Our Programme

Bachelor of Arts, Theatre & Media Arts (Undergraduate Academic Programme

PROGRAMME CODE: ‘TMA’

Our History

The department of Theatre Arts was one of the departments the University took off with in 2011. It is one of the six pioneer programmes of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences as approved in the original academic brief of FUOYE.

The University Senate approved a minor adjustment of the name of the programme from Theatre Arts to Theatre and Media Arts in 2012. This minor adjustment was necessitated by the need to ensure that our graduates are not under-marketed given the fact that they are not only trained for the stage, but also for the Screen and Radio.

The first set of students matriculated in 2012, and they were 26 in number. Today (2020) the student population is 415.

Our Philosophy, Aims and Objectives

PROGRAMME PHILOSOPHY

Theatre and Media Arts, as an Arts discipline, is a creative package meant to equip the student with the practical, vocational and technical skills for cultural expressions. It is also designed to enhance the students’ large scale communicative ability, as well as equip the individual towards job creation; rather than just for employment. As an artistic endeavour, Theatre and Media Arts opens the student to the wide array of opportunities for creativity and self-reliance, in addition to aiding total personal development (i.e the development of the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains). It is an instrument for social entertainment, dissemination and preservation of culture and other vital information. Service courses are offered in the department for students from other departments, while students of the department are encouraged to take some courses in the Liberal Arts and Sciences to broaden their outlook.

 AIM OF THE PROGRAMME

The aim of the programme is to equip graduates of the department for careers in Cultural Institutions, Film Industries, Mass Media as well as for self-employment.

The programme covers a wide area of Directing, Drama and Criticism, Producing, Costume, Make-up, Set-Design, Theatre/Film History, Dance/Choreography, Theatre and Media Management, Theatre-for-Development Communication, Radio/T.V, Film Production, and Educational/Children’s Theatre.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAMME

 I: Learning Objectives

 All our undergraduate programs, B. A. in Theatre and Media Arts share the following learning objectives

  • Building knowledge and appreciation of theatre, dramatic literature, and performance in their cultural, historical, and interdisciplinary contexts with special proficiency in at least one area of theatrical endeavor.
  • Exercising the interdependence of artistic practice and intellectual knowledge.
  • Understanding theatre as a collaborative art form with social impact.
  • Ability to handle a range of analytical, research and practical methodologies in critical studies, playwriting, performance, design, and production.
  • Awareness of contemporary developments and controversies within the field.
  • Applies what has been learned through opportunities for performance, production, interships, and independent study under the supervision of faculty mentors.

II: Distinctive Learning Objectives in the Bachelor of Theatre and Media Arts

The Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Media Arts, in addition to the above shared objectives, is distinctive as a program that:

  • Encourages students to take initiative and develop independent thinking through wide flexibility in curricular choice.
  • Broadens the overall educational experience through opportunities to pursue a minor or double major in another field.
  • Encourages students to take advantage of the FUOYE Overseas Program options.

III: Shared Learning Objectives in the Bachelor of Theatre and Media Arts

The B.A. Degree in TMA represents pre-professional study that provides a highly structured, conservatory approach to training within a professional area of theatre and emphasizes practical experience within the educational framework of the university.

            Although many graduates evolve distinctive careers in film, television and new-media platforms, the primary focus of the training and education within the program is the artistry of stage performance.

In addition to the shared objectives articulated in section I above, our four TMA program also share the following pedagogical aims:

  • Provide concentrated training in the essential technical skills and working vocabularies of a specific area of theatre arts in order to enable students to realize their professional and artistic goals and to have a significant impact on the global entertainment industries.
  • Acquire the ability to read and analyze a dramatic work in terms of the production and/or performance needs in the specific area of study.
  • Introduce students to the work of key practitioners and theorists in their specific areas of study.
  • Develop the students’ unique voices as artists.
  • Understand marketing needs, career opportunities, and professional challenges in their areas of study.