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Inspire bright futures in theatre and communication
Theatre and communication teachers have a one-of-a-kind opportunity to open the door to a world that their students may have never known. It’s in these classrooms that students are very often exposed to this art form for the very first time — that they truly start to grasp its inner workings, discover career opportunities and explore history in an entirely different way.
As a Bachelor of Science in Speech and Theatre Education student at William Woods University, you will prepare for a career teaching students in the same way you too may have discovered your passions. You will take coursework that explores a combination of communication and theatrical curricula — from argumentation and debate to stagecraft, production and direction — from Shakespeare to Improv. You’ll gain the knowledge to not only become an expert in your craft, but so you posses the skills to pass it on.
It is very important that future teachers understand both sides of the curtain — performance-based and technical production courses — so that they can safely and accurately teach their students. This also provides for a safer production environment and a better overall production when it comes time to produce the high school musical or play.
In conjunction with this degree you will take coursework to earn your Secondary Education Certification, which is required to teach Speech or Theatre for grades 9-12 in the state of Missouri.
Special opportunities
- Take advantage of opportunities for immediate mainstage experience from your first day on campus. We show no casting preferences, nor give anyone auditioning first choice of roles. Students are typically cast in mainstage productions their freshman year
- Gain valuable acting and technical experience in four mainstage productions on two different stages, Cutlip Auditorium and Dulany Auditorium
- Benefit from small class sizes, and work one-on-one with committed faculty who have exceptional credentials and training — having worked professionally in theatre, television, Hollywood, commercials and radio. Examples of their work include Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Dukes Of Hazzard, M*A*S*H, and Little House On The Prairie
- Join organizations that foster creative growth like Second Season – student directed, designed, acted and produced plays and musicals — Jesters, Served up Crispy Improv Troupe, and First Impressions Show Choir
- Grow your communication skills with organizations including the Forensic (Speech and Debate) Team, Reel Fanatics Film Club, and Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society
- Have your print or online portfolio reviewed every year and receive feedback from professionals in the field
- Pursue a minor in Theatre or Music
Our Speech and Theatre Education degree at work
The speech and theatre education program will thoroughly prepare you to be a speech or theatre teacher in the state of Missouri for grades 9-12. Our graduates can be found teaching theatre, public speaking, music, around the state of Missouri and across the country.
Recent Employers
Our students are highly sought after by distinguished employers across the country, including:
Requirements/Curriculum
The Bachelor of Science in Speech and Theatre Education degree at William Woods University consists of 122 distinct credit hours for graduation—including 12 core major credits, a 21-credit concentration in Theatre or Communication, and 12 credits in the other concentration, as well as the additional 46 credit hours needed for Secondary Education Certification.