truly exceptional students (no more than 10 to 20 percent of those eligible) will be admitted.

Beyond fulfilling the regular requirements of the Drama major, honors students must take three additional upper-division courses in dramatic literature, history, and/or theory, one of which must be focused on theory. Upper-division courses in other departments may be used to fulfill these requirements, as long as the Honors Committee approves them.

Honors students must also write an honors thesis, a 30–40 page research paper written under the supervision of a faculty member on a topic chosen by the student. In consultation with the student, the adviser for this project is selected before the end of the fall quarter of the student’s senior year. Students develop their projects until the spring quarter when they enter the writing phase. It is only during the spring quarter that students achieve full course credit for their work on the thesis, in the form of an independent study course with their advisor. This independent study is the final course of the program.

Successful graduating seniors will receive the “Honors in Dramatic Literature, History, and Theory” notation on their official transcript.

Honors in Music Theatre

Successful graduating seniors in both the B.A. in Drama and the B.F.A. in Music Theatre can achieve Honors in Music Theatre. An overall GPA of 3.2 or higher is required along with an overall GPA of 3.4 in all music theatre courses. B.F.A. students need to complete all course work listed under “Departmental Requirements for the B.F.A. Major” while B.A. students need to complete the following additional music theatre courses:

A. Complete the following:
DRAMA 142	Music Theatre Workshop II
DRAMA 143A- 143B- 143C	Music Theatre Workshop III and Music Theatre Workshop III and Music Theatre Workshop III
DRAMA 145	Music Theatre Singing (taken three times)
DRAMA 146	NYSP-Preparation
DRAMA 148A- 148B	History of American Musical Theatre and History of American Musical Theatre
DRAMA 149	Music Proficiency for Actors
DRAMA 176	Script and Score
DRAMA 190	NYSP-Acting
DRAMA 191	NYSP - Dance
DRAMA 192	NYSP - Singing
DRAMA 193	NYSP - Performance
DRAMA 194	NYSP-UCI Residency
Two ballet classes in Dance.
One tap class in Dance.
One jazz class in Dance.
B. Select one of the following in any combination:
DRAMA 182A- 182B	Dance Technique, Level I and Dance Technique, Level I
DRAMA 183A- 183B	Dance Technique, Level II and Dance Technique, Level II

At graduation, successful Honors students receive the “Honors in Music Theatre” notation on their transcripts.

Honors in Stage Management Program

The Honors in Stage Management Program provides the opportunity for Drama majors to concentrate on the study and practice of stage management. Honors students study basic and advanced stage management techniques, participate in classes with graduate stage managers, work as assistant stage managers with the graduate stage managers on graduate student-directed and faculty-directed productions, and stage manage a graduate student-directed or faculty-directed production at UCI.

Eligibility requirements are (1) minimum one year in good standing at UCI as a Drama major; (2) completion of three of the following: DRAMA 50A, DRAMA 50B, DRAMA 50C, DRAMA 50D or equivalent courses; (3) completion of DRAMA 50E; (4) possess and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.2, with a GPA of 3.4 or higher in all stage management and production courses; (5) completion of eight units of Drama 101 (Theatre Production); and (6) completion of the eligibility form.

Admission to the Honors in Stage Management Program is competitive. Students may be admitted as early as the winter quarter of their sophomore year but no later than the spring quarter of their junior year. Only truly exceptional students (no more than 10 to 20 percent of those eligible) will be admitted to the program as determined by the Honors Committee. Upon completion of eligibility requirements, the student will submit to the Honors Committee: (1) two prompt books; (2) a resume including all stage management and production experience; (3) letters of reference from two directors with whom the student has worked; and (4) a written paper on the subject of stage management.

Students receive the “Honors in Stage Management” notation on their final transcript; nomination and recommendation for national University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA) interviews; assistant stage manager assignments working with graduate stage managers; and a stage management assignment on a graduate student-directed or faculty-directed production.

Honors candidates meet with the Head of Stage Management at the beginning of every quarter to evaluate their progress.

Graduates from the Department of Drama perform, stage manage, or design on Broadway, in national tours, regional and summer theatres, in films and on television. UC Irvine's Drama alumni serve as artistic directors, business managers, designers, art directors, and performers at more than 100 theatre companies, and are faculty at more than 75 institutions of higher learning.

A degree in Drama may or may not lead to professional employment in theatre or film. While some alumni may pursue careers as professional theatre artists, many may use the skills learned from their degree and embark upon careers in law, business, arts management, advertising, and teaching. Others may pursue further study at UC Irvine or other notable institutions.