Professional, Conservatory-style Training
Our acting bachelor’s degree program prepares you to reach the top of the profession. Hundreds of UNC alumni have gone on to successful acting careers, performing in Broadway plays, Hollywood features, sitcoms, national theater tours, web series and more. With a wealth of performing opportunities, exceptional faculty and superior one-on-one instruction, our acting program has earned national recognition for excellence.
Our theatre program stages more than 30 productions a year and you can land roles beginning in your freshman year. You’ll work in small classes that promote strong relationships with faculty and perform in professional venues with professional-caliber lighting, sound, sets and costumes. The entertainment industry looks to UNC for new, up-and-coming performers. We’ll help you get the most out of your talent—and put you in position to get noticed.
Degree Option
Acting
UNC has a highly competitive acting program that recruits nationally. Admission is by audition only. You’ll learn advanced acting techniques for both stage and camera, with opportunities to explore drama, comedy, musical theatre, improvisation and other genres. The program includes courses in voice, movement, singing, ensemble acting and audition techniques. For audition and application information, contact the School of Theatre Arts and Dance.
audition and application information
Related Programs
Your Future in Acting
UNC’s acting program includes many types of support to help you make the transition into a professional acting career. You’ll work with faculty who have years of industry experience and national connections. UNC stages an annual Los Angeles showcase that’s well attended by agents, casting directors and other film and TV industry reps. You can attend summer workshops at the internationally renowned New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, or perform alongside professional actors in UNC’s own highly regarded summer stock company, the Little Theatre of the Rockies.
Consider UNC's B.F.A. in Acting if you want to:
- Make a living as a professional actor
- Compete for roles in Broadway or Hollywood productions
- Explore a wide range of acting genres
- Get intensive, one-on-one instruction and coaching
You’ll learn:
- Acting techniques for stage and screen
- Performance skills for drama, comedy, musicals and other genres
- How to audition, network and promote yourself
- Individual and ensemble acting
Sample courses:
- Singing for Actors
- Scene Study
- Acting for the Camera
- Stage Movement
- Stage Speech and Dialects
- Audition Techniques
- Advanced Acting Styles
Beyond the Classroom
Acting opportunities abound at UNC. We stage more than 30 productions a year, providing you with a wealth of opportunities to gain performing experience. You can audition for roles during all four years, beginning in your first year. During the summer, you can work with theatre professionals from across the country at the Little Theatre of the Rockies, our premier summer stock company.
Where can your degree take you?
- Roles in major stage and screen productions
- Regional theatre and touring productions
- Acting for commercials
- Broadway plays
- International performing venues, including cruise ships, resorts and international tours
Alumni Spotlight
Beth Malone and Andy Kelso
In 2015 Beth Malone was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her work in the Broadway production of Fun Home. She also performed on the Tony's telecast.
Andy Kelso appeared in Kinky Boots on Broadway, covering Charlie Price, one of two leading male roles, from Aug. 27-Sept. 3 and appeared on the original cast album of the musical. He also performed as part of the casts of Motown and Kinky Boots on the Tony Awards telecast on CBS and with the cast of the Broadway musical Motown as part of the annual PBS television special A Capitol Fourth Concert from Washington, D.C. For more about Andy, take a look at this article from Playbill.
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