91��Ƭ�S�ϼ�

The program will begin recruiting its inaugural class in Fall 2025. The Meadows Theatre application will go live around September of 2025.

Students will earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre with an Emphasis in Musical Theatre.

The Sexton Institute offers the best of both worlds — the intensive, conservatory-style training essential for a career in musical theatre, paired with the intellectual depth and flexibility of a top-tier liberal arts education. From day one, students work with faculty and guest artists who are actively shaping the industry, gaining real-world insights alongside hands-on performance experience.

What truly sets the program apart, however, is its commitment to the future of musical theatre itself. At the Sexton Institute, students don’t just perform existing works — they collaborate directly with composers, lyricists and creative teams to help bring new musicals to life. By stepping into the creative process at its earliest stages, our students graduate not only as skilled performers but also as artists with a deep understanding of how new work is developed. Combined with SMU’s powerful alumni network and professional partnerships, this forward-thinking approach positions our graduates to lead the next generation of musical theatre.

The program is housed within SMU’s Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, Texas.

Students must apply to SMU and submit a Meadows Theatre application for musical theater which will include an audition. The Meadows Theatre application will go live in September of 2025 for admittance into the Fall 2026 term. Detailed application and audition requirements will be posted here when the application is open.

Yes. Applicants will be required to first submit a pre-screen that includes an introductory slate, one contemporary monologue and two full musical theatre songs. Applicants that pass the pre-screen will then sign up for an audition (on-campus, Unifieds or virtual) which will include an introductory slate, two contemporary contrasting monologues and a full musical theatre song. Applicants should bring three songs in total prepared with properly marked sheet music, in case the admissions committee wants to hear additional materials. The audition will also include a movement component.

Yes. Artistic scholarships are available, along with need-based financial aid through SMU. Artistic scholarship is awarded between late March and early April.

Students receive intensive training in acting, voice, and movement, as well as coursework in musical theatre history, industry preparation and performance techniques.

Yes! Students begin performing in showcases, cabarets and workshop productions in their first two years. Beginning in junior year, students are cast in mainstage productions.

Absolutely. The Sexton Institute regularly brings in Broadway performers, directors, choreographers, music directors, agents and casting directors for masterclasses, workshops and special lectures.

Yes! The program maintains strong ties with professional theatres, including Theatre Three and the Tony Award-winning Dallas Theater Center, and regularly invites alumni and industry leaders for mentorship and networking.

Alumni go on to perform on Broadway, in national and international tours, regional theatre, television, and film, as well as careers in directing, choreographing, composing and arts management.