Admission to the University
If you are interested in any of the Department of Theatre and Dance's degree programs, you must be accepted to Fredonia through the general College Admissions process.
- If you are a first-year student, click here for your university application and requirements!
- If you are a transfer student, click here for your university application and requirements!
- If you are an international student, click here for your university application and requirements!
Non-Audition Programs
Fredonia has two degree programs that do not require auditions. Those are the B.A. in Theatre Arts and the B.S. in Dance. Both of these popular programs allow you to focus on your primary discipline while providing the freedom to explore a wide array of experiences outside that discipline.
- For more information on our B.A. in Theatre Arts degree program, click here!
- Our B.A. Theatre Arts degree program includes tracks in:
- Acting & Directing
- Technical Production
- Theatre Theory
- Stage & Art Management
- Community Engagement and Outreach)
- Our B.A. Theatre Arts degree program includes tracks in:
- For more information on our B.S. in Dance degree program, click here!
Audition Programs
If you are interested in applying for our pre-professional Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) programs (Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre, and Theatrical Production and Design), you must audition or present a portfolio review in addition to your application to the university. You do not have to be accepted by the university before your audition/portfolio review, but both the university and the department must accept you before you begin your B.F.A. program.
The Department of Theatre and Dance will begin accepting applications for the 2024-2025 audition season on September 1st, 2024. All auditions/interview dates for Fredonia's Bachelor of Fine Arts Programs (Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre, and Theatrical Production & Design) will occur both in person and remotely.
B.F.A. Acting & Musical Theatre Pre-Screening Information
Two of our programs—Acting and Musical Theatre—have pre-screening requirements. Before being invited to audition in person or remotely with our faculty, you must go through this pre-screening process. The deadline to submit pre-screening materials for the BFA Acting and BFA Musical Theatre programs is February 18th, 2025.
- For B.F.A. Acting Pre-Screening Video Information, click here!
- For B.F.A. Musical Theatre Pre-Screening Video Information, click here!
NOTE: Once you submit your pre-screening materials and our faculty evaluates them, you will be contacted about scheduling a live or remote audition. If invited to an on-campus or remote audition, you will be asked to indicate your preferred audition date. While we cannot guarantee a preferred date, we will do all we can to accommodate your schedule and travel concerns.
For on-campus auditions, Fredonia is located approximately 50 miles southwest of Buffalo, NY, which is served by air travel, bus, and Amtrak. Accommodations are available in Buffalo or Fredonia.
One important suggestion: we ask that you submit your pre-screening materials at least two weeks ahead of any dates you may want to audition (since the turnaround may take 1-2 weeks for you to hear back from our faculty). Audition dates are listed below:
B.F.A. Acting
- Saturday, February 1st, 2025
- Saturday, February 22nd, 2025
- Saturday, March 29th, 2025
B.F.A. Musical Theatre
- Saturday, February 1st, 2025
- Saturday, February 8th, 2025
- Saturday, February 22nd, 2025
- Saturday, March 1st, 2025
- Saturday, March 29th, 2025
B.F.A. Dance Audition Information
Admission to the B.F.A. Dance program is through a live audition or a video audition. Live auditions will be held on the Fredonia Campus on the following dates:
- Saturday, February 1st, 2025
- Saturday, February 22nd, 2025
- Saturday, March 29th, 2025
If you want to apply to the B.F.A. Dance program through a video audition, you will submit your video material via our Acceptd audition platform.
For more information on your dance audition requirements, please click here!
B.F.A. Theatrical Production & Design Interview and Portfolio Review Information
Admission to the B.F.A. Theatrical Production and Design program is through a twenty-minute interview and portfolio review with the Production Design Faculty. This is an opportunity for the faculty to gain insight into the prospective students' background, artistic potential, educational goals, and specific interests in the area of Theatrical Production and Design. These interviews will be conducted both on campus on the dates below and remotely via the Zoom platform.
- Saturday, February 1st, 2025
- Saturday, February 22nd, 2025
- Saturday, March 29th, 2025
Please complete the Application Form on Acceptd. Once you have completed it, we will confirm everything by email. We will send you a link to complete a Questionnaire form.
For more information about the BFA Theatrical Production & Design Program, please click here!
For more information on your Production / Design Portfolio requirements, please click here!
Audition Fee Information
All Bachelor of Fine Arts programs (Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre, and Production Design) must complete the Application Form through the Acceptd website. Acceptd charges a $35 fee to submit your application. Information on applying for a fee waiver for Acceptd can be found here.
Please click on this link to pay your audition fee via credit card or electronic check. We cannot accept payment by personal check. If you are paying an audition fee, please select the Audition Fee button. If you need an accompanist for your BFA Musical Theatre audition, please select the $20 accompanist fee.
Students scheduling an on-campus, video, or internet-based audition for any Bachelor of Fine Arts program are required to pay a $30 audition fee, payable to the Department of Theatre and Dance. If you are invited to audition for the BFA Musical Theatre program and require an accompanist, you must also pay a $20 accompanist fee. You need not pay the accompanist fee until you receive an invitation for an on-campus audition.
These fees are non-refundable, and you will not receive confirmation of your audition date and time until payment has been received.
International Student Information
We will accept Acting and Musical Theatre applications from International students via the Acceptd portal. We may ask International applicants for additional material, including dance sequences and full songs. As all instruction at Fredonia is conducted in English, International students whose primary language is not English will have to pass the English Equivalency tests or TOEFL Exams. Please refer to the International Pathway Program for more information. Canadian citizens living in the Greater Toronto/Hamilton/Niagara Falls region should be able to attend an on-campus audition, as Fredonia is a three-hour drive from the Toronto metro area.
Additional Information
- Audition or portfolio results are not released to prospective students unless they choose to attend Fredonia. Students not accepted to a B.F.A. program on their initial audition may re-audition one additional time, whether or not they reside at Fredonia. Any student in residence at Fredonia wishing to re-audition or re-submit a portfolio may view the results of their previous audition/interview and discuss those results with a faculty member to gain insight on where improvements need to be made.
- Transfer students should audition/interview for the B.F.A. program of their choice in the semester before they intend to transfer. All B.F.A. programs generally require a minimum of three years for transfer students to complete.
- If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Department of Theatre and Dance by phone at 716-673-3596, or via email at theatre.dance@fredonia.edu. Thank you for your interest in Fredonia, and we look forward to seeing you soon!