Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting (BFA)

Rigorous actor training. Endless opportunities to perform. Your future on stage starts at Viterbo University.
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90+% of acting graduates working in theatre
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Theatre faculty with real-world professional industry experience
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5 full-scale productions each year with early performance opportunities

Step Into the Spotlight With a Bachelor’s Degree in Acting

At Viterbo University, we take your ambition seriously. The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in acting is a conservatory-style program for students who are driven, talented, and ready to pursue the demands of a professional acting career. As a Viterbo acting major, you’ll be immersed in intensive training, with opportunities to perform every semester, study abroad in London, and connect with working artists in the industry. 

Our intensive, performance-driven BFA in acting provides a deep foundation in the art and business of acting, helping you build a strong voice, develop stage presence, and understand the text behind every role. Our theatre department faculty work one-on-one with you to refine your skills and help you grow into a confident, adaptable performer. 

We’re here to help you step confidently onto the stage for the first act of your career. In our acting BFA program, you’ll gain: 

  • Performance opportunities from day one 
  • Coaching in voice, movement, and scene study 
  • Hands-on training in classical acting, voice technique, and audition prep 
  • Industry exposure through showcases, masterclasses, and professional productions

Acting Major (BFA)

Viterbo’s BFA in acting blends studio training, academic coursework, and onstage experience to strengthen your artistic voice and develop the physical and vocal tools needed to succeed on stage and screen. Dive deep into acting technique, voice, and movement, while also exploring areas like improvisation, text analysis, and the business of theatre. With faculty mentorship and opportunities to perform each year, you’ll grow in confidence, craft, and creative range. Auditions are required for admission. Students begin as candidates and formally enter the upper division after a faculty evaluation in the second year. 

Theatre Minors

Viterbo acting students can pair their degree with a minor to expand their skill set and explore related interests. These minors enable students to gain backstage experience, develop leadership skills, or explore new creative outlets. Options include: 

  • Arts Management: Develop practical knowledge in managing arts organizations, including marketing, budgeting, and event planning. 
  • Stage Management: Learn how to coordinate rehearsals, run backstage operations, and support directors in bringing a production to life. 
  • Dance: Strengthen your physical expression with coursework in ballet, jazz, tap, and other styles used in stage performance. 
  • Technical Theatre and Design: Explore the backstage crafts of lighting, sound, costume, makeup, and scene design through coursework and hands-on production roles. 
  • Playwriting: Discover your voice as a writer by crafting original scripts and exploring the fundamentals of dramatic structure.

BFA in Acting Highlights

Viterbo University’s BFA in acting program is part of the Conservatory for the Performing Arts, offering a personalized, performance-focused education grounded in classical and contemporary techniques. As an acting major, you’ll train with expert faculty in a supportive environment where creativity and professionalism go hand in hand.  

From first-year performances to senior showcases, our acting program is built to support your development every step of the way with: 

  • Expert faculty and individual support: Work closely with full-time professors who have extensive experience as actors, directors, and coaches. With our 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, you’ll receive one-on-one feedback, coaching, and mentorship throughout your program. 
  • Professional spaces and real-world experience: Rehearse and perform at some of the region’s top venues, such as the 1,100-seat Main Stage and LaCroix Black Box Theatre at our Fine Arts Center and the Weber Center for the Performing Arts in downtown La Crosse. Showcase your talent in five to six productions annually, including student-run projects, and attend industry-led masterclasses and audition workshops. 
  • Career-building opportunities on and off campus: From Viterbo’s London Theatre Experience—where students see up to 15 live shows and train with British theatre professionals—to local community theatre partnerships, you’ll gain diverse perspectives and expand your network while still in school. 
  • Affordability and value: With academic merit awards up to $20,000 and additional talent scholarships available, Viterbo makes a high-quality acting education financially accessible. Plus, La Crosse’s lower cost of living helps you keep expenses down while pursuing your passion.

What Can You Do With an Acting Degree?

A bachelor’s degree in acting opens doors to a wide range of careers in theatre and beyond. Viterbo’s BFA in acting empowers you with the performance skills, stage experience, and professional know-how to audition with confidence, land roles, and build a sustainable career in the arts. 

Our acting graduates work on Broadway, in national tours, regional theatre, cruise lines, and theme parks. Others pursue roles in directing, arts management, or teaching—or continue on to graduate school. 

Possible Acting Career Paths: 

  • Acting coach or private instructor 
  • Arts administrator 
  • Cruise line or theme park performer 
  • Graduate student in MFA or MA theatre programs 
  • Stage actor (Broadway, touring, or regional theatre) 
  • Theatre director or producer 
  • Theatre educator 
  • Voiceover artist

Financial Aid for Acting Majors

We’re committed to making your theatre acting degree affordable through scholarships and financial support. Most students receive a combination of academic and talent-based awards. Available scholarships include: 

  • Academic merit scholarships up to $20,000 
  • Talent scholarships up to $4,000 
  • Marie Leon La Croix Scholarship ($2,000–$4,000) 

 

"The BFA program at Viterbo prepared me for a career as a professional in the performing arts. I honed skills that I use every day in my career. I was challenged and given space to grow in a competitive learning environment."

—Logan Bailey, BFA in Acting, Class of 2023

Examples of Acting Courses 

From stage combat to Shakespeare, Viterbo's acting curriculum equips you with the tools and confidence needed to succeed in a competitive industry. Course highlights include: 

  • Acting Studio: Apply a range of acting techniques in performance-based projects that culminate in a showcase. 
  • Voice and Speech I & II: Develop expressive, sustainable vocal techniques and learn dialects for the stage. 
  • Verse Drama: Analyze and perform classical texts like Shakespeare with clarity and emotional depth. 
  • Acting Through Song: Combine acting and vocal technique in preparation for musical and crossover roles. 
  • Stage Combat: Learn hand-to-hand and armed combat styles in a safe, dynamic studio setting. 
  • Audition Techniques and Business of Theatre: Build a professional audition portfolio and prepare for a career on stage and screen. 

View Full Course Descriptions 

Related Programs at Viterbo University

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre (BFA)

Train for a life on stage with conservatory-style instruction, early performance opportunities, and one-on-one mentorship.
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5 fully produced shows each year, offering early performance opportunities
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Masterclasses and workshops with Broadway professionals
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Optional study abroad in London, where you’ll immerse yourself in British theatre

Train Like a Professional in a Conservatory-Style Musical Theatre Program

Viterbo University’s BFA in Musical Theatre prepares students for the realities of a competitive, creative career. In our rigorous, performance-driven musical theatre degree program, you’ll work closely with experienced faculty, perform onstage early and often, and receive personalized training in acting, singing, and dance. 

Offered through Viterbo’s Conservatory for the Performing Arts, the program is designed for students who want real-world, career-focused training in a supportive liberal arts environment. You’ll benefit from extensive stage time, small class sizes, and individualized coaching—all while gaining the skills, experience, and connections to land your first job on or behind the stage. 

Viterbo offers one of the best environments for personalized musical theatre training, early performance opportunities, and one-on-one mentorship in a conservatory-style setting. As a musical theatre major, you’ll develop skills in: 

  • Acting techniques, vocal performance, and movement for the stage 
  • Ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and musical theatre dance 
  • Vocal health, audition preparation, and repertoire techniques 
  • Collaboration, leadership, and creative versatility 

Musical Theatre Major (BFA) 

Viterbo’s BFA in Musical Theatre is a conservatory-style program designed for students with the talent, commitment, and drive to pursue careers as professional musical theatre artists. The program combines intensive training in acting, singing, and dancing with a strong foundation in theatre studies and a liberal arts curriculum. With small class sizes, personalized mentorship, and frequent performance opportunities, students gain the skills and experience to succeed in the industry. 

Theatre-Related Minors

Students interested in expanding their theatre training can choose from several minors complementing performance, production, and arts leadership. These minors allow you to specialize, explore creative interests, or build skills in additional areas of the industry: 

  • Theatre: Develop foundational skills in acting, voice, stagecraft, and dramatic literature. 
  • Dance: Train in ballet, jazz, tap, and musical theatre dance, with placement for all experience levels. 
  • Arts Management: Learn the business, leadership, and organizational side of arts administration. 
  • Playwriting: Strengthen your craft through dramatic storytelling, character development, and collaborative script workshops. 
  • Stage Management: Gain hands-on experience managing productions, schedules, and crews. 
  • Technical Theatre and Design: Explore the creative and technical aspects of set construction, sound, lighting, costumes, and makeup for live stage productions. 

Musical Theatre Degree Highlights

Viterbo gives musical theatre students frequent opportunities to shine. From your first year, you’ll train with dedicated faculty, perform on professional-grade stages, and gain valuable experience both on campus and beyond. Our musical theatre major blends conservatory-style intensity with collaborative creativity, providing a strong foundation for a successful career in the theatre industry. 

Highlights of our BFA in Musical Theatre program include: 

  • Extensive performance opportunities: Step into the spotlight from your very first semester with opportunities to audition for roles in five professionally staged mainstage productions each year. Additional opportunities include student-directed shows, fully staged operas, and local community theatre productions. 
  • London Theatre Experience: Every two years, musical theatre majors have the opportunity to study abroad in London, attending 12-15 professional performances, taking backstage tours, and participating in workshops with British theatre professionals. 
  • Industry exposure and professional connections: Gain insight, feedback, and career-building connections through masterclasses and workshops with Broadway actors, choreographers, casting directors, and alumni. 
  • Dedicated faculty and personalized training: With a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, you’ll receive one-on-one voice lessons, dance instruction, and acting coaching from full-time faculty with extensive professional experience. 
  • Exceptional facilities and performance spaces: Train and perform in three professional venues, including the 1,100-seat Main Stage and LaCroix Black Box Theatre at Viterbo’s Fine Arts Center and the Weber Center for the Performing Arts in downtown La Crosse. 

What Can You Do with a Musical Theatre Degree?

Graduates of Viterbo University’s musical theatre BFA program are prepared for a wide range of exciting job opportunities, both on stage and behind the scenes. You’ll graduate with the artistic skill, professional experience, and industry connections to land meaningful roles and creative positions in a competitive field. 

Over the last five years, 90-95% of our musical theatre graduates have found careers in the industry. Viterbo alumni are currently working on Broadway, national tours, cruise lines, regional theatres, and for major entertainment companies like Disney. 

Possible Musical Theatre Career Paths 

  • Arts administrator 
  • Musical theatre performer 
  • Stage or production manager 
  • Theatre director or choreographer 
  • Theatre educator 
  • Theme park or cruise ship entertainer 
  • Touring company performer 
  • Voice or acting coach

Financial Aid for Musical Theatre Majors

Viterbo is committed to making a professional-quality musical theatre education affordable. In addition to general financial aid, incoming music theatre majors are eligible for scholarship opportunities, including: 

  • Academic merit scholarships up to $20,000 
  • Talent scholarships up to $4,000 for first-year students 
  • Program-specific and named scholarships available

 

"The university as a whole and the city of La Crosse are huge supporters of the arts, which gives our program incredible opportunities to connect with the community, perform in professional settings, and grow as artists both on and off the stage. The program celebrates what makes each student unique, helping us develop into well-rounded artists."

—Connor Martin, BFA in Musical Theatre, Class of 2026

Examples of Musical Theatre Courses

Viterbo’s BFA in Musical Theatre blends conservatory-style training with liberal arts study, preparing students to succeed as confident, versatile performers. Courses are led by faculty with professional experience and focus on acting, voice, movement, musicianship, and industry readiness. Highlights include: 

  • Musical Theatre Studio: Performance techniques for the singing-dancing actor, culminating in a cabaret performance 
  • Applied Voice Lessons: Twice-weekly one-on-one instruction with voice faculty, plus private vocal coaching every two weeks 
  • Dance Technique: Progressive training in ballet, jazz, tap, modern, and musical theatre dance 
  • Senior Showcase: Final-year capstone performance for industry professionals 

View Full Course Descriptions

Related Programs at Viterbo University

Interested in performance, music, or arts education? Explore these related majors at Viterbo. 

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Viterbo University Theatre and Music Theatre

Students from across the nation are choosing Viterbo University's Theatre and Music Theatre programs in La Crosse, Wis., to develop their creative potential. In addition to participating in productions, students can take advantage of exceptional training in all acting styles, musical theatre, dance, voice, stage combat, costuming, lighting and set design.

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