Comedian and Saturday Night Live writer Asha Ward honed her craft at Columbia’s School of Theatre and Dance, where comedy students can study at Chicago’s legendary Second City.
Creative careers start here. In the School of Theatre and Dance, you’ll gain hands-on experience and ignite your passion as you develop professional skills to launch a career on and off stage. The School of Theatre and Dance produces approximately 50 productions a year, giving students multiple opportunities to perform, dance, design, produce, choreograph, direct, and stage manage. Theatre students work on a range of plays, musicals, and one-acts, while dancers create bold new works and expand their technique. You’ll collaborate with peers and work across various disciplines, including production design, film, television, and sound design. We are home to the country’s most robust stage combat program, and our #1 ranked Comedy program provides students with an immersive semester at the world-famous Second City. Dance students also work with and learn from professional dance companies from around the world through the acclaimed Dance Presenting Series.
CAREER READINESS
MAJORS
From connecting you to internships to helping you develop door-opening bodies of work to making an important professional connection, Columbia helps students launch their careers.
Acting for Stage and Screen (BA | BFA)
CAREER EXAMPLES Actor (stage, screen, voiceover) Choreographer/Dancer
Comedy Writing and Performance (BA | BFA) Dance (BA)
96
%
Musical Theatre (BA | BFA) Theatre Arts Production and Practice (BA)
Comedy writer/ Performer Director/Producer
of our graduates report being employed or achieving success in creative practice.*
Sound, costume, lighting, and set designer Stage manager/ Production manager
POPULAR MINORS Acting Comedy Writing and Performance Dance
ALUM SPOTLIGHT
Hip‑Hop Studies Playwriting
Behzad Dabu ’08 Actor with recurring roles on ABC’s “How to Get Away with Murder” and Showtime’s “The Chi.” Started in Chicago theatre with Steppenwolf, Goodman, and Victory Gardens.
Stage Combat Theatre Directing
Abby Walburn ’17 Actor who studied Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Recently earned her MFA from East 15 Acting School in London and completed a residency at Shakespeare’s Globe.
LEARN MORE
colum.edu/theatre *Rates are based on institutional surveys. Learn more: colum.edu/effectiveness
Scene Shop
Getz Theatre Center
Dance Center
Costume Shop
The School of Theatre and Dance offers professional-grade facilities that support every aspect of performance, production, and creative exploration. Students rehearse and perform in five fully equipped theatres, including spaces for mainstage plays, musicals, dance concerts, devised works, and student-directed productions. The facilities include dedicated dance studios with sprung floors, a comprehensive scene shop, costume shop, makeup and prosthetics lab, and sound and lighting labs. Spaces like the HAUS Studio provide a flexible venue for concerts, improv, comedy, and readings. These facilities foster hands-on learning, collaboration, and artistic growth—preparing students to excel on stage and screen, behind the scenes, and in the creative industries that power live performance.
Questions? Contact Admissions: 312-369-7130 | admissions@colum.edu colum.edu/admissions
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FACILITIES