Theatre Arts B.A. – K-12 Drama Teaching Emphasis - Licensure: Drama Theatre Arts (Grades K-12)
College of Performing and Visual Arts
Contact: Michelle Gaza, M.F.A., Interim Director
Location: Frasier Hall 105
Telephone: 970.351.2991
Fax: 970.351.4897
Website: https://arts.unco.edu/theatre/
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Core (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) Credits
Program Description:
A major in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Teaching provides training for students who have teaching of drama in grades K-12as their career goal. The program cultivates an appreciation and understanding of theatre as part of American society and culture.
A major in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Teaching prepares students to teach drama in grades K-12.
Program Admission Requirements:
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Admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts, Teaching Emphasis degree program is by interview only. Information concerning interviews may be requested from the School of Theatre Arts and Dance, University of Northern Colorado, Frasier Hall, Greeley, CO 80639, phone 970.351.2991.
Program Requirements:
In addition to the Student Academic Standing Policy at UNC, the following requirements must be met in order to persist as a Theatre Arts Secondary Teaching Emphasis major within the School of Theatre Arts and Dance:
- Theatre majors must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the major, and an overall minimum GPA of 2.8 in order to persist in the program.
- A Student will be placed on School of Theatre Arts and Dance (STAD) probation if their cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 in their major courses, or a 2.8 overall. Once placed on STAD probation, in order to reach good standing and avoid suspension from STAD, the student must raise the cumulative major GPA to a 3.0 or higher and the overall GPA to 2.8 or higher in their next 24 credits of enrollment.
- If, after 24 credits, the student’s GPA remains below the minimum requirements, the student will be expelled from the School of Theatre Arts and Dance. Expulsion is immediate upon completion of grading. At which time, the student will be notified of their removal from the program, and the student must declare a new major outside of STAD.
- An appeal may be made to the STAD appeals board within two weeks. An appeals board will be formed with a faculty representative from each concentration area: acting, design & technology, musical theatre, dance, theatre education, and theatre studies. The expulsion stands unless the faculty is unanimous in deciding to overturn it.
- Students must earn a C- or better in any class required within their program and concentration area. If a grade of D+ or lower is earned in a required course, that course must be repeated until a C- or better is achieved.
In additional to all School requirements, students must adhere to the following guidelines in order to persist within the Secondary Teaching Emphasis - Licensure: Drama Theater Arts (Grades K-
12) Program (“Theatre Education”):
- All Theatre Education emphasis majors must demonstrate professional promise as a teacher to the satisfaction of the Theatre Arts Faculty.
- Theatre Education concentration students choosing to audition for a main stage play or musical during the academic year must accept any role they are offered.
Non-compliance of any of the above requirements may result in disciplinary actions including, but not limited to, removal from future production assignments, loss of talent scholarship funding, or expulsion from the program.
PTEP Program Requirements:
Teacher candidates who complete an approved content degree and the UNC professional teacher education program, as well as pass the appropriate Colorado Department of Education designated PRAXIS exam (if applicable), will be eligible for recommendation from UNC for a Colorado Department of Education teaching license.
If you are seeking licensure in your program area, the following items are required to complete your program.
- Completion of Application for Initial Admission to PTEP
- Completion of Full Admission to PTEP
- Completion of Application for Student Teaching
- Completion of content specific PRAXIS test prior to Student Teaching
- Candidates may not take extra courses with Student Teaching without prior approval from the Program Coordinator and the STE Director.
- All PTEP Field Experiences and methods courses need to be successfully completed prior to Student Teaching.
- Student Teaching outside the supervision of UNC Faculty may or may not be approved.
- Teacher Candidates will not be placed in a school where they were once students or where they have a close relative attending and/or working.
- Teacher education and educator preparation licensure programs do not accept Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) or field based courses that are more than ten years old. PLEASE NOTE: Teacher Candidates have the right to petition this policy at the discretion of the program coordinator.
Please work with your content advisor to determine when these requirements will be completed throughout your program.
Additional Information:
Degree Requirements
1. Required Specified LAC — 6 credits
LAC area 3 — Arts and Humanities
Remaining LAC — 34 credits
See “Liberal Arts Core”.
2. Required Major — 46 credits
Take all of the following courses:
Complete 8 hours of Individual Performance in Theatre courses:
| THEA 100 | Individual Performance in Theatre | 2 |
| THEA 110 | Performance in a Theatrical Production | 2 |
THEA 110: no more than 2 hours can be used to satisfy this requirement
THEA 492: is only taught during the Summer Session and can be taken in lieu of 6 credits of THEA 100.
3. Required PTEP — 36 credits
| EDEL 250 | Elementary Teaching in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Settings | 3 |
| EDF 366 | Conceptions of Schooling: Context and Process | 3 |
| EDFE 444 | Supervised Student Teaching | 1-15 |
| EDRD 340 | Academic Language/Literacy Development in the Content Areas at the Secondary Level | 3 |
| EDSE 433 | Exceptional Students in the Regular Classroom | 2 |
| PSY 347 | Educational Psychology for Elementary Teachers | 3 |
| | or | |
| PSY 349 | Educational Psychology for Secondary Teachers | 3 |
| THEA 365 | Clinical Experiences I: Elementary Theatre | 3 |
| THEA 385 | Methods of Teaching Drama | 3 |
| THEA 485 | Clinical Experiences II: Secondary Theatre | 3 |
| THEA 490 | Theatre Arts Student Teaching Seminar | 1 |
Admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts, Teaching Emphasis degree program is by interview only.
In addition to fulfilling program procedures and courses requirements, a theatre education emphasis student must have and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in Theatre Arts and a 2.80 GPA for overall University coursework. Failure to do so will result in the students discontinuance from the Theatre Arts/Education emphasis.
All Theatre Education emphasis majors must demonstrate professional promise as a teacher to the satisfaction of the Theatre Arts Faculty.
The Theatre Arts program requires student majors to consult with and be advised by a faculty member teaching in the program.
A teaching minor is highly recommended. Students must remember that in the public schools of the State of Colorado more than half the teaching load must be done in the area of licensure. A student desiring this licensure should be prepared for many additional requirements in content and in methods and observation in the minor field.
This program meets the current licensure requirements of the North Central Association of teachers of drama.
Attendance at or involvements with all productions of the Little Theatre of the Rockies is required during residency.
The Colorado Commission on Higher Education and this program require the completion of a yearly assessment process in this emphasis area. The assessment, which includes an evaluation of your years progress as well as a yearly audition or interview, may be the basis of your continuance in this emphasis area.
Students who are in theatre education must apply for admission to the Professional Teacher Education program (PTEP). Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the requirements in the PTEP section of the catalog. It is recommended that application for PTEP be made during the sophomore year, or after completing 30 semester hours of University coursework and no later than the first semester of the junior year. Students must complete the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences PTEP requirements (see Theatre Education advisor).