College Life

Private Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• Yale University
• The Juilliard School
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Tisch School of the Arts
• Northwestern University

State Schools That Are Well Known for This Major

• University of North Carolina School of the Arts
• State University of New York—Purchase
• University of California—San Diego
• Rutgers University

Classes in the Major

Acting. For many people, the "drama" part of a drama degree is only there because they couldn't major in acting at their school. Luckily for those people, a general introduction to acting is pretty routine at most institutions. Here is where you'll learn the basics behind what it takes to make it big as an actor or actress—y'know, things like smiling when your character is supposed to be happy, or frowning when their dog dies.

Playwriting. Knowing that Saving Private Ryan is a great film is important, but knowing why it's great is just as important for a drama major. You'll study the writing end of things here, which means you should prepare to study a lot of Shakespeare. We hope you already have a good idea of who that is, because if not, you might have wandered into the wrong major.

Stage Lighting. To people outside the realm of theater, lighting might seem pretty insignificant, but to those who have put their time into understanding the stage, lighting is everything. A play with the same lighting for every scene is missing some major style points. Picture two characters speaking to each other, but then one has a monologue. A great way to get all of the audience's attention on that character is to put a spotlight on them and dim the surrounding lights. Tricks like these are all in a director's tool belt.

Scene Design. Creating a scene is much more than having two people yelling at each other and expecting the audience to understand why. Here, you'll learn how to develop a scene from beginning to end. You'll learn about staging, how to position props, and of course, how to set up the background for your characters.

Fundamentals of Directing. Even if all you've ever want to do is write plays or act in blockbuster films, learning the process for directing can help you along your journey. Being at the helm of a project (as directors usually are) can be both extremely stressful and rewarding. This is the person who has to bring everything together, and if the performance is a stinker, they'll most likely be blamed. A thick skin is one of the most important things to have as a director.