200,000+
Alumni from our Global Campuses
Earn Your BFA in Musical Theatre from the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts
Webster University’s Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theatre, training students to perform in a wide range of styles and with complex material, both classical and current. Our focus on storytelling skills prepare our students for success on stage and on screen. Voice and speech, movement and acting classes form the core curriculum every semester. As the training sequence progresses, students hone and apply the principal tools taught in the core to an array of stylistic approaches — from Greek and Shakespearean verse to the early realism of Chekhov and Ibsen, from the farces of Molière and Oscar Wilde to the contemporary plays of Dominique Morisseau and Paula Vogel.
Musical Theatre majors add to their acting sequence a rigorous training program in music (theory, piano, voice), dance (ballet, jazz, tap, musical theatre dance styles) and musical theatre song study (Golden Age, Sondheim, Disney, rock). In the end, the Musical Theatre program is comparable to a triple major involving work in the Sargent Conservatory, the Department of Music and the Department of Dance.
American Idiot, 2022
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, 2024
The Spitfire Grill, 2023
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, 2021
Rain and Zoe Save the World, 2023
Myths and Hymns, 2023
Choose Webster for Your BFA in Musical Theatre
Train with the Pros
Our training program benefits from several professional partnerships, including collaborations with the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, St. Louis Shakespeare Festival and The Muny. We are able to offer students unparalleled opportunities to work alongside professional theatre artists, directors and designers in the city’s thriving theatre scene.
Our students also benefit from studying in a city that boasts an internationally renowned opera company and orchestra, a vibrant music scene and a number of excellent art museums.
Benefit from Our International Partnership
Webster has an ongoing partnership with the internationally acclaimed Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, where you can study alongside renowned theatre production designers and experience backstage jobs in a lively international theatre scene.
Mentorship from Experienced Faculty
Sargent Conservatory’s faculty members are working professionals and dedicated educators committed to nurturing their students’ artistic growth. Learn more about the individual accomplishments of our faculty. Their work includes Broadway, off-Broadway, regional and international credits, as well as projects in a variety of other fields (film, television, voice-over, corporate events).
Webster's Sargent Conservatory Curriculum
Our first-year program encourages students to discover what it means to be an actor and to establish the basis for a personal technique. First-year students do not perform publicly but do present scene work and songs for Conservatory at the end of the year. Classes during the first year of training typically involve:
- Acting
- Voice and speech
- Movement
- Text analysis
- Makeup
- Ballet I
- Jazz I
- Private voice
- Piano
- Music theory
- Song study
In their second year, performance majors stretch and strengthen basic techniques by applying them to highly contrasting styles of dramatic literature. Second-year students join the casting pool and are now eligible to perform in the Conservatory season. They also comprise the casting pool for the directing students’ “Every Tuesday” series of performances, which involve 20-minute plays presented almost every Tuesday in the semester. Classes during this second year of training typically involve:
- Acting: contemporary theatre, Ibsen and Chekhov
- Voice and speech: Greek and Shakespeare
- Movement: neutral mask, yoga and pilates
- Song study
- Audition techniques
- Ballet II
- Jazz II
- Tap dance
- Musical theatre dance
- Private voice
- Musicianship
- Piano
- Musical theatre history
Work in contrasting styles becomes even more ambitious in the third year of training. Students continue to be eligible for casting in the Conservatory season as well as for opportunities to perform with our professional partners. Classes will now include:
- Acting: Shakespeare, 17th- and 18th-century comedy of manners, Edwardian drama
- Voice and speech: dialects
- Movement: period movement, stage combat, Alexander Technique
- Ballet II or III
- Jazz II or III
- Musical theatre dance
- Musical theatre scene study, song and dance
- Dance improvisation and composition
- Private voice
- Vocal ensemble
The fourth year aims to provide a smooth transition into professional practice. Students remain eligible for both Conservatory casting and casting opportunities with our professional partners. In Spring, students will participate in Senior Showcase, presenting work to casting agents and directors. Classes typically involve:
- Acting: contemporary scene work, Showcase preparation
- Voice and speech: dialects
- Movement: clown
- Acting for the camera
- Audition techniques and professionalization
- Ballet II or III
- Jazz II or III
- Musical theatre dance
- Musical theatre audition technique
- Dance improvisation and composition
- Private voice
- Vocal ensemble
BFA in Musical Theatre
Find out more about the overall curriculum, electives, learning outcomes and more.
Theatre Scholarships
Almost every full-time undergraduate student at Webster University receives some sort of financial aid. Webster’s Office of Financial Aid is committed to making a college education affordable.
Additionally, the Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts awards annual scholarships designated specifically for theatre majors. In 2023-2024, the department awarded over $225,000 in scholarships to its students. Most of these awards are reserved for our third- and fourth-year students. Every year we allot some scholarships to first-year students. These awards are made in consultation with the recruiting faculty and with the Office of Financial Aid. There is no separate application process. Please contact Andrew Laue, Associate Director of Fine Arts Admissions at lauear@webster.edu, for additional information.
“My Webster degree will guide me through the process of telling stories of unheard perspectives and help to shed light on important issues. This, in turn, will enable me to be an instrument in creating a better world.”
Hannah Browning
BFA in Musical Theatre, ’24
Apply Today for the BFA in Musical Theatre
Webster's Sargent Conservatory of Theatre Arts is committed to your artistic growth and academic success. The first step is to fill out an application.
Contact Lara Teeter, Head of Musical Theatre
Get Started on Your Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre Degree
Take the next step toward earning your degree and starting a rewarding career in Musical Theatre. We are here to help you get started.
Explore
Learn more about our academic programs and our main campus and locations.
Engage
Connect with our admissions counselors and academic advisors.
Apply
Apply to Webster and take the next steps for financial aid and scholarships.
Contact the Admissions Office to Find Out More
If you have more questions about the program, your application or other enrollment-related inquiries, contact our Admissions Office.
Call 314-246-7800 or 800-753-6765 or send an email to admit@webster.edu.