College Programs

Complete your degree: Take your career to the next level by transforming your resume into academic credit towards a BFA.

A First-of-Its-Kind Online Degree Completion Program for Performing Artists

• The BFA Online is the only conservatory-led performing arts degree completion program, open to all performing artists.
• This program utilizes a unique Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) to build a portfolio and transform your lived experience into academic credit.
• MSM is a leader in using technology that connects students, educators, and distinguished artists around the globe.

Tailored to Enhance Your Artistic Practice

• Our World-Class Faculty are Industry Leaders and Innovators at the forefront of today’s arts landscape, bringing real-world experience, mentorship, and networks.
• Customize your learning path: Define your artistic vision and select courses that blend identity, career development, and entrepreneurship that can take your career to the next level.
• Join a Community of Performing Artists and collaborate with fellow working professionals—your peers are as passionate and driven as you are.

Save, Time, Money, and Advance Your Career

• Graduate in as little as one year with credit given for prior experience. Our six-week online courses  are a mix of asynchronous learning and live sessions—allowing you to gain skills in weeks, not years.

WHO THIS PROGRAM IS FOR:

> EXPERIENCED PERFORMERS
Accomplished dancers, musical theatre performers, instrumentalists, vocalists, composers, actors, popular artists, or performing artists, with at least 5 years of full-time (or equivalent) professional experience within the creative industry.

> PROFESSIONAL ARTISTS
Creative professionals ready to enhance their credentials for teaching, leadership, or expanded artistic opportunities.

> NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS
Artists with or without prior college experience who never completed their bachelor’s degree and are ready to finish what they started.

> CREATIVE ENTREPRENEURS
Skilled arts professionals looking to pair their artistic expertise with business, technology, and industry knowledge.

KEY PROGRAM OUTCOMES:

Through a combination of innovative coursework and practical application, you will refine your artistic voice, expand your impact, and advance your career in the performing arts.

> ARTISTIC IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT

Outcome: Clearly articulate and showcase your unique artistic vision, establishing a creative identity that sets you apart in the performing arts world.

Sample Course:PA0200: Leveraging Technology for the Modern Performer

> COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

Outcome: Actively engage with communities through your art, fostering collaboration and creating meaningful impact on both local and global stages.

Sample Course:PA0400: Global Citizenship in the Arts

> ARTISTIC ADAPTABILITY

Outcome: Adapt your artistic practices to diverse contexts, staying agile and innovative in evolving creative landscapes.

Sample Course: PA0600: Performance Psychology and Wellness for the Modern Performer

> CAREER ADVANCEMENT

Outcome: Synthesize your professional experiences and skills to unlock new opportunities and pursue fulfilling paths in the arts.

Sample Course: PA0900: Entrepreneurial Finance in the Arts

TESTIMONIALS

Ted Chapin (HonDMA ’24)
Former President of The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization:

“Artists need to be celebrated for their art – but they need as many opportunities to fit in as the rest of us can provide. The concept of this program is a brilliant step toward allowing artists a wide spectrum of possibilities for the future. Congratulations to MSM for conceiving and carrying out this needed degree completion program.”

Misty Copeland
President, The Misty Copeland Foundation & Former Principal Dancer, American Ballet Theatre:

“As a dancer, I know the sacrifices we make for our art, often starting professional careers before completing a degree. This program is a game-changer, giving artists the chance to earn their BFA while honoring the work they’ve already put in. Education should be accessible at every stage, and this initiative ensures that performers have the opportunity to grow, evolve, and open new doors, both in and beyond the arts.”

Bebe Neuwirth (HonDMA ’15)
Actress/Singer, Broadway/TV/Film; winner of 2 Tony Awards, 2 Emmy Awards, and 2 Drama Desk Awards

“At a certain point in an artist’s life, the desire and need for a shift may present itself. If that shift requires a BFA degree, MSM has a fantastic program for them. It acknowledges and respects their professional experience, and will augment their skills with study in complementary areas needed to fulfill a degree. This is a wonderful resource for those in the Performing Arts who went straight to work, and now want to add more knowledge, study, and a BFA to their lives.”

Kelli O’Hara (HonDMA ’20)
Singer/Actress: Broadway, Metropolitan Opera, television; Tony Award-winner (eight-time nominee), Drama Desk Award

“Making it” as an artist is a tricky business. We need good education to go toward it, but we need the work to actually experience it. And it is almost impossible to turn down work when we get it. So many artists sacrifice one for the other. What MSM is offering will change that. Finally.   Artists don’t have to sacrifice either source of pride when their work in the field earns them credit toward their degree. It makes total sense.”

MEET THE BFA FACULTY