Theatre (THET)

Abstract

The Department of Theatre offers graduate study leading to the degrees of Master of Arts (THPF), Master of Fine Arts in Design(MFAT), Master of Fine Arts in Performance (MFAP), and Doctor of Philosophy (THPF).

The M.A. program is designed to enhance and develop students' practical, historical, and critical knowledge of theatre so that they may go on to graduate work in Ph.D. or M.F.A programs, or upgrade their skills for high-school teaching.

The three-year M.F.A in Design degree offers superior students advanced training and opportunities for creative activity. The program prepares the student to enter the professional theatre or to teach in the creative areas at colleges or universities. The areas of concentration are costume design, set design, and lighting design.

The three-year M.F.A. in Performance will offer admission once every three years to experienced performers. This unique world-class graduate program offers an array of studies and opportunities designed to explore the broad spectrum of American and International performance traditions while laying the foundation for individual ground-breaking approaches to personalized expression and teaching skills. We are looking for motivated visionaries with unique voices who would appreciate a performance-based graduate program designed to guide and support them on their journey from idea to revelation, from exploration to ownership.

The Ph.D. is an interdisciplinary degree that prepares teachers and scholars of theatre and performance studies. The program offers students two interrelated areas of concentration: history and theory of theatre and drama, and theatre and performance studies. Area studies in the history and theory of drama and theatre focus primarily on developments in Western theatre and dramatic literature. Area studies in theatre and performance studies focus on a broad spectrum of international and American performance traditions as seen through a flexible framework of interdisciplinary methods. The purpose of this degree program is to educate scholars who can excel in the challenging and increasingly interdisciplinary academic world, bringing research skills to bear on contemporary questions of theatre and performance.

Admissions Information

In addition to the Graduate School requirements, students desiring admission to the M.A. or Ph.D. program must provide acceptable Graduate Record Examination scores, three letters of recommendation, prior academic transcripts, a statement of interest, and a writing sample.

M.F.A. in Design applicants must provide portfolio, academic transcripts, and a statement of interest in addition to the application for the Graduate School.

M.F.A. in Performance applicants must audition and also apply for admission; applications should include statement of artistic purpose, portfolio, creative resume and teaching resume (if available). Details regarding the artistic statement will be provided in the Application Supplemental Form, sent after students have applied to the general Graduate School.

In most cases if applicants do not have the equivalent of an undergraduate major in their field of interest, they must take coursework in preparation for subsequent admission.

Application Deadlines

Fall

Spring

Domestic Applicants:
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents

Domestic Applicant Deadlines

MFA in Design applications must be received by April 15 (April 15 preferred) .
MFA in Performance applications must be received by April 15 (April 15 preferred) .
MA/PhD Applications must be received by December 15 (December 15 preferred) .

This program does not accept applications for this semester.

International Applicants:
Applicants from Outside the U.S. or U.S. Citizens / Permanent Residents with Non-U.S. Credentials

IMPORTANT: International Applicants and U.S. Applicants with Non-U.S. Credentials must follow the domestic deadlines above if they are earlier than the deadlines listed below.

Applicants seeking admission under F (Student) or J (Exchange Visitor) visas

February 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Feb. 1

June 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1

Applicants seeking admission under A, E, G, H, I, and L visas and immigrants

May 1
If Domestic Deadline is after May 1

October 1
If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1

U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials

May 15
If Domestic Deadline is after May 15

October 31
If Domestic Deadline is after Oct.31

Application Requirements

3 Letters of Recommendation
Statement of goals, research interests, and experience (Artistic statement for MFA in Performance)
MFA in Design, MFA in Performance: Portfolio required
Transcripts from all institutions
M.A. and Ph.D.: Writing Sample and GRE required

	Fall	Spring
Domestic Applicants: U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents
Domestic Applicant Deadlines	MFA in Design applications must be received by April 15 (April 15 preferred) . MFA in Performance applications must be received by April 15 (April 15 preferred) . MA/PhD Applications must be received by December 15 (December 15 preferred) .	This program does not accept applications for this semester.

International Applicants: Applicants from Outside the U.S. or U.S. Citizens / Permanent Residents with Non-U.S. Credentials IMPORTANT: International Applicants and U.S. Applicants with Non-U.S. Credentials must follow the domestic deadlines above if they are earlier than the deadlines listed below.
Applicants seeking admission under F (Student) or J (Exchange Visitor) visas	February 1 If Domestic Deadline is after Feb. 1	June 1 If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1
Applicants seeking admission under A, E, G, H, I, and L visas and immigrants	May 1 If Domestic Deadline is after May 1	October 1 If Domestic Deadline is after Jun. 1
U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents with foreign credentials	May 15 If Domestic Deadline is after May 15	October 31 If Domestic Deadline is after Oct.31

Degree Requirements

Master of Arts or Master of Fine Arts (M.A. or M.F.A.)
The Master of Arts requires a minimum of 33 credit hours. The Department offers both the thesis and non- thesis options. All students undertaking the M.A. degree must pass a six-hour comprehensive examination on theatre history and criticism, performance and directing, and design and technical theatre. Please contact the Head of History/Theory to get more details.

The M.F.A. in Design degree requires 60 credit hours. All students undertaking the M.F.A. degree must complete a thesis. Please contact the Head of Design to get more details.

The M.F.A. in Performance degree requires 60 credit hours. All students undertaking the M.F.A. in Performance must complete a final performance project. Please contact the Co-Directors of the M.F.A. in Performance for more details.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Please contact the Head of History/Theory directly for more information.

Facilities and Special Resources

The Department of Theatre is housed in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at Maryland. This state-of-the-art facility includes the 650-seat Ina and Jack Kay Theatre, the 200-seat Robert and Arlene Kogod Theatre and the 100-seat Laboratory Theatre.

The campus is within a few miles of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Arena Stage, the National Theatre, Ford's Theatre, The Shakespeare Theatre at the Lansburgh, and the Olney Theatre Center, which are among more than 80 professional area theatres. Two of the greatest libraries in the world, the Library of Congress and the Folger Shakespeare Library, are in close proximity to campus. Students also make regular use of the Smithsonian Institution, the Federal Theatre Project Archives, the National Archives, and more than 50 specialized libraries and institutions in the Washington metropolitan area.

Financial Assistance

The Department nominates outstanding applicants for competitive University fellowships. Most Departmental aid, however, is in the form of teaching assistantships for which students may apply directly.

Contact Information

For additional information on graduate study in Theatre at the University of Maryland, contact:

Department of Theatre
2810 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
College Park, MD 20742
Telephone: (301) 405-6676
Fax: (301) 314-9599
thetinfo@umd.edu

http://www.theatre.umd.edu