Receive rigorous in actor training from UBC's renowned BFA program. Your studies will straddle studio practice and lecture/discussion, spanning a broad range of performance modalities and theoretical approaches in order to develop the actors instrument and understanding.
Why this program?
- Receive professional actor training supplemented by a solid grounding in the history of theatre.
- Work on UBC productions in cooperation with faculty and professional staff.
- Access to the Frederic Wood Theatre, Telus Studio Theatre in the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, and Dorothy Somerset Theatre.
Program information
Send details- Campus: Vancouver
- Faculty: Faculty of Arts
- Degree: Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Length 4 yrs
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Co-op
No
You can combine your studies with full-time, paid work at top local and international organizations.
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Honours
No
You can study intense specialization in a single field.
The BFA in Acting is a rigorous actor training program that includes a solid grounding in the history and theory of performance. It also offers many of the benefits of a liberal arts education. Studio courses, as well as the production season, provide rich opportunities for students to hone and apply their skills in performance across a number of modalities. These may include naturalism, devised performance, poetic text, and screen acting. Courses in Theatre Studies and Cinema and Media Studies further deepen students’ understanding and appreciation of these art forms. Overall, this program acquaints students with the unique power and possibility of dramatic performance, as well as the foundational skills to chart their own path forward as practitioners of the dramatic arts.
The first year serves as an orientation to UBC, fulfilling some required Arts courses and a selection of electives, as well as required BFA courses introducing students to the collaborative, interdisciplinary nature of storytelling. The second year focuses on the foundational development of the actor’s instrument and the ensemble, through units such as scene study, voice and movement, storytelling, and improvisation. The third and fourth years expand the study and practice of acting styles on stage and on camera, and include units like heightened/poetic text, mask, devised performance, development of new plays, dance, choral singing, audition technique, or voiceover. In the third and fourth year, students can audition for shows that are directed by graduate students, guest artists, and/or faculty, who are working professionals and leaders in their disciplines.
Campus features
- Frederic Wood Theatre: a fully equipped proscenium arch, 400-seat theatre.
- Dorothy Somerset Theatre: a black box studio theatre with flexible seating.
Life at UBC's Vancouver campus
UBC Theatre and Film is a renowned department that has produced some of Canada’s most innovative artists and scholars for over 50 years. Our five programs are encouraged to mingle through regular social events such as screenings and productions.
Find out moreYour future
Your future is filled with options, including work as an actor in film/TV, theatre, or voiceover; building your own theatre collective/company; becoming a director or a producer or a playwright; working in marketing, sales, or arts administration; or teaching. You will be well prepared for careers that require creative problem solving, excellent communication skills, public speaking skills, and working within groups to achieve a goal.
Program graduates
A small sampling of the distinguished actors who have studied with us includes: David Adams, Lois Anderson, Sarah Afful, Ryan Biel, Nicola Cavendish, Camyar Chai, Robert Clothier, Gavin Crawford, Rachel Cronin, Evan Frayne, Camille Mitchell, Ruth Nichol, Moya O’Connell, Eric Peterson, Dawn Petten, Sarah Rodgers, Laara Sadiq, Kerry Sandomirsky, Goldie Semple, Tom Scholte, Camille Sullivan, Karthik Kadam, and Katey Wright.
Program requirements
English-language requirements
English is the language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students must demonstrate English-language competency prior to admission. There are numerous ways to meet the English Language Admission Standard.
General admission requirements
IB Diploma Programme
- Completed IB Diploma, including at least three Higher Level courses.
IB Certificate Courses
- IB Certificate courses (Standard and Higher Level) may be used in an admissions average if you are graduating from a recognized high school curriculum that can be used as your basis of admission.
- IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, do not satisfy the math requirement for admission to UBC’s science-based programs, the Faculty of Management, the UBC Sauder School of Business, or the Vancouver School of Economics.
Degree-specific requirements: Fine Arts (direct-entry specializations only; excludes Creative Writing)
- No specific courses required beyond those needed for general admission
- Audition or portfolio
Related courses
The following subject categories are particularly relevant for this degree. Consider taking courses in these areas in your junior year and senior year.
- Language Arts
- Social Studies
- Visual and Performing Arts