Admission, Auditions, and Interviews

The Fordham Theatre Program is an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree that offers four areas of study for theatre majors: Performance, Design and Production (D&P), Playwriting, and Directing.

Along with your University application, we ask prospective Theatre Program students for additional information that aligns with each of the four Concentrations. There are three steps to providing this information:

Step One

Submit your application for admission to Fordham University.

Once you have applied, you will receive credentials to log into the Online Applicant Portal after the Office of Admissions has acknowledged receipt of your admission application via email - this can take 2-3 days. Once you receive your credentials, please log into the Online Applicant Portal and find the section called Portfolio or Materials. This is where you will upload your pre-screening materials.

Step Two

Prepare and submit your materials for your pre-screening application to the Fordham Theatre Program.

Select one of the four Concentrations and prepare its specific materials for submission. Learn more about each Concentration’s submission guidelines in the links below:

Once you submit your materials, Fordham University Theatre Program faculty will review them on a rolling basis. Prospective students will be notified individually if selected for a callback. We ask that all applicants reserve time for their preferred audition day(s) in advance.

Step Three

Participate in an in-person interview/audition at your callback.

Participants that are called back will meet individually with the Head of the Concentration, where you will have the opportunity to share your work in your discipline. These interviews will be held in person or virtually. In the interview, we’ll discuss you, your education goals and how the Fordham Theatre program may fit into those goals.

While you may be accepted into the program through one Concentration, there is no obligation for you to remain in that Concentration. Many students learn during their education that they prefer another Concentration over the one they were accepted into the program with. Regardless of your Concentration, you’ll receive a well-rounded undergraduate education that will prepare you for many different aspects of working, creating, and thriving in the theatre.

We also offer a theatre minor for undergraduate students, which does not require an audition or interview.

Prescreening and Callback Procedures

We strongly encourage all prospective students to attend their interview/audition in-person. We feel that we will learn the most about you, and you will learn most about the program, while we are together in-person in the same room. However, if you are unable to attend in-person, we will make a live, virtual audition or video audition available to applicants by request. Please contact [email protected] to inquire after virtual or video audition.

Audition/Interview and Application Deadlines

Audition Dates

Saturday, November 23, 2024 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Sunday, November 24, 2024 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)

Saturday, January 18, 2025 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Sunday, January 19, 2025 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Saturday, January 25, 2025 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Sunday, January 26, 2025 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 (Chicago, Palmer House Hilton)
Thursday, February 6, 2025 (Chicago, Palmer House Hilton)

Saturday, February 8, 2025 (Los Angeles, Renaissance LAX)
Sunday, February 9, 2025 (Los Angeles, Renaissance LAX)

Deadlines

First-year fall applicants to the Theatre major must select Early Action on their application and submit the Common Application on or before Friday, November 1, 2024. Late applications will be accepted, but only on a case-by-case basis.

Pre-screening materials must be submitted via the Fordham Application portal by Monday, November 11, 2024 to be considered for an in-person callback.

When submitting a pre-screen, applicants will also submit a preference form indicating their availability for their callback. Performance and Design & Production applicants can choose to attend a callback in either late November or mid-to-late January. Applicants who request a November call-back audition as their preferred callback date will be notified of their prescreen result no later than Friday, November 15, 2024.

All other first-year applicants will be notified of their prescreen result no later than Monday, December 2, 2024. Transfer applicants will be notified of their prescreen result no later than Friday, December 13, 2024.

The deadline for pre-screening materials follows a different schedule for application and pre-screen submission. Please refer to the Transfers page for more information.

Undergraduate Audition and Interview Dates

Performance Auditions and D&P Concentration Interviews only

Saturday, November 23, 2024 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)
Sunday, November 24, 2024 (New York, Fordham University Theatre)

Auditions and Interviews for all four Concentrations

Auditions and Interviews (Performance only)

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 (Chicago, Palmer House Hilton)
Thursday, February 6, 2025 (Chicago, Palmer House Hilton)
Saturday, February 8, 2025 (Los Angeles, Renaissance LAX)
Sunday, February 9, 2025 (Los Angeles, Renaissance LAX)

International Students

For international students, please visit the International Students page for application information to Fordham University. Otherwise, please follow the audition and interview guidelines for the Theatre major as listed on this page.

Questions?

Contact: [email protected] or call 212-636-7562.

Tours and Open House Events

We offer in-person and virtual Theatre Program Q&A sessions and tours during the dates of the in-person callbacks. We also encourage you to come see our Mainstage and Studio productions. We are unable to accommodate requests for individual theatre meetings and theatre tours.

Want to get to know the greater University even better virtually? Virtual tours of our campus and other virtual events are available through Undergraduate Admissions.

Attending Theatre Productions

We welcome prospective students to attend any of our theatre productions throughout the year, and are pleased to offer you complimentary tickets. Please call our box office at 212-636-6340 or email us at [email protected] to arrange a pair of complimentary tickets for one of our upcoming productions. Please be sure to specify that you are a prospective student when you reserve your tickets.

Sitting in on Theatre Classes

Only students accepted into the Theatre Program will be invited to sit in on theatre classes in the spring. Accepted students will be notified of this opportunity.