Mar 28, 2024  
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2015-2016 
    
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2015-2016 [ARCHIVED CATALOG] See drop-down menu above to access other catalogs.

Course Descriptions


Note: See Catalog Addenda  as that information supersedes the published version of this catalog.

The course descriptions include all courses that are taught for academic credit at the university. They are arranged in alpha-numerical sequence by course subject code. At present, the majority of the 500-600 level courses are offered in the evening hours. Students should be aware that not all courses are offered in the evening or every semester.

Students who are only able to enroll in classes 4 pm or after should consult the appropriate department chairperson for information about the availability of evening sections of courses required in a specific major, concentration and/or minor. Students are urged to consult “Available Course Sections” through the InfoBear link each semester to determine when specific courses are offered.

Click here  for information on how to read course descriptions.

 

 

Theater Arts

  
  • THEA 172 - Theater Costume Practicum

    (1 credit)
    Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
    Credit is given for 60 or more hours per semester of work in costume production for theater and dance. One of the required four practicum credit hours must be earned in this course. Attendance at an organizational meeting is required at the beginning of each semester. May be repeated for a maximum of six credits. Graded on a (P) Pass/(N) No Pass basis. Offered either semester.

  
  • THEA 174 - Technical Theater Production

    (1.5 credits)
    This course introduces students to basic technical theater production methods and skills in lighting, sound, scenic construction and painting. This course meets once weekly for one quarter, spring term, alternate years. It is intended to be taken with THEA 162 Costume Production in the same term. An additional laboratory of 10 hours to be scheduled is required.

  
  • THEA 185 - Theater Management Practicum

    (1 credit)
    Prerequisite: Consent of instructor
    Credit is given for 60 or more hours per semester of work in audience development, publicity, box office and house management activity in connection with departmental productions. One of the required four practicum credit hours must be earned in this course. Attendance at an organizational meeting is required at the beginning of each semester. This course may be repeated. Graded on a (P) Pass/(N) No Pass basis. Offered either semester.

  
  • THEA 199 - First Year Seminar

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: Open to all freshmen with a writing placement score of 3 or above or a SAT score of 500 or above or who have completed ENGL 101. Students with 24 or more transfer credits will have this requirement waived.
    First Year Seminars (FYS) are writing-intensive, topic courses that introduce students to academic thought, discourse and practices. FYS courses prepare and orient students toward productive and fulfilling college careers by actively engaging them in a specific academic area of interest. Students will improve their writing, reading, research and basic information and technology skills while learning to work both collaboratively and independently. These courses will fulfill the First Year Seminar requirement and may fulfill other requirements for the core curriculum. Each course may fulfill different requirements and topics may change each semester. Only one FYS course may be taken for credit. (CFYS)

  
  • THEA 210 - Oral Interpretation

    (3 credits)
    Analysis and oral reading of prose, poetry and drama; individual and group forms, theory and practice. (CSPK)

  
  • THEA 211 - Voice Production for Theater

    (3 credits)
    This course provides an analysis of each student’s vocal habits in performance. Exercises that concentrate on good vocal habits and techniques for the performing artist, training in physical perception of the sounds of “good American speech” and manipulation of the variables of speech for stage interpretation are included. The course provides an introduction to the vocal performance of Shakespeare. Offered spring semester.

  
  • THEA 220 - Play Analysis for Production

    (3 credits)
    The objective of the course is to train theater artists in methods of play analysis for production, which can be applied to diverse periods and styles. The works explored range through early Greek, Elizabethan, Neoclassicism, Realism, and Post-Realism. Theater attendance is required. Offered fall semester.

  
  • THEA 222 - Asian Theater

    (3 credits)
    This course introduces the student to the theater of several Asian cultures and their aesthetic foundations in myth and ritual. Included are Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese and other Asiatic traditions. Offered spring semester. (CFPA; CGCL; CMCL)

  
  • THEA 226 - Children’s Theater

    (3 credits)
    Theater for the child audience: the study of styles and structures for children’s theater and analysis of representative theater pieces for children. Opportunity for performing selected pieces. (CFPA)

  
  • THEA 230 - Creative Dramatics

    (3 credits)
    This course develops creative faculties through the use of dramatic play in laboratory sessions as well as classroom activity. Offered alternate years. (CFPA)

  
  • THEA 236 - The American Musical Theater

    (3 credits)
    Major trends in the evolution of the American Musical Theater from its origin to the contemporary Broadway musical. Examination of major works of leading composers, librettists, performers, producers and choreographers. (CFPA; CWRT)

  
  • THEA 242 - Acting I

    (3 credits)
    Development of appreciation and basic skills in the fundamentals of acting. Introduction to established systems of acting and to character and script analysis. Theater attendance is required. Offered spring semester.

  
  • THEA 243 - Acting II

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: THEA 242 or consent of instructor
    Advanced problems and projects, with intensive scene analysis and character analysis. Theater attendance is required. Offered alternate years.

  
  • THEA 247 - Performing the Musical

    (3 credits)
    The course is a laboratory experience in the performance of musical theater. The student studies the aspects of movement, singing and acting as they are unique to musical theatre performance. Songs, dances and scenes will be staged, directed and critiqued.

  
  • THEA 252 - Dance for Musical Theater

    (3 credits)
    This course is a practical survey of several of the major choreographic influences in the American Musical Theater as a means towards studying the major approaches to dance within the genre. Students will study and practice choreography of key figures such as Helen Tamiris, Jack Cole, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse and Twyla Tharp. Combinations of original choreography will be taught, and students will present choreographic projects based on the work of these and other choreographers in the genre. Previous dance experience is strongly advised.

  
  • THEA 265 - Costume Design

    (3 credits)
    This course introduces students to the process of costume design with emphasis on fashion research, character analysis, and drawing and painting costume renderings. Meets five hours weekly. Offered alternate years.

  
  • THEA 272 - Stagecraft

    (3 credits)
    This course examines the techniques and practices of theatrical production including: tools of the trade, theatrical spaces, stage rigging, scenic construction and painting, and theatrical safety. Students will participate in classroom lectures as well as practical projects. Additionally, students will be required to participate in scenery related duties in support of theater and dance productions throughout the semester. This course meets five hours per week. Offered fall semester.

  
  • THEA 280 - Theater Management

    (3 credits)
    This course covers the business aspects of theatrical production: publicity, programs, financing, ticket sales and house management.

  
  • THEA 298 - Second Year Seminar (Speaking Intensive)

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: _ _ _ _199; Open to all sophomores and juniors who have completed ENGL 101, and the speaking skills requirement. Students with 54 or more transfer credits will have this requirement waived. Cannot be taken if _ _ _ _ 298 or _ _ _ _ 299 are taken for credit.
    Second Year Seminars (SYS) are speaking-intensive, topic courses that build on the academic skills and habits introduced in the First Year Seminar. SYS courses engage students in a specific academic area of interest and provide them with the opportunity to reinforce, share and interpret knowledge. Students will improve their speaking, reading, research and basic information and technology skills while building the connections between scholarship and action that are required for lifelong learning. These courses will fulfill the Second Year Seminar requirement and may fulfill other requirements for the core curriculum. Each course may fulfill different requirements and topics may change each semester. Only one SYS course may be taken for credit. (CSYS)

  
  • THEA 299 - Second Year Seminar (Writing Intensive)

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: _ _ _ _ 199; Open to all sophomores and juniors who have completed ENGL 101 and ENGL 102. Students with 54 or more transfer credits will have this requirement waived. Cannot be taken if _ _ _ _ 298 or _ _ _ _ 299 are taken for credit.
    Second Year Seminars (SYS) are writing-intensive, topic courses that build on the academic skills and habits introduced in the First Year Seminar. SYS courses engage students in a specific academic area of interest and provide them with the opportunity to reinforce, share and interpret knowledge. Students will improve their writing, reading, research and basic information and technology skills while building the connections between scholarship and action that are required for lifelong learning. These courses will fulfill the Second Year Seminar requirement and may fulfill other requirements for the core curriculum. Each course may fulfill different requirements and topics may change each semester. Only one SYS course may be taken for credit. (CSYS)

  
  • THEA 319 - Latin American and Latino Theater

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: ENGL 102; and THEA 110 or THEA 115
    Theater created by Latino/a playwrights and performers has served as a vehicle for both artistic expression and social and political change. Organized geographically, this course begins with work representative of the Southern Cone and then considers the Chicano, Puerto Rican and Cuban American experiences in light of issues such as hybridized identities, language, immigration and generational conflict. Representative works by contemporary Latino/a and Latin American playwrights will be examined and will be supplemented by critical texts, film and recordings of live performance. Through analysis of these texts and their productions, students will gain an understanding of common themes and distinct styles of Latino/a performance. Offered annually. (CFPA; CGCL; CMCL; CWRT)

  
  • THEA 326 - Children’s Theater Tour

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: THEA 226
    This course offers students the opportunity to create original theater pieces geared to young audiences. The class will tour schools in Southeastern Massachusetts throughout the semester as part of Bridgewater State University outreach programs. Bridgewater students will have a performing and production experience similar to many professional touring children’s theater companies.

  
  • THEA 340 - Laboratory Theater Production Lab

    (1 credit)
    Corequisite: THEA 347
    Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing

    Students registering for this course must also regsiter for the corequisite course, THEA 347; and they must participate in rehearsals to be arranged over the course of the semester outside of class time. May be taken twice for credit. Offered fall semester.

  
  • THEA 343 - Acting for the Camera

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: COMM 250 or THEA 210
    This course develops specialized techniques necessary for performance as an actor for film or television.

  
  • THEA 346 - Speech and Text for the Actor

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: THEA 211 and THEA 242

    This course will provide students with advanced analytical, vocal, speech and interpretive techniques associated with performing dramatic literature that is constructed on highly artificial language and/or requires virtuosic vocal performance. Through the study of three or four dialects, students will also learn a system for achieving stage dialects.

  
  • THEA 347 - Laboratory Theater Production

    (3 credits)
    Corequisite: THEA 340
    Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing

    Analysis and practice in selection of play scripts, acting and directing techniques in rehearsal, culminating in the performance of a production. Entrance to the course is by audition or interview. Students registering for this course must also register for the corequisite course, THEA 340. May be taken twice for credit. Offered fall semester.

  
  • THEA 348 - Acting Shakespeare

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: THEA 211 and THEA 242
    This course is an exploration of performing Shakespeare. Theory analysis of rhythms, timber, phonetics and poetic devices for performance, scenes, monologues and written analysis are covered. Offered alternate years.

  
  • THEA 376 - Lighting Design

    (3 credits)
    This course discusses the essential principles and functions of theatrical lighting. Students will gain hands-on experience with modern lighting equipment, and will learn the fundamentals of lighting composition (color, angle, intensity) and design for theater, dance and architecture. Students will be required to participate in lighting related duties in support of theater and dance productions throughout the semester. Offered alternate spring semesters.

  
  • THEA 378 - Scenic Design

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: THEA 272
    This course discusses the essential principles and aesthetics of theatrical scenic design. Students will learn historical design approaches and compositional concepts. These concepts will be applied in projects that include scenic drawings, model building, and full non-realized scenic designs. Students will be required to participate in scenery related duties in support of theater and dance productions through the semester. Offered alternate spring semesters. (Formerly THEA 278)

  
  • THEA 399 - Topical Studies

    (3 credits)
    Variable contemporary topics in theater. This course may be repeated for different topics. Offered either semester.

  
  • THEA 421 - Theater History I

    (3 credits)
    Trends in dramatic and theatrical developments throughout the western world from ancient Greece to the 17th century. Offered fall semester. May be taken for graduate-level credit.

  
  • THEA 422 - Theater History II

    (3 credits)
    Trends in dramatic and theatrical developments throughout the western world from the 17th century to the present. Offered spring semester. May be taken for graduate-level credit.

  
  • THEA 430 - Playwriting

    (3 credits)
    Appreciation of the nature of the play as an art form. Analysis of plays of various types. Practice in writing. May be taken for graduate-level credit.

  
  • THEA 431 - Directing I

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: THEA 220 and THEA 242; or consent of instructor
    Basic knowledge and techniques for the beginning director. Play analysis, composition, movement, characterization and rehearsal. Offered spring semester. May be taken for graduate-level credit.

  
  • THEA 432 - Directing II

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: THEA 220 and THEA 242 and THEA 431; or consent of instructor
    This course considers the principles of direction and various theories of direction with practical experience in directing scenes for the stage. May be taken for graduate-level credit.

  
  • THEA 442 - Acting Styles

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: THEA 157 and THEA 211 and THEA 242
    Analysis and practice of styles of acting and staging methods of selected historical periods and modern movements considered classics in the development of theater, including the Greek, Elizabethan, Restoration, Georgian and neoclassic periods and schools, and the works of such as Ionesco, Brecht, Beckett, and Moliere. Improvisations, scenes, monologues. Theater attendance is required. May be taken for graduate-level credit.

  
  • THEA 455 - Audition Techniques

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: THEA 157 and THEA 211 and THEA 242
    This course explores and practices audition theory and techniques. Audition pieces of various styles and periods are developed and critiqued. Different formats for auditions are utilized.

  
  • THEA 485 - Honors Thesis


  
  • THEA 495 - Seminar in Contemporary Theater

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: Senior standing and THEA 220
    This is a required capstone course for students graduating with a concentration in theater. The course deals with issues in contemporary theater and practical matters surrounding careers in theater. Recital, portfolio, or thesis is required. Theater attendance is required. Offered fall semester. May be taken for graduate-level credit. (CWRM)

  
  • THEA 497 - Advanced Individual Projects

    (1-3 credits)
    Prerequisite: Junior standing; consent of faculty supervisor; additional course prerequisites depend on project
    The student contracts with faculty to explore learning activities of a creative nature beyond the scope of regular course offerings. This course may be repeated for a maximum of six credits. May be taken for graduate-level credit.

  
  • THEA 498 - Internship in Theater

    (3-15 credits)
    Prerequisite: Consent of the department; formal application required
    A non-classroom experience designed for a limited number of junior and senior majors to complement their academic preparation. This course may be repeated for a maximum of 15 credits. Graded on a (P) Pass/(N) No Pass basis. Offered either semester.

  
  • THEA 499 - Directed Study in Theater

    (1-3 credits)
    Prerequisite: Consent of the department; formal application required
    Directed study is open to juniors and seniors who have demonstrated critical and analytical abilities in their studies and who wish to pursue a project independently. This course may be taken twice for a maximum of six credits. Offered either semester.


Women’s and Gender Studies

  
  • WMST 199 - First Year Seminar

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: Open to all freshmen with a writing placement score of 3 or above or a SAT score of 500 or above or who have completed ENGL 101. Students with 24 or more transfer credits will have this requirement waived.
    First Year Seminars (FYS) are writing-intensive, topic courses that introduce students to academic thought, discourse and practices. FYS courses prepare and orient students toward productive and fulfilling college careers by actively engaging them in a specific academic area of interest. Students will improve their writing, reading, research and basic information and technology skills while learning to work both collaboratively and independently. These courses will fulfill the First Year Seminar requirement and may fulfill other requirements for the core curriculum. Each course may fulfill different requirements and topics may change each semester. Only one FYS course may be taken for credit. (CFYS)

  
  • WMST 298 - Second Year Seminar (Speaking Intensive)

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: _ _ _ _ 199; Open to all sophomores and juniors who have completed ENGL 101, and the speaking skills requirement. Students with 54 or more transfer credits will have this requirement waived. Cannot be taken if _ _ _ _ 298 or _ _ _ _ 299 are taken for credit.
    Second Year Seminars (SYS) are speaking-intensive, topic courses that build on the academic skills and habits introduced in the First Year Seminar. SYS courses engage students in a specific academic area of interest and provide them with the opportunity to reinforce, share and interpret knowledge. Students will improve their speaking, reading, research and basic information and technology skills while building the connections between scholarship and action that are required for lifelong learning. These courses will fulfill the Second Year Seminar requirement and may fulfill other requirements for the core curriculum. Each course may fulfill different requirements and topics may change each semester. Only one SYS course may be taken for credit (CSYS)

  
  • WMST 299 - Second Year Seminar (Writing Intensive)

    (3 credits)
    Prerequisite: _ _ _ _ 199; Open to all sophomores and juniors who have completed ENGL 101 and ENGL 102. Students with 54 or more transfer credits will have this requirement waived. Cannot be taken if _ _ _ _ 298 or _ _ _ _ 299 are taken for credit.
    Second Year Seminars (SYS) are writing-intensive, topic courses that build on the academic skills and habits introduced in the First Year Seminar. SYS courses engage students in a specific academic area of interest and provide them with the opportunity to reinforce, share and interpret knowledge. Students will improve their writing, reading, research and basic information and technology skills while building the connections between scholarship and action that are required for lifelong learning. These courses will fulfill the Second Year Seminar requirement and may fulfill other requirements for the core curriculum. Each course may fulfill different requirements and topics may change each semester. Only one SYS course may be taken for credit. (CSYS )

  
  • WMST 499 - Directed Study

    (1-3 credits)
    Consent of the department chairperson; formal application required
    Directed study is open to juniors and seniors who have demonstrated critical and analytical abilities in their studies and who wish to pursue a project independently. This course may be taken twice for a maximum of six credits.

 

Page: 1 <- Back 1015 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25