The University of Mary Washington will launch a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts program beginning in fall 2026, creating a track for students seeking focused, pre-professional preparation in the field.
Students in the University of Mary Washington theatre program already bring plays and musicals to life each year — performing on stage, designing costumes and sets, managing productions and collaborating behind the scenes.
The work has earned them national recognition. For three consecutive years, The Princeton Review has ranked UMW among its Top 25 college theatre programs. Graduates go on to work as professional actors, stage managers, technicians and designers in major venues like the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Broadway, and on hit shows streaming on Hulu and HBO.
Now the University is building on that momentum with a new degree. UMW will launch a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Performing Arts program beginning in fall 2026, following recent approval by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). The degree reflects continued growth for Mary Washington’s theatre program and creates a track for students seeking focused, pre-professional preparation in the field.
The BFA combines intensive studio instruction with hands-on production experience while maintaining a liberal arts and sciences foundation. UMW is currently recruiting students interested in joining the program for the 2026-27 academic year.
“This is a first-of-its-kind degree at UMW,” said Department of Theatre and Dance Managing Director Jon Reynolds. “Our department has already grown tremendously in the strength of our productions and the depth of our training, and the new BFA will allow us to train students at an even higher level, particularly those who want to pursue theatre in a more focused way.” Read more about UMW’s New BFA in Performing Arts.
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