Performance Concentration
McCausland College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Theatre and Dance
Bulletin Year: 2026-2027

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Semester One (16-17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	ENGL 101	Critical Reading and Composition (CC-CMW)	3	C
	THEA 201	Introduction to Theatre Studies (CR)	3	C
	THEA 270	Beginning Acting (MR)	3	C
!	THEA 120	Laboratory Theatre Production (MR)	1	C
		Carolina Core ARP Requirement (CC-ARP)	3-4
	UNIV 101	The Student in the University or Carolina Core Requirement3 (PR/CC)	3

Semester Two (15-17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
!	ENGL 102	Rhetoric and Composition (CC-CMW, CC-INF)	3	C		C or better in ENGL 101
		Carolina Core ARP Requirement (CC-ARP)	3-4
		Carolina Core Requirement3 (CC)	3-4
		Carolina Core Requirement3 (CC)	3
	THEA 240	Beginning Voice and Speech (MR)	3	C

Semester Three (16-17 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	THEA 280	Elements of Design for Theatre Production (MR)	3	C
	THEA 121	Theatre Running Crew Laboratory (MR)	1	C
		Carolina Core Requirement3 (CC)	3-4
		Carolina Core Requirement3 (CC)	3
		Foreign language4 or other Carolina Core Req.3 (CC-GFL)	3
		Humanities or Fine Arts (CR)	3

Semester Four (16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	THEA 370	Intermediate Acting (MR)	3	C		THEA 170 or 270
	THEA 122	Theatre Production Studio (MR)	1	C		THEA 120
		Cognate or Minor Course5 (PR)	3	C
		Social Science (CR)	3
		Foreign language4 or other Carolina Core Req.3 (CC-GFL)	3
		Carolina Core Requirement3 or Elective6 (CC/PR)	3

Semester Five (16 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	THEA 372	Acting from a Physical Point of View (MR)	3	C
	THEA 561	History of Theatre I (offered fall only) (MR)	3	C
	THEA 221	Stage Management Laboratory (MR)	1	C		THEA 120 & 121
		Cognate or Minor Course5 (PR)	3	C
		Humanities or Fine Arts (CR)	3
		Foreign language4 or Carolina Core Requirement3 (CR/CC)	3

Semester Six (15 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	THEA 230 or THEA 241 or THEA 340 or THEA 359 or THEA 369 or THEA 399 or THEA 373 or THEA 375	Make-up Design for Theatre and Film or Voice and Speech Studio or Literature and Performance or Theatrical Imagery or Japanese Culture & Society thru Theatre or Independent Study and Research or Movement Laboratory or Inner Mastery Through Movement (MR)	3	C		See Bulletin listing
	THEA 390	Beginning Acting for the Camera (MR)	3	C		C or better in THEA 170 or 270
	THEA 562	History of Theatre II (offered spring only) (MR)	3	C
		Dramatic Literature8 (from ENGL 300-level or above) (PR)	3	C
		Cognate or Minor Course5 or Elective6 (PR)	3	C

Semester Seven (12 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	THEA 570 or THEA 571 or THEA 590	Advanced Acting or Advanced Acting II or Advanced Acting for the Camera (MR)	3	C		B or better in THEA 240, 370, and 372 (THEA 570 & 571); D or better in THEA 390 (THEA 590 only)
		THEA Performance Elective7 (MR)	3	C		See Bulletin listing
		Cognate or Minor Course5 or Elective6 (PR)	3	C
		History9 (CR)	3

Semester Eight (12 Credit Hours)

Critical	Course Code	Subject and Title	Credit Hours	Min. Grade1	Major GPA2	Prerequisites
	THEA 490 or THEA 578	Theatre Capstone Course or Play Direction I (MR/CC-INT)	3	C		THEA 270 & 280 and 6 hrs. 300-level THEA or above
		Dramatic Literature8 (from ENGL 300-level or above) (PR)	3	C
		Minor Course5 or Elective6 (PR)	3	C (minor)
		Minor Course5 or Elective6 (PR)	3	C (minor)

Graduation Requirements Summary

Minimum Total Hours	Minimum Major Requirements Hours	College and Program Requirements Hours	Carolina Core Hours	Minimum Institutional GPA
120	40	36-48	32-44	2.000

1. Regardless of individual course grades, students must maintain a minimum 2.000 cumulative GPA.
2. Some colleges require a minimum GPA for major courses. Courses indicated in this column are included in the major GPA for this program of study.
3. The Carolina Core provides the common core of knowledge, skill and academic experience for all Carolina undergraduate students.
4. Students in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences are required to demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the 122 course through course credit or the corresponding foreign language placement score.
5. The cognate is intended to support the course work in the major. The cognate must consist of twelve hours of courses at the advanced level, outside of, but related to the major. In place of a cognate, a student may choose a minor consisting of at least 1⁸ credit hours of courses concentrated in one area that follow a structured sequence. A second major eliminates the minor/cognate requirement.
6. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences. The McCausland College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences.
7. Students in the Performance Concentration must select one course from the following: THEA 440, 442, 444, 450, 527, 540, 563, 565, 567, 568, 569, 570, 571, 575, 576, 577, 578, 579, 581, 586, 587, 599
8. The Dramatic Literature courses may apply towards fulfillment of the cognate, in which case the student would replace two cognate courses with approved electives in the four-year sequence in order to reach minimum hours to graduate. The total number of approved electives required depends on selection of a cognate (12 hours) or a minor (18 hours) and if the student chooses to apply the Dramatic Literature courses to the cognate.
9. The McCausland College of Arts and Sciences requires one U.S. History and one non-U.S. History course, both of which must be chosen from the approved Carolina Core GHS courses. Whichever is not fulfilled through the Carolina Core GHS requirement must be fulfilled through this college requirement.

Program Notes

• Courses identified as “critical” must be completed in the student’s first 60 semester hours of work in order for these courses to be credited toward graduation. THEA 120 must be completed within the first year of declaring the Theatre major.
• All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade that covers the founding documents. This course may fulfill any requirement in the program of study. Courses that meet this requirement are listed in the academic bulletin.
• The last 30 credit hours toward your degree must be earned in residence at the University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Code Definitions

University Requirements: Bachelor’s degree-seeking students must meet Carolina Core (general education) requirements.

Code	Definition
CC	Carolina Core
CC-AIU	Carolina Core – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding
CC-ARP	Carolina Core – Analytical Reasoning and Problem-Solving
CC-CMS	Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component
CC-CMW	Carolina Core – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written Component
CC-GFL	Carolina Core – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language
CC-GHS	Carolina Core – Historical Thinking
CC-GSS	Carolina Core – Social Sciences
CC-INF	Carolina Core – Information Literacy
CC-INT	Carolina Core – Integrative Course
CC-SCI	Carolina Core – Scientific Literacy
CC-VSR	Carolina Core – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility
CR	College Requirement
MR	Major Requirement
PR	Program Requirement