First-of-its-kind program combines performance, production and research for a well-rounded theatre education
The halls of the University of Guelph will soon be alive with the sound of music theatre.
The Bachelor of Fine Arts – Music Theatre, U of G’s first BFA program, is now accepting applications for students to start in fall 2027. It will be the only university-level music theatre degree in Ontario.
“The beauty of this program is our students are going to get an in-depth education in a well-rounded program,” says Prof. Robert Allan, one of the lead faculty for the BFA-MT. “Traditionally in music theatre post-secondary education, you’re going to focus exclusively on performance. Our students will be performing, but also researching and creating. They will try everything.”
Embracing a holistic approach to education, the program will teach students everything from stage design and prop building to pit band and on-stage performance. Graduates will leave the BFA-MT with interdisciplinary research experience that will open doors to future careers both in and outside of the music theatre field.
“We’ll see our graduates be political lobbyists, teachers and medical professionals using what they learned here at U of G,” Allan says. He also hopes to see graduates pursue research opportunities in the arts with the skills they learn in the BFA-MT.
No audition process for applying students
Students applying to the BFA-MT will not have to undergo an audition, aligning the BFA-MT with the accessible nature of all of U of G’s fine and performing arts programs.
“Our programs are barrier-free,” explains Dr. Kimberly Francis, director of the School of Fine Art and Music. “We are here to create a community of learners who are curious about art and performance.”
Francis says the lack of audition can lead to an assumption that students will not be strong performers. However, she says the students in U of G’s post-secondary arts programs already have deep experience in their chosen field.
“We’re very committed to meeting you where you’re at and helping you develop,” she says.
Allan notes the process will make the program more accessible to students from a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences.
“We can adapt the rubric, the assignments, whatever we need to help students learn,” he says. “We have the luxury of saying yes to anybody who applies.”
By eliminating the audition, Francis says programs across U of G have a thriving, diverse group of students and genres.
“Music theatre has historically had problems with representation,” she says. “We want to be a program that creates a space to imagine a different and better way together.”
Francis adds there’s an ever-growing appetite for the arts, especially as the world recovers post-pandemic.
“Music theatre really speaks to us. It means something to us,” she explains. “It’s still a vital art form and we need people who are participating in a way that’s informed and intellectually curious.”
Building skills for careers across disciplines
For Dr. Samantha Brennan, dean of the College of Arts, the BFA-MT is the product of years of groundwork across the disciplines.
“This program brings together our exceptional strengths in music and theatre and lets us offer something no other university in the province can,” Brennan says. “It’s the kind of program that could only happen when two great programs decide to build something new together.”
Brennan credits Francis for shepherding the idea into reality.
“Kimberly ‘s vision and hard work are the reason this program exists,” she says. “She saw what our students needed and had the drive to build it, and the College is incredibly grateful for her leadership.”
Brennan also points to the career value of the degree beyond the stage.
“A music theatre degree teaches you how to work as part of a team under real pressure — how to listen, adapt and pull together toward a shared goal,” she says. “Those are skills employers are looking for in every sector, and our graduates will carry them into whatever they do next.”
State-of-the-art facilities for practice, performance
The program is the result of student demand and the College of Arts has already taken steps to increase its offerings, like adding a dance minor in 2026.
“We’ve had a lot of students who wanted to do music theatre,” Francis says. “After producing the musical Into the Woods last year, we started to imagine what a program like this could look like on the curricular level.”
There are four theatres available for students interested in the BFA-MT, including spaces in the newly renovated Arts Research Centre.
“Our facilities are cutting edge,” Francis says. “They give students the chance to really hone their craft.”
The spaces include theatres, recital halls, dance spaces, change rooms, music rooms, a theatre design studio and more.
Students enrolled in the BFA-MT will work alongside students in the theatre studies and music programs pursuing their dreams at U of G, marrying the strengths into one cohesive program that includes an annual musical produced and performed by students. This is the only program in Canada that includes a live student band in performances.
“U of G is so excited to meet the next generation of music theatre lovers, performers and scholars,” Allan says. “If you love music theatre, we want to work with you.”
Applications for the program are now open. Interested students can learn more on the program’s website.