The development of the Department of Theatre Arts was spurred not only by academic changes, but also student interest. Begun as an outgrowth of Speech classes, which were in turn by-products of English classes, dramatic readings and oratory skills were part of Towson University’s history from the beginning.

Inspired by the Little Theatre Movement, students began the Thespian Club at the Maryland State Normal School in 1924. This dramatic club would go through various name changes until becoming The Glen Players in 1949, when the school was the State Teachers College at Towson [STC]. These students used the Glen during warm weather months to stage productions and otherwise used Stephens Hall auditorium, as previous clubs had done. And within 5 years, Alpha Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society, was on campus.

In the meantime, STC was developing classes such as “Play Production”, “Modern Drama”, and “The Elements of Dramatics and Stagecraft”. These classes continued to expand and progress as STC moved towards a liberal arts college in the 1960s and would soon include acting and directing classes.

In 1962, STC offered the first major and minor in Speech and Drama. Ten years later, Theatre Arts split off from the Speech Department, just as the new Center for the Arts building was constructed. This is the first time that a building on campus was formall constructed for the Theatre program.

In 2014 three programs were available under the Theatre Arts degree – Acting, Design and Production, and Theatre studies. A Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts was established in 1994.