City College of New York

The City College of New York offers a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, granting students broad exposure to theatre practice and scholarship. Students may choose concentrations such as Acting, Design & Technical Theatre, Directing, Playwriting, Musical Theatre, or Theatre History & Dramatic Literature. A theatre minor or dual-major option is also available for those seeking interdisciplinary paths. The curriculum includes courses in Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Theatre History, Technical Theatre & Design, Speech for Stage, Musical Theatre Workshop, Acting for the Camera, Black Theatre, Queer Theatre, Latin American Theatre, Stage Combat, and Dance, allowing students to tailor their studies across forms and genres.

Experiential learning is a core feature: the department mounts four mainstage productions each year, alongside New Play Collaboration workshops and One-Act Play Festivals—all open to students both onstage and backstage. Production courses are taught in state-of-the-art venues such as Aaron Davis Hall (featuring the Marian Anderson Theatre and Studio Theatre B), as well as the Compton‑Goethals studio theatres, which are equipped with modern scenic, lighting, and sound technology.

Situated in Harlem, CCNY benefits from its New York City location by incorporating guest artists, casting directors, and agents into its training—they frequently visit campus to meet advanced students. The program’s faculty are active theatre professionals, connecting theory and practice. For students pursuing educational careers, CCNY also offers a direct path into its Master’s Program in Educational Theatre.

Students enjoy opportunities for international training as well: selected CCNY theatre majors have participated in intensive summer programs at renowned institutions such as LAMDA in London, expanding their perspectives and techniques while supported by the College’s arts funding and faculty mentorship.

CCNY’s Theatre alumni include Broadway and film professionals such as Judd Hirsch, Eli Wallach, Richard Schiff, Ben Gazzara, Hazelle Goodman, Lillias White, and many others—underscoring the program’s longstanding impact as a launchpad for artists from diverse backgrounds. With its rich curricular breadth, production opportunities, and City access, CCNY remains one of New York’s most dynamic values in theatre education.