The BFA Acting program in the Department of Theatre and Film does not follow the typical program of a traditional acting school. At UBC, we combine professional acting training with a solid grounding in theatre studies and a liberal arts education.
Program Overview
The BFA Acting program focuses on the development of the actor’s instrument and as students progress through their degree they will study and develop their own acting styles and disciplines.
Admission into the BFA Acting program at UBC is limited, and is based on each individual’s audition and supplemental application information.
Curriculum
In the first two years, students pursuing a degree in acting will focus on storytelling, improvisation, scene study, movement and voice. In their third year, we cover the study and practice of acting styles including Commedia dell’arte, Chekhov, Shakespeare, devising, and acting for the camera.
The fourth-year incorporates screen acting, audition techniques, solo creation, singing, voice-over and stage combat. Additionally, our courses are fully integrated with theatre productions and students have the opportunity to act in shows and work with guest artists and industry professionals.
Admissions
The BFA Acting program accepts transfers into their second year from UBC and other post-secondary institutions. Transfers are not accepted into the third or fourth years of the program.
Please note, the Acting program requires a minimum commitment of three years for completion.
Students from UBC Vancouver who are enrolled in another faculty or enrolled at UBC Okanagan must apply to transfer to the UBC Faculty of Arts by January 15, prior to completing the Acting supplemental application.
For current UBC Vancouver students in the Faculty of Arts interested in transferring into the program, you do not need to complete the online UBC application but must submit the supplemental application material by 11:59pm PST February 1. We also recommend completing the required first year courses for BFA Acting students:
- THTR_V 130
- FIPR_V 131
THFL_V 100 is restricted to BFA students within the department, so this requirement is waived for second year transfer students.
For students applying from other post-secondary institutions who are interested in seeing how their courses might transfer to UBC Vancouver, refer to the the online course transfer guide for British Columbia. Acting courses completed at other post-secondary institutions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
If you have particular questions regarding Acting course credits, please contact the Academic Administrator, Mia Faircloth.
Step 1 – Apply to UBC
Apply to UBC by January 15. Note: You do not have to complete this step if you are currently enrolled in a BA or BFA program at UBC Vancouver. Go to Step 2. If you are applying from another faculty within UBC, please submit a Change of Program application through the SSC, and proceed to Step 2. You must list the Bachelor of Fine Arts Acting program as your first or second choice degree program in the UBC online application.
Step 2 – Submit your Audition Online
Following the audition requirements below submit your recorded audition and supplemental material to us using your assigned UBC student number by February 3.
Once you have submitted your application materials you will see a confirmation message in your browser and receive a confirmation email. If you do not receive the confirmation message and email, your application was not received. If you are unable to submit your application due to technical issues, please contact us.
AUDITION INFORMATION
Recorded Auditions:
Applicants should submit a recording of themselves performing a monologue from a contemporary published play (not a film and not something you have written yourself). It is important to have read the entire play so that you understand the context of the character in the play. Maximum length is 2 minutes. Please choose a monologue in which your character is speaking directly to another character rather than those in which the character is talking to “themselves” or talking on the phone. Your submission should be a single, uninterrupted performance of the monologue and should not be edited together from various “takes.”
Audition Process
Please use YouTube, Vimeo or similar to upload your piece. List a private, non password enabled, link to website (YouTube, Vimeo, personal site) that has your single take, 2-minute monologue audition piece.
Some helpful tips to producing a good self-tape audition!
- Please use MP4 video file format.
- Do not shoot in 4k, files are too large.
- A camera phone is just fine.
- Shoot horizontally, not vertically.
- Frame from waist up leaving some space between the top of your head and the frame.
- Natural light is great; avoid top light, harsh shadows and dark rooms.
- We are more interested in your character work than your camera work!
Supplemental material required:
- A photograph (jpg, pdf)—it doesn't need be a professional headshot, just a good photo of you!
- A resume listing your relevant acting experience.
- A one minute video of you performing anything that will help us get to know YOU! This could be a spoken word poem, playing a snippet of a song you love, sharing a rant about something you're passionate about, a monologue you've written yourself, a tour of your kitchen etc.
- References from your acting experience so far (teachers, workshop instructors, directors, etc.)
- Three short (500 characters or less) written responses to these questions: (1) Why do you feel called to be an actor, (2) Tell us about a work of theatre you've seen that has impacted or influenced you, (3) Tell us about something (other than acting) that you are especially passionate about.
Deadline to submit recorded audition and supplemental material February (Pacific Standard Time).
Live, online callbacks will take place in March. We will create as flexible a schedule as possible to accommodate various time zones. Details will be announced once the list of applicants receiving a call-back has been finalized.
Step 3 – Callbacks
Ensure your availability for possible online callback dates.
