Should You Major in Theater?

Choosing the right major in college is very important, as it will determine where life will take you and how successful you will be along the way. One major that many students may think about during some point in their life is theater. It is a very popular belief that a degree in theater is entirely worthless, but is this true? Here, we will take a closer look at some of the things that you should be sure to take into consideration before you make the decision to major in theater.

What Do You Plan to Do With a Theater Degree?

As with any other type of degree, one of the most important things that you will want to consider before deciding to major in theater is what you will do with the degree once you are finished. There are a wide variety of career opportunities that are available for you to pursue with a degree in theater. Some of these job opportunities can be found within the fields of education, communications, public relations, performance arts, scriptwriting and more. Before you make the decision to become a theater major, it’s a good idea to consider what type of jobs you would like to pursue once you have earned your degree.

What Other Requirements Will You Need to Meet?

Depending on the type of job that you want to pursue once you’ve received your degree, there may be other requirements that you will need to meet. When you decide to become a theater teacher, for example, you will need to meet the requirements for the specific level of education. Of course, the same can hold true for a wide variety of other jobs as well. Before you make the decision to major in theater, you will probably want to consider talking to a career counselor at your school. Even better, find someone with the job that you plan to pursue. Learn what they did in order to get that job and then make sure that the requirements haven’t changed over time.

Can You Realistically Achieve Your Goals in Theater?

Many people who pursue theater degrees do it because they want to act. Unfortunately, this isn’t always easy. Not only will you need to move to a city such as Los Angeles or New York, but you will also have to hope that there isn’t someone more qualified for the job. It may be a good idea to check available job openings in the area that you plan to work, as this should give you a good idea of how realistic your current goals for a degree in theater are. Of course, even if job openings are low, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you should give up your hopes of pursuing a theater degree. However, it’s a good idea to make sure that you have alternate options available, just in case your current goals in theater don’t work out for you in the end. For example, pursue acting, but also leave open the possibility of becoming a drama teacher as well.

Two very common misconceptions are that theater degrees are useless and that all theater majors are starving artists. However, the truth is that you’re much more likely to benefit from your theater degree if you know what you want to do with it and if you leave a wide variety of job options available for yourself. Of course, the same is true with any type of degree that you may want to consider earning. Before you decide to pursue a degree in theater, it is best to contact a college advisor or career counselor in order to learn more about what can and cannot be done with a theater degree.