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 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
60-92
Catalog Year
2023-2024
Effective Term
Fall 2023
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.

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

What You'll Learn

This pathway map will help you gain the expertise needed to:

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

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 Maricopa County-based annual median 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

$39,352

Costume Attendants

$33,954

Elementary School Teachers

$47,892

Media Programming Directors

$55,091

Postsecondary Art, Drama, and Music Teachers

$63,340

Producers

$55,628

Producers and Directors

$55,091

Set and Exhibit Designers

$43,775

Stage, Motion Picture, Television, and Radio Directors

$55,628

Theatrical and Performance Makeup Artists

$99,604

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 Lightcast using data, reports, and forecasts which are generated using government data sources and Lightcast’s proprietary analytical processes. Lightcast’s data covers multiple classes of workers including QCEW, non-QCEW, and those who are self-employed. Disclaimer

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 Pathway Planner 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.

Pathway Map Options

There are multiple options available for this pathway map. These options vary depending on the available transfer institutions and what degrees you may be able to transfer into.

These pathway map options may share some common coursework. To explore what additional coursework may be required, select your desired option from the list below. Once selected, the list of courses and any associated details will be automatically updated in the course sequence below. The differences between individual pathway map options may only be a few courses.

Pathway Map Option Details

No pathway map option has been selected. Please select from the pathway map options listed above.

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 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
FYE101 or
FYE103		 Introduction to College, Career and Personal Success or Exploration of College, Career and Personal Success 1–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option Theatre Production/Practicum course varies by transfer plan 1
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 101 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

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 3
CRE101 College Critical Reading and Critical Thinking OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment L 0–3
COM100 or
COM110 or
COM230		 Introduction to Human Communication or Interpersonal Communication or Small Group Communication 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
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 102 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

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
THF115 Makeup for Stage and Screen 3
THP214 Directing Techniques 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 2–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 201 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

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
Transfer Option Transfer Option 2–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 2–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 202 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

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 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
MAT14+ College Mathematics OR Any approved general education course in the Mathematical Applications [MA] area MA 3–6
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

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
Transfer Option Transfer Option Theatre Production/Practicum course varies by transfer plan 1
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3

Term 4

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 4
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
ENG102 or
ENG108		 First-Year Composition or First-Year Composition for ESL FYC 3
THP214 Directing Techniques 3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 101 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

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 3
THE220 Modern Drama Critical course HU, L 3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 102 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

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
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 201 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

Term 7

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 7
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
THF115 Makeup for Stage and Screen 3
CS Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application CS 3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 2–3
Second Language Second Language Requirement, 202 Level See your program advisor to determine if your transfer option requires language proficiency

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

Term 9

A sequence of suggested courses that should be taken during Term 9
Course Number Course Name Requisites Notes Area Credits
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
Transfer Option Transfer Option 0–3
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.

  • C = Cultural Diversity in the US
  • CS = Computer/Statistics/Quantitative Application
  • FYC = First Year Composition
  • G = Global Awareness
  • H = Historical Awareness
  • 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=183312).

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.