Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Education – Initial Teacher Licensure Initial Program – Leads to Initial Teacher Licensure
Overview
Teach Theatre to K-12 Students
The Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Education degree, offered by the College of Fine Arts and Performance, is designed for students who are seeking a career teaching theatre to students in grades K-12. Completion of this theatre education program may help lead you to initial teacher licensure.
The theatre education degree is designed to train you as a theatre educator and theatre practitioner by blending both the theory and the practice of theatre education and performance and its related fields. In addition to regular classroom studies, students are encouraged to take part in the University Theatre Series in various capacities, including onstage and offstage disciplines, thus allowing them to explore the creative process from rehearsal to live performance. This global approach to theatre education training creates a graduate who is multifaceted and prepared to succeed in today's marketplace. Opportunities are provided to apply concepts, theories and research throughout the program.
All courses in the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Education degree are directly aligned with Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) principles. Programs leading to teacher certification may require practicum hours, state exams, student teaching and an institutional recommendation from GCU. Please note that an audition is required for acceptance into the theatre education program.
Degree Outcomes
Understand what Drives Performance and Learning
To become an effective theatre arts educator, you need a strong foundation of knowledge related to many areas of theatre arts, as well as skills related to teaching K-12 students. Assignments within many of the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Education courses guide you through observational and practice-based experiences. In addition, you have the opportunity to gain valuable skills, such as critical thinking, communication and ethical decision-making.
The final semester of the program includes a full-time student teaching component. These educational settings must be state-certified environments and mentor teachers must be fully certified. Students and applicants are responsible for contacting their state department of education for licensure requirements and program approval.
What You Will Learn
Combine Theatre Knowledge with Teaching
In this Bachelor of Arts program, you explore many areas of both the education and theatre worlds, including:
- Set and prop construction
- Advanced acting, including scene study and textual analysis
- The development of a character as an actor
- Methods of conducting a theatre program in junior and senior high schools
- Practical classroom experiences, research and analysis and teaching duties in a student teaching experience
Career Outcomes
Prepare to Teach K-12 Theatre Arts
In addition to completing a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Education degree, in order to teach you will also be required by your state to pass a teacher’s licensing or certification exam, which varies by state. The Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Education provides a comprehensive bachelor’s degree program that combines a theatre curricula and education program that includes student teaching, so you have the tools to teach K-12 students after you have passed your state certification exam. The skills that you learn can be valuable in many working situations, including in government offices, for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Course List
General Education Requirements
General Education coursework prepares Grand Canyon University graduates to think critically, communicate clearly, live responsibly in a diverse world, and thoughtfully integrate their faith and ethical convictions into all dimensions of life. These competencies, essential to an effective and satisfying life, are outlined in the General Education Learner Outcomes. General Education courses embody the breadth of human understanding and creativity contained in the liberal arts and sciences tradition. Students take an array of foundational knowledge courses that promote expanded knowledge, insight, and the outcomes identified in the University’s General Education Competencies. The knowledge and skills students acquire through these courses serve as a foundation for successful careers and lifelong journeys of growing understanding and wisdom.
Requirements
Upon completion of the Grand Canyon University's University Foundation experience, students will be able to demonstrate competency in the areas of academic skills and self-leadership. They will be able to articulate the range of resources available to assist them, explore career options related to their area of study, and have knowledge of Grand Canyon's community. Students will be able to demonstrate foundational academic success skills, explore GCU resources (CLA, Library, Career Center, ADA office, etc), articulate strategies of self-leadership and management and recognize opportunities to engage in the GCU community.
GCU Course Options
- UNV-103, University Success: 4 credits
- UNV-303, University Success: 4 credits
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to construct rhetorically effective communications appropriate to diverse audiences, purposes, and occasions (English composition, communication, critical reading, foreign language, sign language, etc.). Students are required to take 3 credits of English grammar or composition.
GCU Course Options
- ENG-105, English Composition I: 4 credits
- UNV-104, 21st Century Skills: Communication and Information Literacy: 4 credits
- ENG-106, English Composition II: 4 credits
- COM-263, Elements of Intercultural Communication: 4 credits
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to express aspects of Christian heritage and worldview. Students are required to take CWV-101/CWV-301.
GCU Course Options
- CWV-101, Christian Worldview: 4 credits
- CWV-301, Christian Worldview: 4 credits
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to use various analytic and problem-solving skills to examine, evaluate, and/or challenge ideas and arguments. Students are required to take 3 credits of college mathematics or higher.
GCU Course Options
- MAT-144, College Mathematics: 4 credits
Requirements
Graduates of Grand Canyon University will be able to demonstrate awareness and appreciation of and empathy for differences in arts and culture, values, experiences, historical perspectives, and other aspects of life (psychology, sociology, government, Christian studies, Bible, geography, anthropology, economics, political science, child and family studies, law, ethics, crosscultural studies, history, art, music, dance, theater, applied arts, literature, health, etc.). If the predefined course is a part of the major, students need to take an additional course.
GCU Course Options
- INT-244, World Religions: 4 credits
- PSY-100, Psychology in Everyday Life: 4 credits
- SOC-100, Everyday Sociology: 4 credits
Program Core Courses
Course Description
This course identifies principles of pantomime and dramatic action designed to establish the proper relationship of the voice to the body and its functions in the interpretation of character. It is designed to help develop physical presence and facility in the actor, vocalist, teacher, athlete, and other persons involved in public performance.
Course Description
This course is the study of set and prop construction. Practical application of construction techniques is gained through theatre productions.
Course Description
This is an advanced acting course emphasizing scene study and textual analysis, allowing students to concentrate on the method and technique of building a character. Prerequisite: TRE-145.
Course Description
This writing intensive course is an in-depth study of the history and development of theatre from early Greece to the English Restoration.
Course Description
This course is an introduction to scenography. Topics include scenic, lighting, costume, and makeup design, with an emphasis on drafting, modeling, and rendering. Students will have the opportunity to assist designers for the University’s Ethington Theatre Series.
Course Description
This course is a comprehensive study of the major periods and forms of dramatic literature dating from early Greece to the Restoration.
Course Description
Students study and utilize a variety of theatre technologies such as computer software, hardware, networking, multimedia, interactive media, and the Internet in order to foster inquiry, collaboration, and interaction in the classroom in order to meet the needs of a diverse student population.
Course Description
This writing intensive course is an in-depth study of the history and development of theatre from the 18th century through modern times.
Course Description
This course provides a thematically arranged study of the theories and principles of psychology that have influenced instructional practices. Behavioral and cognitive approaches to learning, motivation, and instruction are explored. Practicum/field experience hours: None. Fingerprint clearance not required.
Course Description
This course is a survey of Arizona history and government, as well as American government. It meets the teacher certification requirement for Arizona government and American government.
Course Description
This course educates the student in methods of teaching theatre in elementary school, secondary school, community college, and the university. It encompasses the basic objectives of theatre education and the components of excellence in teaching and art. Practicum/field experience hours: 10. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course explores an integrative arts model, using methods and assessments for teaching theatre and dance in elementary curriculum. Lesson planning and curriculum design are tied to state standards for theatre and dance education. Practicum/field experience hours: 20. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course presents the historical, legal, theoretical, and sociological foundations of programs of instruction for English language learners. It includes an examination of the role of culture in learning and instructional program models, with a focus on Structured English Immersion. Teacher candidates are instructed in immersion strategies and the use of assessment data. Practicum/field experience hours: 10. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course is a comprehensive study of the major periods and forms of dramatic literature dating from the Restoration to the present.
Course Description
This course concerns the art of designing lighting and scenery for the theatre. Students will actively participate in designing Grand Canyon University Theatre productions and classroom projects. Prerequisites: TRE-130 and TRE-245.
Course Description
This course is a study of theories and techniques for interpreting and directing plays through lectures and demonstrations. Students are required to participate in laboratory projects in directing one-acts or scenes from full-length plays. Prerequisites: TRE-253 and TRE-335 or TRE-339.
Course Description
In this course, teacher candidates continue to examine the fundamentals of the legal, historical, and educational foundations of Structured English Immersion and other instructional programs for English language learners. Theoretical principles of language acquisition and the role of culture in learning are examined. Methods of assessment are identified and analyzed. Teacher candidates identify strategies to promote English language development and improve student achievement. They plan, deliver, and evaluate instruction for English language learners. Practicum/field experience hours: 15. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
Students study the historical, philosophical, and sociological influences that have shaped theatre and theatre education and the issues faced by educators today, as well as the challenges of the future that await persons now entering the teaching profession. The course also examines the unique learning needs of exceptional students. Emphasis is placed on definitions, etiology, characteristics, and prevalence of various exceptionalities; laws, and litigation protecting the rights of students with special needs and their families; current issues affecting persons with special needs; social perceptions, assessment, inclusion, and transition; and basic curriculum accommodations and supportive services for teaching students with special needs in the theatre classroom. Practicum/field experience hours: 15. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course is a study of methods for developing and conducting the theatre program in junior and senior high schools. Methods, materials, topics, and issues in theatre education are used to prepare theatre education majors to enter the teaching profession. Practicum/field experience hours: 30. Fingerprint clearance required.
Course Description
This course consists of a K-12 classroom-based student teaching experience. The teacher candidate is assigned an approved school with a certified cooperating teacher, a university supervisor, and a student teaching course instructor. The course includes practical classroom experiences, research and analysis, and teaching duties that support the compilation and creation of a Teacher Work Sample (TWS). Prerequisites: Fingerprint Clearance; successful completion of all courses in program of study and content area; senior status; a 2.8 GPA; successful completion of state mandated basic skills and content area exams or Praxis I® (Basic Skills) and Praxis II® (Content Area); Arizona residents are required to take the Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments. All paperwork for student teaching must be submitted by the due date the semester prior to student teaching.
Faculty Bios
Program Locations
Campus
* The Department of Education defines how an institution must calculate a program's On-Time Completion rate for federal disclosure purposes. The On-Time Completion rate is based on a program’s published required number of months to complete all degree requirements as provided in the institution’s catalog. Completion statistics are updated every January and are based on the cohort of students who graduated between 7/1 – 6/30 of the preceding year. The On-Time Completion rate is determined by the number of students in the cohort who completed the program within the published program length divided by the number of students in the cohort who graduated.
On-campus program disclosures* Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Program subject to change.