Acting – UCLA School of TFT

Required Courses

  • 205ABC: Background of Theatrical Art
  • 420ABC: Advanced Acting I
  • 421ABC: Advanced Acting II
  • 422: Advanced Acting for Theater, Film and Television
  • 424ABC: Advanced Voice and Speech I
  • 424DEF: Advanced Voice and Speech II
  • 425ABC: Advanced Movement I
  • 425DEF: Advanced Movement II
  • 472: Production Practice in Theater, Film, Video and Digital Media

Degree Requirements

Students are required to enroll in a minimum of twelve units per quarter. Required courses will be scheduled to permit completion of the program within a three-year period. In addition to the successful completion of a minimum of 94 units or 23.5 courses, candidates for the degree must pass a comprehensive examination, including critical evaluation of production projects which culminate in a manner to show professional competence in the field.

A minimum of 82 units or 20.5 courses at the graduate level are required. A maximum of 12 undergraduate units may be counted toward the degree. A maximum of 12 units of 596 courses may be counted toward the degree.

The Master of Fine Arts degree is awarded on the basis of successful completion of the required courses and critical evaluation of student work. The Department expects consistent progress as well as attainment of professional skills. These and other factors will also influence the Department’s allocation of production resources including the number, scale, and scheduling of projects and productions.

The Theater M.F.A. in Acting is a three year program taught by nationally recognized teachers of acting, voice, speech, movement, and dance, as well as professional directors in theater, film and television. The training combines classroom study with intensive studio training and is eclectic and not rooted in any one methodology or dogma. The goal of the training is to help each actor find the methods of working best suited to his or her individual talents and to give actors the opportunity to acquire the skills and techniques needed for working in all kinds of theater, all styles and genres of plays, and in front of the camera in television and film. Practical production experience is an integral part of the training during the entire three years; in the final year, students present an actor’s showcase for the entertainment community in Los Angeles.