The BA in Theatre Innovation and Entrepreneurship program provides a flexible, individualized program of study to train the next generation of theatre artists and leaders including directors, arts administrators, dramaturgs, teaching artists, and more!
We are looking for students who live an artistic life of “and” to come and join this unique program. BATIE students are: performers “and” writers, directors “and” teachers, designers “and” dramaturgs, artistic leaders “and” scientists, and so much more! If you are passionate about theatre and know that you want to study more than one thing, forging your own path, then this is the program for you! We are looking for excellent students who are ready to embark on an individualized program of theatrical study tailored to their own unique interests and goals and who want to build a broad foundation to support multi-faceted careers in and outside of the theatre. If that’s you, then we want to meet you!
Students in this program will pair the BA core curriculum, which includes a wide variety of classes from many areas of the theatre, with a selection of classes that meet each student’s educational and career goals. Students can choose to complete multiple minors in and outside of the school of theatre, a double major in another area, or select a variety of courses from across campus. Each student’s degree will be different, and each student will work with faculty and their advisor to design a unique program that is tailored to them! The possibilities are endless, but here are some pathways and tracks that a BATIE student might explore:
Students interested in directing are encouraged to minor in Directing, Dramaturgy, and when possible, Design and Production. This equips them with a broad foundation for leading theatrical productions and the knowledge and skills to make dynamic production choices. Directing students may have the opportunity to serve as assistant directors on School of Theatre productions, direct productions for the student theatre organizations, direct productions as a part of the Studio Series, and even do internships serving as an assistant director at a professional theatre in Oklahoma City.
Students interested in Dramaturgy are encouraged to complete the Dramaturgy minor, the Directing minor, and the Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship. As soon as students take the Dramaturgy course they are eligible to start serving as a dramaturg for productions on campus. Because there are so many productions each year, students may have the opportunity to dramaturg many times during their degree. Opportunities may also exist for students to serve as dramaturgs or assistant dramaturgs for professional productions in Oklahoma City.
The BATIE offers two different ways for students to train as teachers. Students in both programs will have the opportunity to work at the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre, a professional children’s theatre on the OCU campus.
Students interested in teaching theatre at a public school have the opportunity to double major in Theatre and Education. Students on this track will complete the BA core and the coursework for the Education major. Then, in their final semester, they will complete a semester of student teaching as their capstone. As their schedules allow, students are also encouraged to take classes in the children’s theatre minor. Students in the double major are eligible for the “Inspired to Teach” program, which provides additional funding to future teachers, including scholarship funds that will apply to their degree at OCU. For more information, visit the Inspired to Teach website by clicking here.
In addition, students who are interested in becoming teaching artists are encouraged to complete the minor in Children’s Theatre, the minor in Directing, and coursework in Design and Production as possible. Students in the Children’s Theatre minor are required to intern with the Oklahoma Children’s Theatre gaining hands-on experience in the field. Students who complete this coursework are ready to work at and even run children’s theatre companies and serve as teaching artists in a variety of capacities.
Students interested in Arts Administration are encouraged to take a variety of courses in theatre to build a broad foundation in all areas. In addition, students are advised to complete the Certificate in Arts Entrepreneurship and minor in another relevant area including Social Media or Business Entrepreneurship. Students are also encouraged to take classes in the Entertainment Business program as available. Students in this track may also have opportunities to serve as assistant producers and production assistants on campus and to complete internships with professional arts organizations in Oklahoma City.
Students interested in playwriting are encouraged to complete the Dramaturgy minor in the School of Theatre and to take coursework in scriptwriting in the English and Film departments. Students are also encouraged to get involved with From Scratch, a student organization dedicated to supporting and producing original student work. There may also be opportunities for writers in the program to have their work read or produced in other capacities on campus and beyond.
The BATIE has a dual degree in Theatre and Film Production. Students in this program are able to learn both and build their skills in both.
The BATIE allows students to double major in many other disciplines. The flexibility in the degree makes it possible to pair your studies in theatre with another area of interest. Click here to see a list of majors and minors available across campus. Though not all majors on campus can be completed as a double major in four years, there are many that can. If you are interested in double majoring, set up a time to chat with us about the possibilities.
The BATIE is unique from many other BA programs because to graduate you only have to complete your general education requirements, the BA core, and earn enough credits for graduation. That means that you can use the other credits in the degree to take ANY CLASS YOU WANT. As long as there is a seat available and you meet the prerequisites, you can take it and it can count toward your degree. Students interested in using their degree to explore will work with BATIE faculty and their advisor to plan their adventure!
As a part of their program of study, BATIE students are encouraged to study abroad in their third year. The program is designed to accommodate a semester abroad. For more information about study abroad opportunities at OCU, click here to visit the Study Abroad Office website.
OCU offers generous scholarships for incoming students based on their high school GPA. Learn more about Scholarships. In addition, the BA program offers talent-based scholarships that are awarded based on the submission of a portfolio and an interview. All students who are offered admission to the BATIE will also be awarded a talent scholarship. Academic scholarships combined with talent scholarships make OCU an affordable option for most students!
Step 1: Submit an Application to the University indicating your interest in the BA Theatre Innovation and Entrepreneurship program
Step 2: Fill out the BATIE application on Acceptd including submitting a portfolio of materials that you think show us who you are as an artist. If you would prefer not to submit through Acceptd, please email Dr. Amy, the head of the BATIE, at [email protected] to arrange to submit via another platform. Either way you submit, your portfolio can contain whatever you would like but should include the following:
Step 3: We will review your portfolio and if we think that we will be a fit for you and you will be a fit for us we will reach out to you via the email provided on your resume to schedule an interview. We can do interviews over Zoom, in person on campus, or at an event that we are attending.
If you have any questions please reach out to the head of the BATIE Program, Dr. Amy Osatinski, at [email protected].
