Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Theatre

The Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA), Emphasis in Theatre provides a foundation in design, technical, and performance practices for students who wish to specialize in performing arts, including acting, directing, design and technology, stage management, playwriting, and dramaturgy. This degree helps students develop the communication, collaboration, and creative problem-solving skills that are sought after by most career fields. With an associate degree, students will be prepared to enter a career or for transfer to a bachelor's degree program.

Details

Field of Interest
Visual and Performing Arts
Degree Type
Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA)
Academic Plan
Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Theatre (DEG)
Academic Plan Code
8315
Total credits required
60-70
Catalog Year
2025-2026
Effective Term
Fall 2025
Notes

Students must earn a grade of C or better in all courses within the program.

Because transfer requirements vary by program and institution, students intending to transfer are strongly encouraged to meet with a faculty program advisor and student success analyst once they have selected their transfer institution to ensure all requirements for achieving junior standing are satisfied.

This emphasis is intended to align with the degree requirements for the following transfer partners:

ASU (Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts), Theatre, BA

ASU (Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts), Theatre (Design and Production), BA

NAU, Theatre (Design and Technology Emphasis), BA or BS

NAU, Theatre (Performance Emphasis), BA or BS

NAU, Theatre (Theatre Studies Emphasis), BA or BS

U of A, Theatre Arts, BA

U of A, Theatre Production: Professional Actors Training Program Emphasis, BFA

Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information: ASU , NAU , U of A .

Students at any Maricopa Community College may need to complete courses at more than one of our colleges.

What You'll Learn
  • Demonstrate foundational skills in design, technical, and performance practices for effective communication and personal expression across various artistic genres.
  • Apply critical thinking and research skills to the creative process.
  • Collaborate effectively, recognizing diverse opinions and cultural and individual differences.
  • Generate ideas, creations, or models that express the human condition and one`s relationship to the culturally diverse world.
  • Interpret dramatic works within historical, cultural, and contemporary contexts.
  • Engage in ethical personal and professional artistic practices, in accordance with copyright laws, intellectual and artistic freedom, civic responsibility, and standards of the field.
  • Develop a portfolio of artistic and academic work to support university transfer, career development, and/or personal use.
Career Statistics

Successful completion of this degree may lead to employment in a variety of different occupations and industries. Below are examples of related occupations with associated Arizona-based wages* for this degree. Education requirements vary for the occupations listed below, so you may need further education or degrees in order to qualify for some of these jobs and earn the related salaries. Please visit with an academic advisor and/or program director for additional information. You can click on any occupation to view the detail regarding education level, wages, and employment information.

Actors
$29.71 hourly
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
$66,570
Costume Attendants
$34,980
Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
$51,150
Makeup Artists, Theatrical and Performance
$124,380
Media Programming Directors
$60,490
Producers and Directors
$60,490
Set and Exhibit Designers
$54,410

There are additional career opportunities associated with this degree that do not have occupational data available for Arizona at this time. These occupations are listed below:

  • Entertainers and Performers, Sports and Related Workers, All Other

* Career and wage information provided by Pipeline AZ using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources. Sources

Course Sequence by Term

The following is the suggested course sequence by term. Please keep in mind:

  • Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an individual education plan that meets their academic and career goals. Use the Degree Progress Report Tool in your Student Center to manage your plan.
  • The course sequence is laid out by suggested term and may be affected when students enter the program at different times of the year.
  • Initial course placement is determined by current district placement measures and/or completion of 100-200 level course and/or program requirements.
  • Degree and transfer seeking students may be required to successfully complete a MCCCD First Year Experience Course (FYE) within the first two semesters at a MCCCD College. Courses include FYE101 and FYE103. Course offerings will vary by college. See an academic, program, or faculty advisor for details.

Full-time Sequence

Full-time status is 12 credits to 18 credits per semester.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Any approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
THE111 Introduction to Theatre Critical course Gateway course HU 3
THP112 or
THP213		 Acting I or Introduction to Technical Theatre Critical course Gateway course Recommend students pursuing acting should take THP112 in the first semester and THP213 second semester
Students pursuing technical theater should take THP213 first semester and THP112 second semester 		3–4
THP201AA or
THP202		 Theatre Production I or Theatre Production Projects Note that students intending to transfer to the University of Arizona should take THP201AA. Students transferring to NAU should take THP202. Consult with an Academic Advisor. 1
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Small Group Communication SB or SB or SB 3
THE220 Modern Drama Critical course HU, L 3
THP112 or
THP213		 Acting I or Introduction to Technical Theatre Critical course Gateway course Recommend students pursuing acting should take THP112 in the first semester and THP213 second semester
Students pursuing technical theater should take THP213 first semester and THP112 second semester 		3–4
THE+++ or
THF+++ or
THO+++ or
THP+++		 Any Theatre course or Any Theatre and Film course or Any Theatre Occupational course or Any Theatre Performance/Production course Meet with an academic advisor to select appropriate courses totaling six (6) credits. 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application CS 3
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
THO115 Makeup for Stage and Screen 3
THP214 Directing Techniques 3
THE+++ or
THF+++ or
THO+++ or
THP+++		 Any Theatre course or Any Theatre and Film course or Any Theatre Occupational course or Any Theatre Performance/Production course Meet with an academic advisor to select appropriate courses totaling six (6) credits. 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
THP217 Introduction to Design Scenography HU 3
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4
THE+++ or
THF+++ or
THO+++ or
THP+++		 Any Theatre course or Any Theatre and Film course or Any Theatre Occupational course or Any Theatre Performance/Production course See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency 3

Part-time Sequence

Part-time status is 11 credit hours or less.

A list of additional requirements for this pathway map
Awareness Areas
  • In addition to the requirements identified in the sequence below, students must complete the following awareness areas if not otherwise met by other program requirements:
    • Cultural [C] and
    • Global [G] or Historical [H]
  • Students are strongly encouraged to visit with an academic advisor to ensure completion of all graduation requirements.

Term 1

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 1
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG101 or
ENG107		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
THE111 Introduction to Theatre Critical course Gateway course HU 3
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3

Term 2

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 2
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC or FYC 3
THP112 or
THP213		 Acting I or Introduction to Technical Theatre Critical course Gateway course Recommend students pursuing acting should take THP112 in the first semester and THP213 second semester
Students pursuing technical theater should take THP213 first semester and THP112 second semester 		3–4
THP201AA or
THP202		 Theatre Production I or Theatre Production Projects Note that students intending to transfer to the University of Arizona should take THP201AA. Students transferring to NAU should take THP202. Consult with an Academic Advisor. 1

Term 3

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 3
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
THP112 or
THP213		 Acting I or Introduction to Technical Theatre Critical course Gateway course Recommend students pursuing acting should take THP112 in the first semester and THP213 second semester
Students pursuing technical theater should take THP213 first semester and THP112 second semester 		3–4
THE+++ or
THF+++ or
THO+++ or
THP+++		 Any Theatre course or Any Theatre and Film course or Any Theatre Occupational course or Any Theatre Performance/Production course Meet with an academic advisor to select appropriate courses totaling six (6) credits. 3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Any approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
THP214 Directing Techniques 3

Term 5

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 5
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Small Group Communication SB or SB or SB 3
THE220 Modern Drama Literacy and Critical Inquiry [L] L 3

Term 6

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 6
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
SG or
SQ		 Natural Sciences General or Natural Sciences Quantitative SG or SQ 4
SB Social & Behavioral Sciences SB 3
THE+++ or
THF+++ or
THO+++ or
THP+++		 Any Theatre course or Any Theatre and Film course or Any Theatre Occupational course or Any Theatre Performance/Production course Meet with an academic advisor to select appropriate courses totaling six (6) credits. 3

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
THO115 Makeup for Stage and Screen 3
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application CS 3

Term 8

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 8
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
THP217 Introduction to Design Scenography HU 3
SQ Natural Sciences Quantitative SQ 4
THE+++ or
THF+++ or
THO+++ or
THP+++		 Any Theatre course or Any Theatre and Film course or Any Theatre Occupational course or Any Theatre Performance/Production course Meet with an academic advisor to select appropriate courses totaling six (6) credits. 3

General Electives

Select courses 100-level or higher to complete a minimum of 60 semester credits but no more than a total of 64 semester credits. Consult with an Academic Advisor.

Students may be required to complete a language course at the elementary or intermediate level or demonstrate proficiency through this level as indicated by assessment. Refer to the MCCCD University Transfer Partner website for more information.

Course Area Key

Gateway Course = Generally the first major-specific course in a pathway.

Critical Course = A course that is highly predictive of future success in a pathway.

  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • HU = Humanities, Fine Arts, and Design
  • L = Literacy & Critical Inquiry
  • MA = Mathematics
  • SB = Social-Behavioral Sciences
  • SG = Natural Sciences General
  • SQ = Natural Sciences Quantitative
Disclaimer

Students must earn a grade of C or better for all courses required within the program.

Course Sequence total credits may differ from the program information located on the MCCCD curriculum website due to program and system design.

View MCCCD’s official curriculum documentation for additional details regarding the requirements of this award (https://aztransmac2.asu.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/MCCCD.woa/wa/freeForm10?id=16456173).

At Maricopa, we strive to provide you with accurate and current information about our degree and certificate offerings. Due to the dynamic nature of the curriculum process, course and program information is subject to change. As a result, the course list associated with this degree or certificate on this site does not represent a contract, nor does it guarantee course availability. If you are interested in pursuing this degree or certificate, we encourage you to meet with an advisor to discuss the requirements at your college for the appropriate catalog year.

Previous Catalog Years

The pathway map presented above is for the current catalog year and is the intended pathway map for new students. All previous catalog years for this pathway map are available at the link below.

Previous catalog years for Associate in Arts, Fine Arts (AAFA) in Associate in Arts, Fine Arts, Emphasis in Theatre