BFA

4-Year Program

The intensive BFA Acting Program prepares students for the demands of a professional acting career across a variety of media. The objective is to nurture visionary actors who can work on stage, film, television, and across a variety of exciting new-media platforms. Based in classical actor training with an eye towards the future, the Program focuses on the tools needed to succeed in the shifting landscape of the 21st century. Rigorous classes in acting, voice, speech, movement, and theatrical production are augmented by a wide range of performance and production experiences—each tailored to the individual needs of the student.

The curriculum is structured progressively with a strong emphasis on movement and physical expression as a means to unlock the imagination. First-year students study and perform significant texts across a vast landscape of the American canon. Focus is given to developing process and technique while expanding imagination and artistry. The second year is devoted to the study of classical world texts in performance. In addition, there is an increased focus on defining, developing, and deepening each student’s craft and individual vision. In the third year of training, students engage modern dramatic classics as well as contemporary cinema, poetry, and other narrative sources. The third and fourth years are devoted to on-camera technique as well as advanced scene study, all meant to address the growing importance of media to the actor.

All BFA Acting students are required to pass a Mid-Residence and Graduation Review in order to complete the Program and obtain their degree.

Full Curriculum

Detailed curriculum and academic requirements can be found in the online course catalog.

View Curriculum Requirements


The Undergraduate Experience

CalArts is committed to providing a broad program of general education designed to enable students to consider aesthetic questions within larger socio-cultural, ethical and political contexts.

Learn more about the General Education curriculum


Interdisciplinary Opportunities

In addition to CalArts' rich and diverse community and naturally collaborative atmosphere, the Institute provides several programs of study that can be pursued concurrently with a student's chosen metier.

Digital Arts Minor

The Minor is designed to help undergraduate students grasp the knowledge to build, engineer and design innovative custom systems.

Digital Arts Minor


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