Directing, BA
Step behind the curtain with Pace’s Bachelor of Arts in Directing, a rare undergraduate program where you’ll collaborate with actors, designers, and playwrights on live productions. With a semester abroad in Barcelona and mentorship from professional directors, this degree prepares you to create compelling theater and develop a distinctive directorial voice.
Location
New York City
Number of Credits
128
Start Date
Fall
F1 Visa Eligible
Yes
STEM Designated Program
No
Direct, Create, and Collaborate in the Center of the Theatre World
The bachelor’s in directing at Pace University’s Sands College of Performing Arts—one of the top 10 most represented colleges on Broadway—is also one of the few undergraduate programs in the nation offering hands-on training for theater directors. The program integrates practical experience with a strong liberal arts foundation, training students in directing, acting, stage management, script analysis, and movement. Through the International Performance Ensemble (I.P.E.), students collaborate with actors, playwrights, designers, and technicians, creating original work and reimagining classic productions.
During your fifth semester, you’ll study abroad at the Institute of the Arts Barcelona, where you’ll train in European theater techniques while continuing to meet academic requirements. Back in New York, you will gain experience assistant directing professional productions and participating in new works festivals. Each project hones your ability to craft a unique directorial voice, collaborate across disciplines, and bring your creative vision to life.
Graduates of the directing degree program have created theater companies, directed professionally in regional and international venues, and gone on to prestigious graduate programs. With an understanding of theater as an interdisciplinary art form, alumni are equipped to create compelling productions and carve out successful careers as directors, producers, and artistic leaders.
Curriculum
You will have coursework in global marketing management, advertising and promotion, sports marketing, or digital marketing. Further, you’ll learn the necessary competencies to work for a Fortune 1000 firm, the communications division of a global corporation, an ad agency conglomerate, on Madison Avenue, for an internet giant or start up, and everywhere in between.
Take Courses Like…
- PAPE 270 Script Analysis for BA Actors and Directors
- PAPE 314 Form Informs: The Shape of Performance
- PAPE 372 The Director's Lab: From Page to Stage
Careers
Our graduates have created theater companies, directed regionally and internationally, or have further bolstered their expertise at the graduate level.
As a Pace student, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with our robust career services team to develop a career plan that best fits your goals.
Our graduates are prepared for jobs like:
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Student Quote
—Adrienne Kapstein, Head of the BA in Acting and BA in Directing programs
Where Pace Graduates are Employed
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Featured Faculty
Admission and Financial Aid
Ready to take charge of your future? Pace is with you every step of the way, providing a world class education and the skills your industry will be looking for far into the future.
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To learn more about requirements to apply to the Sands College of Performing Arts and what each program requests to include in your application, visit the Sands admission webpage.
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All prospective students to the Sands College of Performing Arts must submit an application for admission to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions before beginning the audition or interview process.
1. Application Deadlines
- November 1: Early Decision—provided that the audition or interview is completed before December 1.
- December 1: Application Final Deadline—no application will be accepted after this date.
- January 3: Pre-screen Deadline—all pre-screens must be in by this date for callback consideration.
- May 1: Deposit Deadline—commitment date for all admitted students, no new decisions will go out after this date.
2. Submit Your Audition Or Portfolio Media On Acceptd
Once prospective students have applied for admission to Pace, they should create a profile on Acceptd and upload the pre-screen requirements to all programs in which they wish to audition/interview.
NOTE: Applicants will need to know their Application ID number (sent via email once the application is processed).
3. Get Your Callback
Our faculty will review each digital submission and issue decisions on all submissions. For those issued callbacks, the faculty will need to see the applicant for a live audition or interview. Students will be notified via Acceptd of the faculty’s decision within two weeks from time of submission and, if given a callback, will be invited to schedule their audition or interview via Acceptd. Students who are not called back will also be notified in the same time frame.
If a student does not hear back from the College of Performing Arts within three weeks, they may email [email protected].
4. Attend The Callback Audition Or Interview
If granted multiple callbacks, the student will need to attend all auditions/interviews. (All programs audition/interview separately).
5. Get The Academic And Artistic Decision
Students will receive one decision letter with their academic and artistic acceptance together. Early Decision applicants will receive their decision by December. All other applicants will be reviewed for academic admission and notified of both the academic and artistic decision beginning in mid-March. In all instances a student must be academically admissible to qualify for admission to the Sands College.
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Understanding the value of a degree is essential, especially in terms of return on investment (ROI). According to The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, Pace University is in the top 6% of U.S. colleges that provide the best return on tuition investment.
For the 2024–2025 academic year, full-time undergraduate tuition is $56,382. However, many students pay significantly less due to our generous merit scholarships, which offer up to $33,000 annually, as well as need-based scholarships, grants, on-campus employment opportunities, and loans. Pace is more affordable than you think. Financial assistance can come from many places, including scholarships, grants, on-campus employment, and loans.
Merit Scholarship Estimator
Estimate your merit scholarship eligibility based on your academic achievements to see how much merit aid you may receive.
Net Price Calculator
Use our Net Price Calculator to estimate your annual education costs and financial aid package.
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For any inquiries, please email Wayne Petro, Director of Enrollment and Incoming Advisor. He’s here to help answer your questions and guide you through the enrollment process.
Did You Know?
Contact Us
Admission Contact
Office of Undergraduate Admission
New York City: (212) 346-1323
Westchester: (914) 773-3746
Email: [email protected]
Departmental Contact
Adrienne Kapstein
Phone: (212) 618-6128
Email: [email protected]