Theatre is Best When it Incites and Excites
The Department of Theatre fosters a courageous, self-driven creative process working both within and outside of existing structures with a goal of using your art to create a pathway to success.
undergraduate experience
The MSU Department of Theatre offers you a personalized experience. We empower our students to think about a character from various vantage points, use technology to design and create new worlds, and examine the past in order to understand the present and influence the future.
graduate experience
Degree Areas
BACHELOR in Theatre
Bachelor of Fine Arts
The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre is designed for students wishing to prepare for a professional career in theatre and other media.
Master of Fine Arts
Masters of Fine Arts provided for in both Acting and Design. The programs aim to prepare students to be a professional design, artists and educators.
Minor In Theatre
In addition to preparing students for careers that are directly related to theatre, the minor will afford opportunities to expand creative, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
Minor In Musical Theatre
Students study musical theatre and its practical foundations; consisting of individually prescribed blocks of courses designed to provide a guided performance and academic experience tailored to each student’s career goals.
Minor in Dance
Students study dance and its practical applications. The minor consists of technique-based courses designed to provide a wide variety of skills in conjunction with practical leadership within the discipline.
Featured News
MSU Theatre Launches Food Pantry to Support Student Wellness
The Michigan State University Department of Theatre celebrated the opening of its new food pantry on Nov. 20 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Friends of Theatre Food Pantry will support Theatre students whose demanding schedules often limit their access to consistent meals, providing them with a private and reliable source of food during busy academic and production periods.
No Script, No Limits: Department of Theatre Presents ‘MSU UnScripted’
Get ready to laugh and shout because nothing is scripted! The Michigan State University Department of Theatre proudly presents “MSU UnScripted,” directed by Sarah Hendrickson, MSU Department of Theatre instructor, improviser, actress, and producer. The show runs Dec. 4-7, 2025, at Studio 60 Theatre in the MSU Auditorium building.
Moral Mayhem Meets Minimalist Theatre in ‘Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll and Hyde Play’
The Michigan State University Department of Theatre presents “Chemical Imbalance: A Jekyll and Hyde Play,” a twisted comedy by Lauren Wilson and directed by Associate
Theatre Prof Serves as Assistant Fight Director for Broadway Production
Alexis Black is always up for a good fight. And since February 2022 she has been choreographing stage combat for the Tony Award-nominated production of Macbeth…
MFA Candidate Receives National Kennedy Center Award for Theatre Design
Kasee Arnett, an MFA Design Candidate from Michigan State University, earned a spot to compete in the national competition in which she received the Distinguished Achievement Award…
MSU Researches a Neurodiverse Approach to Theatre Education
One of the first of its kind in the world, the Department of Theatre has produced a play that is written specifically for a neurodiverse audience …
Stage Management Student Works with Broadway Stars in NYC
From running rehearsals to communicating technical needs, stage managers, like Katie McArthur, work out the kinks of a production before and during its big debut….