The Department of Musical Theatre is renowned as one of the top musical theatre programs in the world, and offers young performers the unparalleled opportunity to receive a premier university education along with intense, conservatory-style training. Highly respected for its smart, skilled graduates, the program has one of the largest networks of alumni working on Broadway. The Department faculty comprises seasoned industry professionals and the field’s top pedagogues, and the student body reflects the diversity of our country and the world. Individualism is valued here—we cultivate and support the unique strengths, talents, and hopes of each student.
The department’s peerless faculty has extensive experience on Broadway, in first-class regional theatres, and as sought-after clinicians and teachers. Their expertise allows them to meet each student where they are and challenge them to achieve the highest professional standards. With a class size averaging 23 students, the department’s intimate nature fosters a nurturing, yet highly-disciplined environment
The forward-looking curriculum prepares students to adapt to an ever-changing creative field. Guest artists visit frequently, offering students connections, insights, and current perspectives. A degree from Michigan prepares students for extraordinary careers that will have a dynamic impact on the communities in which they reside.
Michigan is known for fiercely loyal graduates, and Musical Theatre Department alumni are particularly engaged and accomplished. Graduates routinely return to Ann Arbor to work with current students and a robust alumni network provides incomparable support and connections in New York City and beyond.
At Michigan, students are a part of something larger. The balance of academics and arts attracts a very bright peer group who are focused on their craft while participating fully in collegiate life. The supportive atmosphere creates lifelong connections between students, alumni, and faculty and provides a foundation for a fulfilling and successful creative life.
Musical theatre students work in state-of-the-art facilities, including the Walgreen Drama Center, which houses the Arthur Miller Theatre; Stamps Auditorium; two rehearsal studios; costume, scene, camera, and sound studios; classrooms; and faculty offices. Students also study at the Dance Building (opening August 2021) and the Earl V. Moore Music Building, which recently received a $29.5 million expansion and renovation, and they have access to cutting-edge audio and video recording studios, allowing for the highest quality documentation of their creative work. All SMTD students receive unprecedented entrepreneurial and career planning support through the school’s EXCEL program (Excellence in Entrepreneurship Career Empowerment & Leadership), the nation’s top program for funding student entrepreneurial ventures in the performing arts.
The University of Michigan is renowned for developing excellence. Combining the focus and rigor of a conservatory with the academic breadth and depth of a major public research university, an SMTD education is a transformative experience. Musical theatre students receive a comprehensive program of instruction, performance and pedagogy, as well as the inspiration and knowledge of a liberal arts course of study, instilling the values of innovation and inclusion, and our graduates are fully-engaged citizens eager to make a difference in their field and community.
