Minors
Are you a Business major who never lost your passion for Theatre, a Communications major who wants to know more about movies, or a Sociology major with happy feet? A minor allows students from other disciplines to delve more deeply into an area of secondary interest.
The School of Theatre and Dance offers minors in:
Minors in the School of Theatre and Dance are open to all Illinois State University students in good standing. No audition is required for the Theatre or Cinema Studies minors. You may declare a minor in these areas by using the "Apply to My Program" site on iCampus and then contacting the Academic Advisor for the School of Theatre, who will have you sign the necessary forms and help you get started with classes.
Students wishing to Minor in Dance must apply and then complete a Dance Minor audition. (Please note that this audition is separate from the auditions for the Dance Performance and Dance Education majors.) The number of students admitted into the Dance minor each year is limited and is based on space availability and the competitiveness of the applicant pool. Application and Audition forms are accepted from February 1 to February 14 and should be returned to the School of Theatre and Dance main office. Audition dates and times and additional information about the Minor in Dance can be found on the links below:
Dance Minor Application Form
Dance Minor Fact Sheet
Students who are planning to become teachers may enroll in a minor in order to secure an endorsement that will allow them to teach a second subject. If you are pursuing any education-sequence major you may prepare for an additional endorsement to teach Theatre (grades 6 - 12) by completing the Theatre minor and passing the State of Illinois Content Test. Students seeking this endorsement are encouraged to complete eight additional credit hours in Continuing Orientation to Theatre Education (THE 185/285) and Principles of Theatre Education (THE 385).
Education-major students seeking an endorsement to teach Dance (grades 6-12) must complete 24 hours in Dance, in consultation with the head of the Dance area, and pass the State of Illinois Content Test. Students seeking this endorsement are encouraged to complete Dance Pedagogy I (THE 227) and Dance Pedagogy II (THE 327), as well as Fundamentals of Movement and Somatics of Dance (THE 204).
For more information about program requirements and course descriptions, please review the Undergraduate Catalog.
Non-Majors
Many Theatre classes are open to non-majors, with no prerequisites. These include:
- Introduction to Costume (THE 130)
- Introduction to Acting (THE 153)
- Stagecraft (THE 160)
- All entry-level Dance technique classes (THE 105, 107 and 119)
- Theatre Practicum (THE 102/302)
Theatre Practicum is a course for students seeking hands-on experience in Theatre, from building sets to working in the box office. In addition, students cast in a MainStage or SecondStage production can earn credit hours by signing up for Theatre Practicum. (All students in good standing who are enrolled for six or more credit hours may audition to act in School of Theatre and Dance productions.)
Several other Theatre classes are popular with non-majors because they fulfill the Fine Arts requirement for General Education or IAI. For IAI (transfer) students these courses include:
- Experiencing Theatre (THE 152)
- Introduction to Black Drama and Theatre (THE 154)
- Introduction to Film Art (THE 170)
The General Education courses in the School of Theatre are:
- Experiencing Theatre (THE 152)
- Arts and Society: Theatre (THE 176.01)
- Arts and Society: Film (THE 176.02)
- World Arts: Theatre (THE 275.01)
- World Arts: Film (THE 275.02)
Note that the World Arts classes also satisfy the University’s Global Studies requirement.
