Shanghai Theatre Academy has evolved from a small college into an outstanding comprehensive university of performing arts in China. STA has three campuses located respectively on Huashan Road Lianhua Road and ongqiao Road. There are four departments （Department of Acting, Department of Directing, Department of Dramatic Literature, Department of Stage Design） and five colleges(College of Chinese Opera, College of Dance, College of Television Arts, College of Creative Studies, College of Continuing Education) plus two affiliated pre-college professional art schools(Affiliated Chinese Opera School, Affiliated Dance School ).STA offers 11 four-year BA majors with 23 specialties.
STA’s Theatre and Chinese Opera Studies is a national－level key discipline. There is a post-doctoral program in Arts Studies covering all artistic genres.
STA confers doctoral degrees in theatre studies, including eight special areas, and master’s degrees covering all artistic areas with special strength in 25 areas. There is also an MFA program and a special master’s program for college teachers.
According to the March, 2007, statistics, there are nearly 3000 full-time students, among whom 50% are undergraduates, 15% graduate students, 18% pre-college students of the traditional opera school, 17% pre-college students of the dance school. There are 467 faculty members, of whom 26% are professors and associate professors. Five national level experts are working at STA and there are 19 experts who enjoy the government subsidy from the State Council.
Our theatre venues include Shangxi Theatre, Duanjun Theatre, New Performance Space, and two Black Boxes, on the Huashan Road campus, Little Theatre (Dance School) on the Hongqiao Road campus, and Performing Hall on the Lianhua Road campus. There are two major classroom buildings and three multifunctional comprehensive buildings, equipped for various teaching activities and performances. Two major libraries stand on our campuses. Digital teaching and management have been realized on all three campuses. Our students enjoy dormitories, dining halls and gymnasia.
STA has academic and artistic exchange programs with institutions in 26 countries and districts all over the world. STA has set up cooperative relations with 14 universities, including St. Petersburg State Institute of Theatrical Arts; Tisch School of the Arts, New York University; University of California, Davis; Mysashino Art University, Japan; Roman Arts University, Italy; Academy of Fine Art in Bologna,Italy; Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, U.K.; School of Creative Media, City University of Hong Kong, etc. Students from more than 50 countries and districts have come to our academy to study. STA faculty and students have visited many international universities, sometimes with touring performances, sometimes in short term study trips, in countries such as Singapore, Japan, England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Australia, USA, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Belgium, Romania, and Mexico.
The academy also hosts the Asia-Pacific Center of the International Theatre Insititue, chaired by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO).In the past three years, faculty members have carried out international exchange projects abroad more than 250 person/times. More than 300 students went abroad to study or perform. STA has invited 30 plus world famous experts and professors from USA, France, England and Italy to give lectures and conduct workshops.
