NYU Tisch BFA Program

Audition Required. For tuition and application information, contact NYU’s Undergraduate Drama Department at 212.998.1850.

In 1969, The Stella Adler Studio of Acting became the first professional training school affiliated with New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Undergraduate Drama Department. The program leads students to a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, combining academic studies at New York University with professional training at the Studio. This is a four-year training program.

Students interested in studying at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting through the Bachelor of Fine Arts program must apply and audition directly through NYU Tisch. For admission information and inquiries, please contact NYU’s Undergraduate Drama Department at tisch.nyu.edu/drama.

NYU Year 4 student Sebastian Baca performs in his original work, Found Lost

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The First Year

The first year of the program focuses on providing students with a foundation from which to grow through a firm acting technique, voice and speech work, movement and physical exploration, as well as contemporary and classical scene work. Students will develop a facile responsive body, a strong and clear voice, and a clear understanding of our acting technique.

Classes:

  • Scene Study
  • Shakespeare
  • Movement Techniques
  • Voice and Speech
  • Improvisation
  • Acting Technique
  • Character
  • Modern Dance

The Second Year

The second year concentrates on applying the tools learned in the first year through intense contemporary and classical scene work, with continued voice and speech work and an exploration of physical acting. The year ends with a rehearsal performance of a play directed by faculty or other industry professionals.

Classes:

  • Scene Study
  • Classical Scene Study
  • Physical Acting
  • Voice and Speech
  • Acting Technique
  • Movement for Actors
  • Verse and Text
  • Script Interpretation
  • Acting a Song
NYU Tisch Year 3 students in the Spring 2023 production of The Violet Hour

The Third Year

During the third year, students devote most of their time to rehearsal and performance of a play (classical first semester, modern realism second semester) directed by faculty or other industry professionals. Students also create interpretive work through a Language Project and a Movement Project. Students partake in a classical intensive, which includes master classes in voice with Andrew Wade, former head of voice at the Royal Shakespeare Company; stage combat with J. Steven White, one of the most respected fight choreographers in the industry; and Classical Scene Study with Co-Head of Acting Steve Maurice Jones. Students will also begin exploring audition techniques and on-camera training.

Classes:

  • Classical Intensive
  • Contemporary Scene Study
  • Shakespeare
  • Physical Acting
  • Voice and Speech
  • Audition Technique
  • Acting for Film and Television
  • Self-Generated Theater
NYU Tisch Year 4 students performing in the Fall 2023 production of Twelfth Night

The Fourth Year

In the fourth year, known as the Company, students devote most of their studio time to rehearsal and performance. The Company is a bridge between training and the performance experiences young actors are likely to encounter in the professional world, and includes a 7-week tour to schools, prisons and community centers, giving students the opportunity to work on a role over an extended number of performances, to perform in different venues, and to bring theater to a wide variety of audiences. Each production is supported by a movement coach, voice coach, and acting panel, and is directed by industry professionals. Students participate in industry meetings and have the opportunity to audition for the showcase. Students also have a class on preparing for the acting profession with Casting Director Todd Thaler.

*prices, curriculum, and faculty subject to change