Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theatre Arts (Theatre Performance)

Stand in the limelight and let your voice be heard! With a BA in Theatre Performance, you will be instructed by industry professionals on how to let your inner light shine. A wide variety of coursework relies more on your efforts on the stage as well as in the classroom. Learn to build your knowledge while doing what you love with a degree in Theatre Performance!

Students who complete the Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre with a Technical Theatre emphasis are provided with the best available preparation for pursuing the craft of theatre. Enrollment in the Theatre Arts Technical area is designed to give students experience and training in theatre management, production, and organization. Those students with interests and abilities in directing, designing, construction, management, and playwriting will find opportunities for expression and growth.

The Theatre program offers students an opportunity for extensive and individualized instruction. Students obtain personalized instruction on state-of-the-art equipment in our fully-equipped Costume Shop, Scene Shop, and the rotating Little Theatre stage. In the department’s production organization, the Hampton Players and Company, students gain experience in every aspect of theatre, from box office operations to set construction. The faculty and students in the Theatre program hold memberships in and attend meetings at the Southeastern Theatre Conference, the National Association for Dramatics and Speech Arts, the Virginia Theatre Association, the American Theatre in Higher Education, and the United States Institute for Technical Theatre.

Study Abroad Opportunities

The Department of Music and Performing Arts has a history of travel abroad beginning in the early 1900s. Under the direction of Robert Nathaniel Dett, who served at Hampton from 1913 to 1932 and is credited with establishing the Department of Music and Performing Arts and was the director of the University Choir, students from the department traveled and performed extensively throughout Europe. More recently, the Marching Band was a guest performer in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The University Choir was a guest performer in Medellin, Colombia. The Department of Music and Performing Arts responds to travel abroad opportunities that provide growth and exposure for our students.

Most recently, The Marching Force has performed at the Vatican in Rome, Italy for the 2021 New Year’s Day Parade. The Marching Force has also performed in the 2020 Honda Battle of the Bands in Atlanta, GA, and the Macy’s Thanks Giving Day Parade in 2021! The Force plans to expand its international travels as it looks towards France and England.

Rich in history and tradition, Hampton University is a dynamic, progressive institution of higher education, providing a broad range of technical, liberal arts, and graduate degree programs. Hampton University is a private university accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. In addition to being one of the top historically black universities in the world, Hampton University is a closely connected community of learners and educators, representing 35 territories and nations.

Hampton University is located on the east coast of the United States in the state of Virginia. The campus is located on a peninsula near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay and is surrounded by water on three sides which gives it the nickname “Our home by the Sea”. The surrounding city of Hampton has many businesses, retail and residential areas, historical sites, and miles of waterfront and beaches. Attractions such as Fort Monroe, NASA Langley Research Center, and the Virginia Air and Space Center add to the splendor - and fun - of the HU campus. While Hampton University is primarily a liberal art and education university it also specializes in business, engineering, technology, nursing, pharmacy, and the sciences. Hampton University has the privilege of having the first and only NASA mission that is 100% led by an HBCU (Historically Black College & University). It is also the home of the largest and most advanced Proton Therapy Institute in the world.

Accreditation

Hampton University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award certificates and degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s, education specialist, professional, and doctoral levels.

The University is also approved by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV). The University holds membership in the Council of Graduate Schools, the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia, and the American Council on Education.

In addition, Hampton University (its undergraduate and/or graduate colleges) is accredited or approved by other bodies.

Schools and Programs

• James T. George School of Business
• School of Science
• Scripps Howard School of Journalism & Communications
• School of Nursing
• School of Liberal Arts and Education
• School of Engineering and Technology
• School of Pharmacy
• Graduate College

Organizations

• HU Athletics
• Honors College
• Leadership Institute
• Military Science
• Government Relations
• Hampton University Research

Resources

• myCampus
• HU Online
• HU Museum
• Harvey Library
• Proton Therapy Institute
• Center for Teaching Excellence
• HU Residence Halls

Number of Programs Offered

Bachelor's Degree Programs ---- 50

Master's Degree Programs ---- 25

Professional Degree Programs ---- 2

Doctoral Degree Programs ---- 9

Post-Master's Degree Program ---- 1

Associate's Degree Programs ---- 7

Certificate Programs ---- 3

Total ---- 97