Theatre Arts

The Associate Degree in Theatre Arts for Transfer at Contra Costa College prepares students to move into a program at a CSU or UC university to a baccalaureate degree in theatre arts. Completion of a B.A. in Theatre Arts can lead to professional careers in acting, technical theatre, stage management, stage direction, and design. In addition many students find the completion of a theatre arts degree a complementary preparation for careers in education, law, communications, and psychology. Theatre is a live performance art form that involves the creation and presentation of stories, characters, or events through the enactment of scripted or improvised dialogue, physical movement, music, and other elements. It typically takes place in a designated space called a theater and is performed by actors or performers in front of an audience, aiming to entertain, educate, and provoke emotional responses. Theatre incorporates various artistic disciplines such as acting, directing, set and costume design, lighting, sound, movement, and stage management to bring stories and themes to life. It can encompass a wide of genres and styles, including plays, musicals, dance performances, operas, and experimental and avant-garde productions. In pursuing the AA-T in Theatre, students acquire skills in performance, in many of the technical aspects of theatre, and in the theoretical and historical development of theatre as an art form. Students majoring in Theatre develop critical thinking, self-confident, written and verbal communication skills, and sociocultural awareness skills. The Theatre major provides valuable background for students’ planning a career in acting, directing, managing, public speaking, creative writing, clown, arts administration, stage management, community organizing, design, teaching at the high school, college, and university levels, box office, casting management, broadcasting, choreography, and more. In many professional programs in the liberal arts, Theatre Arts are considered part of the required training. Artists with a degree in Theatre can become practitioners in the public and private sectors, and can work at the national and international level. Although many Theatre students pursue graduate or professional schools after completing a bachelor’s degree the AA-T is a stepping stone to many career possibilities. Theatre practitioners may work with social service agencies and community programs including unrepresented or neglected populations. Upon successful completion of the AA-T in Theatre, students are guaranteed admission to the CSU system, but not to a particular campus or major. Students transferring to a CSU campus that does accept this degree will be required to complete no more than 60 units after transfer to earn a bachelor's degree. The AA-T may not be the best option for students intending to transfer to a particular CSU campus or to a university or college that is not part of the CSU system. The associate degrees for transfer (AA-T or AS-T) require completion and certification of the California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) as well as the specific AA-T or AS-T major degree requirements. Students should work with a counselor to identify major coursework that can be used to fulfill Cal-GETC categories and for more information on college-specific transfer program requirements. Pursuant to SB1440, section 66746, a student must complete the following requirements in order to earn an AA-T in Theatre: Completion of 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of degree-applicable courses, • Minimum overall grade point average of 2.0, • Minimum grade of “C” (or “P”) for each course in the major, and • Completion of Cal-GETC.