A Performing Arts degree is usually not regarded as professional like a Medicine, Law, Engineering degree, and the rest of them. Regardless, people who have an interest in the course still go ahead to pursue it at the university level.
Again, as it is with other courses of study, some universities (mainly in the United States) are regarded as world-leading universities that have produced the best in the field and have exceptional teaching quality and experience. We will show you the top nine Performing Arts schools in the world.
But first, let us get to understand what makes this course of study stand out.
About Performing Arts Degree
Those who choose a degree in Performing Arts learn the development of creativity with practical aspects of arts management and self-promotion, making it an excellent preparation for a career in the performing arts.
The degree is usually practice-based, with a lot of actual performance, academic, and a mix of practical work and background research. Teaching is done through a combination of hands-on workshops and lectures.
Students who prefer diversity or want to leave their choices open at the conclusion of their degree can study performing arts as dual honours or triple honours degrees (at universities overseas), alongside topics such as painting and design.
Work experience placements are crucial for any combination chosen. This on-the-job training will open doors and foster an open dialogue with industry professionals, regardless of whether students take part in volunteer projects, assist professionals in the creative process, or plan dance or acting classes.
A degree of this kind teaches students public speaking, confidence-building, perseverance, self-assurance, teamwork, time management, analytical, critical, and research abilities, as well as how to accept and improve from constructive criticism. After graduating from a performing arts program, alumni may transition between different fields through temporary or freelance work and partnerships with other artists.
READ : World Class universities launch Study in Russia Virtual Education Fair
Career Path
A performing arts graduate can follow any career route. The majority of employers are from the media, movie industry, arts organizations, educational institutions, leisure businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
The importance of maintaining a professional image at all times is a theme that runs through. As the creative industry is not a 9 to 5 job, creatives must be open-minded and self-aware in order to maximize their unique talents. Graduates with a degree along with interesting work experience and projects can go far in their careers.
Most Ivy League universities made it on the list for the best in Arts and Performing Arts degrees, according to the Times World University Higher Education ranking by subject of 2022:
Here are the top ten universities to study Performing Arts:
1. Stanford University – Department of Theater and Performance Studies
The university offers a wide range of courses in the Arts department with projects ranging from photography, documentary and narrative film, zines, musical theatre, dance, and contemporary plays, and inviting renowned artists for exhibitions and artist talks serving the student community. Some of the courses in the department of Performing Arts offered are:
Art & Art History
Creative Writing
Dance
Design
Digital Media
Film
Music
Theater etc.
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Music and Theatre Arts
Acting, performance studies, voice, movement, performance media, script analysis, playwriting, directing, and a variety of courses in design and scenography are some of the theoretical and applied practical aspects of theater.
The Center for Art, Science and Technology’s (CAST) Artist-in-Residence Program, invites renowned artists to MIT to collaborate with students in classes, seminars, workshops, and productions, which complements the classes offered by MIT’s renowned faculty and staff.
3. University of Cambridge- Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts
Providing pathways in Art & Design, Drama, and Music, the university seeks to encourage all students to realize their potential, fostering independence and maturity to prepare them for life.
Over the last 30 years, the portfolio increased to include Degrees and a Master’s and established links with leading institutions, including the University of the Arts London Awarding Body and Trinity College London as well as Hearst Magazine, publishers of ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Esquire and Cosmopolitan. University of Oxford
Oxford offers a wide range of theater options, from the professional 600-seat Oxford Playhouse, which hosts five large-scale student productions annually, to the 50-seat Burton Taylor Studio, which mounts two student productions each week. Each term, 30 shows are presented, including musical theater, new writing, contemporary drama, and classic plays.
4. University College London – London College of Performing Arts
The college offers BTEC courses focusing on Acting, Dance, and Musical Theatre Pathways. These are suited to post-GCSE students age 16+ and are delivered in partnership with London South East Colleges. Classes are taught at #LondonCollegePA’s multi-studio complex in South-East London where facilities include the Arch Theatre, rehearsal studios, and the Mezzanine Café, and at LSEC’s Greenwich Campus
5. Harvard University – Office for the Arts at Harvard
The Harvard Dance Center allows students to participate in non-credit and credit classes in the dance community. The faculty has a ceramics studio and lab for hands-on artmaking and more. There is also jazz, choral, classical, pops, band, and other ensembles. A ceramics studio, and visual arts to explore opportunities in figure drawing, public art, and studio art are available. Students also have the opportunity to learn from performers and world-class artists in workshops and conversations.
6. Princeton University – Lewis Center Arts, Princeton
The university teaches studio courses ranging from South African Protest Theater to Costume and Set Design in small group classes averaging ten students, and academic courses such as Movements for Diversity in American Theater. The faculty includes world class artists, critics, and scholars.
7. The University of Chicago- UChicagoArts
In order to create an integrative model for practice, presentation, and scholarship, UChicagoArts collaborates with academic departments and programs in the Division of the Humanities and the College, as well as with professional organizations like the Court Theatre and more than 60 student arts organizations.
The University of Chicago’s academic offerings includes numerous degree-granting programs, research initiatives, and dozens of courses for non-degree students to learn more about the arts.
8. The University of California, Berkeley- Berkeley Arts + Design
Dance, music, theater, and hybrid performance practices are all part of the performing arts at UC Berkeley. Students perform in classrooms, studios and black box theaters, public spaces (both real and virtual), and on professional stages. Students learn a variety of classical and experimental performing art forms while being supported by leading departments, world-renowned presenters, and vibrant student clubs.
9. University of Edinburgh- School of Literatures, Languages, and Cultures School
Edinburgh is well-known for its theatre and performance, and it offers live theatre-related degrees such as the MSc in Theatre and Performance Studies and the MSc in Playwriting.
Edinburgh has many beautiful theatres, including The King’s Theatre, The Lyceum, The Playhouse, and the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, and it hosts the Edinburgh International Festival every year. The Traverse Theatre offers courses for young writers, as well as the chance to have your play performed. The Pleasance Societies’ Centre, which the University owns, is one of the Festival’s premier comedy venues, and the Edinburgh University Theatre Company (EUTC) operates the country’s only student-run theatre.
