Department website: http://theatredance.utexas.edu/

The Master of Fine Arts is offered in both theatre and dance. The major in theatre includes five specializations: directing, drama and theatre for youth and communities, live design and production, performance as public practice, and playwriting. While cross-over study among all of the MFA specializations is encouraged, live design and production students declare a primary discipline among scene design, lighting design, costume design, costume technology, or integrated media. The major in dance emphasizes interdisciplinary application of the form and civic engagement. The Master of Fine Arts provides advanced training for those specializing in theatre and dance and is an appropriate terminal degree in these areas.

Graduate Handbook

Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.

Admission 

Students must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution in the United States or a comparable degree from a foreign academic institution. Adequate preparation in the field of specialization in theatre, dance and/or performance.

Total Hours Required: 60

Requirements

The MFA in Theatre includes multiple areas of specialization. The specializations in drama and theatre for youth and communities and live design and production requires 60 semester hours. The specializations in performance as a public practice, directing, and playwriting require 54 semester hours. For all MFA degree options, no more than nine semester hours may be upper-division courses; at least six must be outside the major. A thesis is required, for which the student earns six hours of credit in T D 698. Other coursework is determined following an evaluation of the student’s background and preparation.

Master of Fine Arts degree requirements assume that the entering student has a Bachelor of Arts degree in theatre or dance, or a degree in a related field. Students with degrees in other disciplines may not have the necessary training or proficiency for some areas of the Master of Fine Arts program and may be required to take additional upper-division coursework in theatre and/or dance.

Students with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree may have training and proficiency beyond those of Bachelor of Arts graduates. These students may be granted waivers of some credit hours. Waivers are awarded only after careful evaluation by the faculty of the student’s previous training and experience. No more than 20 semester hours of credit may be waived