Manhattan School of Music is launching a new online Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Performing Arts Degree Completion Program.
The program, which will allow performing arts professionals to transform their work experience into academic credit towards a BFA, has an application deadline of September 1 for the first incoming class. Courses will begin in January 2026.
“MSM is proud to create a viable path towards an undergraduate degree for working, performing artists,” says Joyce Griggs, MSM Executive Vice President and Provost. “The BFA Online is for those who aspire to complete their undergraduate degree while remaining active in their professional careers. The program’s Prior Learning Assessment [PLA] process directly translates professional experience into earned college credit, and this is the only online performing arts degree completion program that is open to all performing artists in the United States. Successful applicants to the program will have a pathway to a fast-tracked online BFA, one that is fully flexible and will allow them to earn a degree without pausing their careers.”
The program has garnered enthusiastic testimonials from several high-profile performing artists, among them former American Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Misty Copeland and Tony Award-winning musical theatre, opera performer, and television and movie actor Kelli O’Hara.
“As a dancer, I know the sacrifices we make for our art,” says Ms. Copeland, “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.” Ms. O’Hara agrees, observing that many artists sacrifice one or the other of work or education over the course of their career paths. “What MSM is offering will change that,” she says. “Finally, artists won’t have to sacrifice either source of pride when their work in the field earns them credit towards their degree.”
Candidates for the program must build and complete a two-phase Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) portfolio as part of the admission process. Phase One is used for prescreening; then, if approved, candidates proceed to Phase Two to complete the full portfolio. From there, an allotment of earned credits will be determined and applied towards earning the degree.
Founded in 1918, MSM is one of the world’s preeminent conservatories, serving more than 1,000 on-campus college students from more than 50 countries across the globe and dedicated to shaping generations of performing artists through innovative education, distinguished faculty, and global artistic collaboration.
Manhattan School of Music is no stranger to online learning; the School’s Orto Center houses its renowned Distance Learning Program, the first of its kind at a major international conservatory, one that continues to allow MSM to maintain a leadership role in the use of technology to connect students, educators, and distinguished artists around the globe. The newly announced online BFA in Performing Arts will take its place as the most recent expression of MSM’s expertise in this arena.
Successful applicants to the new program must have a minimum of five years’ professional experience, and the program is open to artists with or without prior college experience. Students in the former camp, who paused their initial college studies to pursue professional opportunities, will at last be able to complete – in some cases after many years – their bachelor’s degree.