Theater

Types of Degrees Theater Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many drama & theater arts graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	12,468
Master’s Degree	1,756
Associate Degree	1,478
Undergraduate Certificate	635
Basic Certificate	391
Doctor’s Degree	89
Graduate Certificate	36

What Theater Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, theater majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Theater Majors

Theater majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills for Theater Majors

A major in theater prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Abilities for Theater Majors

As you progress with your theater degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

What Can You Do With a Theater Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with theater:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Actors	11.6%	NA
Art, Drama, and Music Professors	12.0%	$69,960
Choreographers	2.9%	$47,800
Dancers	4.4%	NA
Directors- Stage, Motion Pictures, Television, and Radio	12.2%	$71,680
Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers	8.2%	NA
Fashion Designers	2.5%	$72,720
Music Directors	5.7%	$49,630
Musicians, Instrumental	6.0%	NA
Poets, Lyricists and Creative Writers	7.6%	$62,170
Producers	12.2%	$71,680
Program Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Set and Exhibit Designers	10.3%	$54,270
Singers	6.0%	NA
Talent Directors	12.2%	$71,680
Technical Directors/Managers	12.2%	$71,680

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Theater?

Drama & Theater Arts runs middle of the road when it comes to popularity, ranking #38 out of all the undergraduate majors we track. In 2021, about 13,117 graduates completed their bachelor’s degree in this field. The major attracts more women than men. About 66% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of theater majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	390
Black or African American	1,180
Hispanic or Latino	1,951
White	7,584
International Students	374
Other Races/Ethnicities	989

Geographic Diversity

Theater appeals to people across the globe. About 3.0% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Theater

Some careers associated with theater require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to theater have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	6.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	10.1%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	2.3%
Some College Courses	8.4%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	6.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	36.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	14.6%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.5%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	3.7%
Doctoral Degree	8.7%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.5%

Online Theater Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	62	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	15	0
Associate’s Degree	300	2
Bachelor’s Degree	19	4
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	262	7
Post-Master’s	5	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	40	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Theater

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to theater.

Major	Number of Grads
Fine & Studio Arts	36,332
Design & Applied Arts	36,019
Music	26,167
Film, Video & Photographic Arts	18,531
General Visual & Performing Arts	6,785
Arts & Media Management	4,722
Dance	3,233
Other Visual Art	1,026
Crafts, Folk Art & Artisanry	102
Community/Environmental/Socially-Engaged Art	6

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Donald Judge under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.