Theater Arts Minor

Students earn a minor in theater arts by completing eight courses (seven 5-credit courses and one 2-credit course) comprising a background in the theory and practice of the theater arts as well as a focus on drama, theater design/technology, or dance. The course requirements are listed below. There is no comprehensive requirement for the minor.

Declaration of the minor

There are no course requirements for declaring the minor, though individual courses may have enrollment prerequisites, and a major must be officially declared before a minor may be declared. 

To declare the minor, first have an Academic Planning Form and Petition for Minor Declaration form completed and signed by your major department advisor. While that plan is current, make an appointment to meet with the Theater Arts Department advisor to create a plan for and declare the minor—please use Slug Success to make an appointment. You may also contact the department advisor by emailing theater-ugradadv@ucsc.edu

Students are strongly encouraged to consult early with the department advisor to create an academic plan for a minor in theater arts. This may be done prior to declaration. 

Transfer students may petition to have equivalent lower-division courses taken at other schools count toward lower-division minor requirements and should consult with the Theater Arts Department academic advisor as early as possible regarding this possibility.

Course Requirements

Lower-Division Courses

Choose one from the following series:

THEA 61AAncient and Medieval Drama

5

THEA 61BDrama from the Renaissance to the Modern Age

5

THEA 61CThe Birth of the Modern: Drama and Performance After the Renaissance

5

Plus one course in the student’s area of focus chosen from:

THEA 10Introduction to Theater Design and Technology

5

THEA 20Introductory Studies in Acting

5

THEA 21Acting Studio I: Psychological Realism

5

THEA 30Introduction to Dance Theory and Technique

5

THEA 40Introduction to Directing

5

Plus the following fundamentals course:

Students are highly encouraged to contact the department advisor early to learn about the unique enrollment process for THEA 50, as well as to complete this course as early as possible, before their last year on campus.

THEA 50Fundamentals of Theater Production

2

Upper-Division Courses

Three history/theory/critical studies courses chosen from the following:

THEA 100AAsian Theater/Dance and Global Impacts

5

THEA 100BBlack Theater USA

5

THEA 100CCourts, Courtesans, Shamans, and Clowns: Asian Drama

5

THEA 100WBlack/African Diasporic World Theater

5

THEA 104Multimedia Authoring

5

THEA 108Theater and Interaction Design

5

THEA 113The History of Design for Theater

5

THEA 116AHistory of Clothing and Costume

5

THEA 122Indian Performance: Rama, Siva, Krishna

5

THEA 161CTheater and Drama of the Renaissance

5

THEA 161DAsian Theater: An Anthropological Approach

5

THEA 161HShakespeare In Asia

5

THEA 161MSexuality, Gender, Drama, and Performance

5

THEA 161P
/LALS 161P
Theater in the Chicano Power Movement

5

THEA 161QQueer Theatricks: Representations and Sensibilities

5

THEA 161RTheater of American Cultures

5

THEA 161SAmerican Drama: Politics and Theater

5

THEA 161TWomen in Theater

5

THEA 161UPerformance of Story in Theater and Film

5

THEA 161Y
/COWL 161Y
Modern Ancient Drama

5

THEA 163EChekhov and His Impact

5

THEA 163AShakespeare

5

THEA 163GSpecial Studies in Playwrights: Artaud

5

THEA 163HHenrik Ibsen and His Impact: Ghosts of the Future

5

THEA 163KSpecial Studies in Playwrights: Euripides

5

THEA 164Issues in Dance History and Theory

5

THEA 165Dance Modernism

5

THEA 166Ballet: A History

5

THEA 167Africanist Aesthetics: Live Dialogues in the Americas and Africa

5

Plus two studio courses (one of which may be a faculty-directed production; see separate section below):

THEA 103
/ART 143T
Design Concept Development

5

THEA 106
/ART 146T
Digital Illustration

5

THEA 114Sound Design and Engineering for the Theater

5

THEA 115ADesign Studio: Scenic Design

5

THEA 115BDesign Studio: Scenic Design B

5

THEA 117
/ART 147T
Design Studio: Costume

5

THEA 117AAdvanced Costume Construction

5

THEA 118Design Studio: Scene Painting

5

THEA 119Design Studio: Lighting Studio B

5

THEA 120Voice and Movement for Performers

5

THEA 121Acting Studio II: Shakespeare

5

THEA 123Acting and Shakespeare

5

THEA 124Movement for Performers

5

THEA 126Acting Studio III

5

THEA 126MThe Meisner Technique: A Practical Exploration

5

THEA 131ADance Studio II: Asian or Asian Diasporic Practice

5

THEA 131CDance Studio II: Advanced Contemporary Forms and Practices

5

THEA 135Choreography I

5

THEA 136Choreography II

5

THEA 141Play Direction Studio I

5

THEA 142Play Direction Studio II

5

THEA 152Advanced Stagecraft

5

THEA 155Shakespeare to Go

5

THEA 157Playwriting

5

THEA 159Advanced Playwriting

5

Optional: one faculty-directed theater arts production course, which may be used toward an upper-division studio requirement:
THEA 137Studies in Performance (Dance)

5

THEA 137AStudies in Performance (Dance): Asian

5

THEA 151Studies in Performance (Drama)

5

THEA 151AStudies in Performance: African American Theater Arts Troupe

5

THEA 151IStudies in Performance: Indonesian Dance and Drama

5

THEA 155Shakespeare to Go

5

The following do NOT satisfy theater arts minor requirements:

THEA 55AWorkshop in Performance: Barnstorm

5

THEA 55BWorkshop in Performance: Barnstorm Lab

2

THEA 139Random: With a Purpose

5

THEA 158Chautauqua Workshop

5

THEA 190Group Projects

5

THEA 198Independent Field Study

5

THEA 199Tutorial

5