All Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Theater at UCSB Department of Theater and Dance provides sound preparation for study at the graduate level. In addition, opportunities in professional theater have increased during the last two decades with the expansion of theater centers in many cities and with the development of regional theatres throughout the country. The competition for jobs, particularly acting, remains keen, but the record of UCSB theater graduates is impressive.

Theaters that have employed UCSB alumni include the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Seattle Repertory Theatre, San Diego's Old Globe Theatre, the Guthrie Theatre, and the New York Public Theatre as well as Broadway. Some graduates establish their own theatres. Two which continue to grow since their beginnings in the mid-1970s are the San Diego Repertory Theatre and Santa Barbara's Ensemble Theatre. Prior to their senior year many students begin working summers at the Oregon, Idaho, Santa Cruz, Utah and Colorado Shakespeare Festivals, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and Santa Rosa Summer Repertory Theatre.

In addition to professional theater, many graduates work in film, television, radio, commercials, and modeling. There are also opportunities, particularly in design and technical theater, for employment by opera and dance companies or by amusement industries.

Not all theater majors choose to pursue careers in the performing arts. Instead, they use the communication skills, the understanding and appreciation of the humanities, and the personal growth and development which they have gained in the degree program to enter such fields as law, public relations, business, banking, and administration. Other graduates, upon receiving their bachelor's degree, continue their education to earn masters and doctoral degrees.