Pair | Shape | Create
Pair your passion. Shape your future. Create careers that don't yet exist.
Where Can This Degree Take You?
The Theatre BA prepares you for careers that are as dynamic and interdisciplinary as your interests - grounded in rigorous training and expanded through real-world creative practice. Through the performing arts core, you’ll build skills in performance, production, stage management, design, arts leadership, collaboration, marketing, and entrepreneurship. These experiences come to life through opportunities for applied work across dance concerts, films, musicals, plays, and audio shows, where you can engage on stage and/or behind the scenes as an actor, choreographer, stage manager, designer, technician, and more.
You won’t just prepare for a career - you’ll build the skills to create one.
Acting, directing, choreography, design, stage management, filmmaking, voiceover, producing, dramaturgy, and new work development
Arts management, nonprofit leadership, community arts organizations, business ownership, event production, marketing, fundraising, and creative entrepreneurship
Applied theatre, community-based arts programming, advocacy, cultural organizing, and leadership in community organizations
Drama therapy (with graduate study), somatics, wellness coaching, healthcare communication and curriculum, and community health initiatives
K-12 teaching (certification with pairing with education + additional field of study), arts integration, community education, or graduate study in theatre, performance studies, and related disciplines
Counseling, therapy, social work, mediation, leadership training, and communication-based professions
Law school pathways supported by skills in public speaking, storytelling, and critical analysis
The BA in Performing Arts – Theatre provides a broad foundation in performance, design and technical theatre, stage management, and production and prepares students for a wide variety of graduate and professional programs. Through interdisciplinary study and collaborative creative experiences, students develop strengths in communication, leadership, storytelling, critical thinking, project management, and teamwork.
Graduates can pursue advanced degrees in the following areas and other fields that value creativity, adaptability, and human-centered problem solving:
- Theatre
- Education
- Law
- Business
- Communications
- Psychology
- Public administration
- Arts administration
The degree's flexibility and interdisciplinary focus make it strong preparation for both creative and professional graduate programs.
Why Theatre BA in Performing Arts at Wichita State?
The BA in Performing Arts - Theatre is designed for students who want to explore the many creative possibilities of theatre while pursuing other academic and career interests. With flexibility to pursue a second major, minor, or certificate, students build a foundation in performance, design and technical theatre, stage management, and theatrical production while connecting theatre to a wide range of disciplines.
Apply your theatre training through productions, films, staged readings, audio productions, voice acting projects, community engagement experiences, and student-led creative work. Students may explore acting, directing, design and technical theatre, stage management, playwriting, and production while discovering how theatre intersects with fields such as business, communication, education, psychology, English, health sciences, and more.
The BA in Performing Arts - Theatre combines broad-based theatre training with interdisciplinary learning that prepares students for a variety of professional paths. Through coursework and creative experiences, students develop skills in collaboration, communication, community engagement, digital portfolio and website development, leadership, and creative problem-solving. The flexibility of the degree allows students to connect theatre practice with other academic interests and career goals.
Employers value professionals who can communicate effectively, collaborate with diverse teams, think creatively, and adapt to changing environments. Through theatre training and interdisciplinary study, students develop transferable skills in leadership, critical thinking, project management, storytelling, public speaking, and presentation. Graduates leave prepared to apply these skills across the arts, education, business, communication, nonprofit organizations, public service, and many other fields.
At Wichita State, the BA in Performing Arts - Theatre allows you to pair your passion for theatre with your broader academic and professional goals. Through interdisciplinary learning, creative exploration, and collaboration across the School of Performing Arts, you'll develop skills that prepare you for meaningful contributions in the arts and beyond.