University of California, San Diego

The Department of Theatre & Dance at UC San Diego offers a robust Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, alongside minors and combined degrees in Theatre and Dance. The program emphasizes thoughtful integration of liberal arts foundations with performance-based training, serving both students pursuing a broad-based academic approach and those preparing for graduate-level theatre study.

Academic study is firmly rooted in practice: undergraduates enroll in lower-division courses in acting, directing, design, playwriting, and theatre history before progressing to advanced studio classes. Students participate in three productions per quarter in UCSD’s Theatre District—performances shared with the Tony Award–winning La Jolla Playhouse—and senior students also audition for graduate productions or guest-artist directed shows.

UCSD’s performance facilities are among its greatest assets. Located in the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Theatre District, shared with La Jolla Playhouse, the campus includes venues such as the Mandell Weiss Theatre, the Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, and purpose-built rehearsal and design studios. These spaces create a professional-scale environment for innovative, experimental, and staged student work.

The program’s ethos combines creative experimentation with critical thinking. Students regularly develop and present studio projects—student-driven performances explored through lab-based work alongside seminars in dramaturgy, media theory, and performance analysis. Faculty include nationally recognized artists and scholars, ensuring mentorship at the cutting edge of performance education.

Graduates emerge with both performance portfolios and analytical insight, prepared for careers in performance, design, playwriting, or arts management—or to pursue highly regarded graduate programs in theatre. UC San Diego’s Theatre & Dance program holds national distinction for its innovation, professional integration, and commitment to training the next generation of theatre makers.