Visual and Performing Arts
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Covers major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions.
Inside the major
Programs within this field
Colleges may offer this field under 11 more specific program names. The program you choose affects the courses you take.
- Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General
- Focuses on the general study of dramatic works and their performance. Covers major works of dramatic literature, dramatic styles and types, and the principles of organizing and producing full live or filmed productions.
- Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
- Prepares you to apply artistic, technical and dramatic principles and techniques to the communication of dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through technical theatre methods. Covers set design, lighting design, sound effects, theatre acoustics, scene painting, property management, costume design, and technical direction and production and use of computer applications to support these functions.
- Playwriting and Screenwriting
- Focuses on the principles and techniques for communicating dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the composition of creative written works for the theatre, film, and/or television. Covers creative writing craft, scene writing, script development, stage and/or camera instructions, line and moment analysis, script reading, script editing, and the creation of full productions.
- Theatre Literature, History and Criticism
- Focuses on the study of the history, literature, theory, and analysis of written plays, theatrical productions, and theatre methods and organization. Covers historical method; critical theory; literary analysis; the study of themes and archetypes in dramatic literature; the history of acting, directing, and technical theatre; and the study of specific historical and cultural styles and traditions.
- Acting
- Prepares you to communicate dramatic information, ideas, moods, and feelings through the achievement of naturalistic and believable behavior in imaginary circumstances. Covers voice and acting speech, stage dialects, movement, improvisation, acting styles, theatre history, script interpretation, and actor coaching.
- Directing and Theatrical Production
- Prepares you to manage the planning, design, preparation, and production of plays and other theatrical entertainment programs. Covers theatrical design, program management, dramatic production, rehearsal management, personnel management and casting, actor coaching, directing concepts and techniques, theater history, scene work, script interpretation, business management, marketing, public relations, and communications skills.
- Musical Theatre
- Focuses on the principles and techniques for integrating theatre, music, and dance into a unified production. Covers acting, dance, voice, technical theater, musical genres, piano, and history of musical theater.
- Costume Design
- Prepares you to design and select costumes for characters in theatre and the performing arts and to serve as part of a production team. Covers costume design, script analysis, theory and criticism, period styles, history of costume, stage makeup, rendering, and costume construction.
- Comedy Writing and Performance
- Focuses on the historical, cultural, and theoretical dimensions of comedy as an art form, and the writing, performance, and production of comedy. Covers comedic storytelling, comedy production, comedy writing, history of comedy, improvisation, and sketch writing.
- Theatre and Dance
- Study that focuses on integrating the studies of dance and theatre arts to provide perspectives in all facets of production, performance, and critical engagement. Covers acting, aesthetics, choreography, costume design, criticism, dance, improvisation, music analysis, playwriting, theatre performance history, scene design, stage lighting, and technical theatre.
Also called Scene Painting
Also called Dramatic Writing, Writing for Screen and Television
Also called Comedic Arts, Comedy Studies
Where it can lead
Careers this field can lead to
Explore related careers, starting with the closest connections and the occupations hiring the most people.
Growing with the economy
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $78,620
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.2%
- Job openings a year
- 8,000
To get hiredMaster's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyProducers and Directors
- Median pay
- $90,360
- Hiring change through 2035
- 4.0%
- Job openings a year
- 12,100
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Holding steadyActors
- Median pay
- —
- Hiring change through 2035
- 0.0%
- Job openings a year
- 6,300
To get hiredSome college, no degree
Explore this career ShrinkingWriters and Authors
- Median pay
- $76,910
- Hiring change through 2035
- −0.3%
- Job openings a year
- 11,900
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyEntertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other
- Median pay
- —
- Hiring change through 2035
- 4.7%
- Job openings a year
- 4,500
To get hiredNo formal educational credential
Explore this career Growing slowlyMusicians and Singers
- Median pay
- —
- Hiring change through 2035
- 0.3%
- Job openings a year
- 17,400
To get hiredNo formal educational credential
Explore this career Growing with the economyDancers
- Median pay
- —
- Hiring change through 2035
- 2.2%
- Job openings a year
- 1,600
To get hiredNo formal educational credential
Explore this career Growing slowlyMusic Directors and Composers
- Median pay
- $73,710
- Hiring change through 2035
- 1.2%
- Job openings a year
- 4,200
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing slowlyFashion Designers
- Median pay
- $80,960
- Hiring change through 2035
- 0.1%
- Job openings a year
- 2,500
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing slowlySet and Exhibit Designers
- Median pay
- $75,240
- Hiring change through 2035
- 1.4%
- Job openings a year
- 2,200
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Growing with the economyChoreographers
- Median pay
- $55,310
- Hiring change through 2035
- 3.1%
- Job openings a year
- 600
To get hiredHigh school diploma or equivalent
Explore this career GrowingCostume Attendants
- Median pay
- $50,400
- Hiring change through 2035
- 5.9%
- Job openings a year
- 1,700
To get hiredHigh school diploma or equivalent
Explore this careerAll work is projected to grow 3.5% between 2025 and 2035; read every hiring-change figure against it. The figures beside each career are the pay of that work, across everyone doing it. Graduates of this field earn $22,293 one year after completing the program, which is the start of a career rather than the shape of one.
Working style
How and where the work happens
Related careers can feel very different from one another. Compare the specific occupations to understand the work each one involves.
38%of related openings involve substantial in-person or active work
This field leads to a mix of in-person and computer-based work. About 38 of every 100 openings require working close to other people or spending time on your feet.
College options
Where to study it
Ordered by how many degrees each college awards in this field. Sort by any numbered column.
| College | Degrees a year | Earnings, first year out | Admit rate | Average annual cost after aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York University NY | 421 | $25,246 | 9% | $17,000 |
| American Musical and Dramatic Academy NY | 225 | $19,784 | 25% | $44,000 |
| Savannah College of Art and Design GA | 220 | $17,738 | 84% | $49,000 |
| Texas State University TX | 168 | $28,428 | 89% | $14,000 |
| University of Southern California CA | 150 | $24,981 | 10% | $20,000 |
| Columbia College Chicago IL | 140 | $20,854 | 91% | $26,000 |
| SUNY at Purchase College NY | 139 | $25,288 | 73% | $20,000 |
| Loyola Marymount University CA | 121 | $23,556 | 40% | $34,000 |
| Chapman University CA | 105 | $24,756 | 56% | $34,000 |
| Emerson College MA | 102 | $22,766 | 47% | $42,000 |
| DePaul University IL | 100 | $24,597 | 74% | $29,000 |
| California State University-Fullerton CA | 99 | $26,021 | 87% | $6,000 |
| University of California-Irvine CA | 96 | $22,367 | 26% | $12,000 |
| Northwestern University IL | 89 | $23,935 | 7% | $8,000 |
| University of Central Florida FL | 82 | $18,545 | 40% | $10,000 |
| California State University-Long Beach CA | 80 | $20,025 | 47% | $10,000 |
| Florida State University FL | 75 | $20,070 | 25% | $10,000 |
| Ball State University IN | 72 | $21,326 | 72% | $14,000 |
| The New School NY | 70 | $19,990 | 63% | $56,000 |
| Temple University PA | 70 | $18,590 | 83% | $27,000 |
| Berklee College of Music MA | 69 | — | 50% | $48,000 |
| Montclair State University NJ | 68 | $21,829 | 87% | $16,000 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro NC | 65 | $23,034 | 90% | $12,000 |
| Carnegie Mellon University PA | 64 | $26,994 | 11% | $14,000 |
| University of California-Los Angeles CA | 63 | $25,076 | 9% | $10,000 |
| University of California-San Diego CA | 63 | $19,321 | 25% | $10,000 |
| Long Island University NY | 63 | — | 90% | $25,000 |
| James Madison University VA | 63 | $22,508 | 76% | $16,000 |
| University of Notre Dame IN | 61 | $41,882 | 12% | $11,000 |
| Syracuse University NY | 61 | $21,187 | 42% | $21,000 |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus OH | 61 | $27,520 | 88% | $22,000 |
| Pace University NY | 59 | $22,575 | 77% | $28,000 |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX | 57 | $24,559 | 29% | $17,000 |
| Illinois State University IL | 56 | $23,472 | 89% | $16,000 |
| University of Iowa IA | 55 | $25,923 | 85% | $20,000 |
| Ithaca College NY | 55 | $22,736 | 70% | $29,000 |
| Kent State University at Kent OH | 55 | $22,889 | 87% | $17,000 |
| University of Florida FL | 54 | $22,293 | 24% | $7,000 |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI | 54 | $24,105 | 18% | $5,000 |
| SUNY at Fredonia NY | 54 | $24,263 | 79% | $16,000 |