Santa Monica College's Theatre Arts Department has trained Westside actors for more than seventy years, and its transfer record is the headline: the department cites students accepted to Juilliard, NYU, and Columbia, making it a legitimate springboard from $46-per-unit community college classes to elite conservatories.
Offerings include an AA in Theatre Arts, an AA-T transfer degree for the CSU system, an AS in Technical Theatre, and a certificate, with coursework spanning acting, voice, movement, theatrical styles, and production. The department stages regular productions in its proscenium and black box theaters, with a musical running the very week this directory verified it, and technical students work real lighting, sound, projection, and costume builds.
Open enrollment applies, and high schoolers can take classes through concurrent enrollment with the per-unit fee waived. Between the price, the transfer pipeline, and a campus a bike ride from the beach, SMC is the Westside's answer to the question of where to start acting training before committing serious money; the private studios in this directory make natural next steps or supplements.
Techniques taught
- Eclectic / multi-technique: Schools that draw on several lineages and fit the tools to the actor, not the reverse.
Class types
Enrollment and schedule
Open enrollment community college; production casting by audition is separate from class enrollment. Duration: AA/AA-T typically 2 years full-time (60 units).
Published pricing
| Program | Published price | Source, as of |
|---|---|---|
| CA resident per-unit enrollment fee | $46/unit | source 路 2026-07-16 |
Prices are the school's own published rates on the dates shown. We never estimate prices. Always confirm before enrolling.
Location
Questions actors ask
Where is Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department located?
What acting technique does Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department teach?
Is Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department suitable for beginners?
How much do classes at Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department cost?
Does Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department teach children or teenagers?
Is admission to Santa Monica College Theatre Arts Department by audition?
When was this information last verified?
Sources and verification
- Theatre Arts Department - Santa Monica College, accessed 2026-07-16
- Tuition, Fees and Payment Deadlines - Santa Monica College, accessed 2026-07-16
- Theatre Arts AA-T - Santa Monica College, accessed 2026-07-16
Researched 2026-07-16, last verified 2026-07-16. Facts above come only from these sources. Anything we could not confirm is simply not shown. Report incorrect information or claim this listing if you represent the school.
Nearby schools
The Actors Circle
Culver City workshop founded 2003 by Marcie Smolin teaching film and TV craft with improv as half the curriculum, in a positive-feedback-only room serving ages 5 through adults at published per-class rates.
Downtown Culver CityThe Actors' Gang
Tim Robbins' ensemble theatre in Culver City, offering adult workshops in its Commedia-rooted house Style, kids' Saturday classes and teen camps at the Ivy Substation, and free after-school programs across LA County.
Downtown Santa MonicaBaron Brown Studio
Meisner technique studio in downtown Santa Monica, established 1975 by Joanne Baron, teaching a traditional two-year sequence plus intensives, on-camera audition work, and master classes.
Related by technique
La Crescenta-Montrose3-2-1- Acting Studios
On-camera school for ages 2 to adult in La Crescenta, founded 2007 by Mae Ross and now under new ownership, with tiered TV commercial and scene study classes, published package pricing, and a free trial class.
Sherman OaksThe Acting Center
Sherman Oaks school founded 2006 teaching its own proprietary technique in a strictly no-criticism classroom, with published 2026 session dates and pricing for scene study, intensives, and improv.