Master of Fine Arts in Theater

In the Department of Theater at UMass Amherst, you'll find a dynamic, hands-on graduate program where you'll learn how to collaborate successfully with fellow theater-makers. You'll pursue a rigorous core curriculum while getting practical experience alongside a dedicated faculty of committed teachers with active careers in the professional theater. You'll benefit from a production season that serves as a teaching laboratory, and you'll be in small classes where you'll find personal mentorship and the opportunity to customize. The Master of Fine Arts in Theater prepares you for work in resident professional theaters, in colleges and universities, and in many other fields of culture and the arts.You’ll benefit from a program in which all graduate students receive full tuition-waivers, health benefits, and assistantships during their three years. You’ll have the opportunity to gain teaching experience andor do internships with local and national companies. Our faculty often invite students to shadow them or intern with them on professional assignments. We’re committed to cultural diversity, and this commitment is reflected in the faculty you’ll meet and the curriculum you’ll complete. As a graduate student, you’ll work with faculty mentors specializing in African-American, African, Latinx, and Spanish-language theater, as well as feminism and gender studies.

All of the materials can be submitted online. Required of all MFA program areas:The main Graduate School application, including Personal Statement.Transcripts of all previous academic workResume of relevant professional experienceAt least two letters of recommendation (you may submit three)NOTE: We do not require the GREs for admission to any of our MFA programs.An applicant’s undergraduate degree need not be in Theater, but previous training and experience should be comparable to that required for the Bachelor of Arts in Theater at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Applicants with incomplete backgrounds in theater who show exceptional artistic promise may be admitted provisionally.