Stage Combat

The School of Theater Arts is home to one of the nation’s most renowned stage combat programs, serving as host to the annual Philadelphia Stage Combat Workshop. It is one of only a handful of institutions that offers the option of an eight-semester sequence of combat training. One semester of combat is required for all BFA Acting majors. Although not a degree program in itself, students completing the requisite course of study are tested on campus each year and, if found proficient, certified by the Society of American Fight Directors. In 2003, the program was ranked third in the country, based on the number of certified stage combatants that emerged from its ranks.