Interested in pursuing graduate studies in the Department of Theatre Arts? Our master's programs include a two-year master's, which focuses on theatre studies and research and often leads to further study toward a doctorate, and a master of fine arts, which is the terminal degree for those planning to work or teach in theatrical production. Our doctorate is the terminal degree for those interested in theatre scholarship as well as theatre practice.
Students entering the master’s degree program should have an undergraduate major in theater arts or the equivalent, while students entering the doctoral program should have completed a master’s degree in theatre arts or the equivalent.
Application deadline: February 1
Applications will be accepted after this date if there are still open positions. The department may not accept new candidates in each degree every year.
Required Materials
To apply for graduate study in the Department of Theatre Arts, you must first complete the University of Oregon online graduate application. All required items must be uploaded in order for the application to be considered complete. Please read below for what is required.
Letter of Recommendation
Please provide the appropriate contact information for three (3) references, including an email address. Each reference will be contacted via email by the university and asked to fill out a reference sheet, which includes a space for them to add a letter of recommendation. Please encourage your references to complete and send their referral by the application deadline.
Personal Statement
This document should be a short essay that acquaints the faculty with your reasons for wanting to pursue a graduate degree in theatre arts, including areas of emphasis and research interests and considered sketch of your career goals past graduate study.
Transcripts
Please upload a copy of your transcript to the online application. While official transcripts are not required for the online version of the application, an applicant must have official transcripts sent directly to the Office of the Registrar at:
Office of the Registrar
5257 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403
Writing Sample
This should be a sample of your best scholarly writing such as articles, a chapter of your thesis, a term paper, etc., along with a resume and/or CV. This can be uploaded to the Personal Statement section if no specific reesume or CV section appears on your application.
Portfolio
Only master of fine arts applicants are required to submit a portfolio. The portfolio may be a website, in which case the applicant should upload a PDF with the web address into the Personal Statement section of the application.
Optional Materials for all Applicants
GRE scores
- Institution code: 4846
- Department code: 2403
International students
Please refer to the Graduate School website for information about satisfying the English language requirement for admission.
Graduate Employees
Admitted students are typically awarded graduate employee (GE) appointments, which include tuition waiver, salary and health insurance. By agreement with the Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation (GTFF), all appointments are contingent on good academic progress in coursework or thesis/dissertation work.
- Master of fine arts GEs will spend most of their time in either the costume or scene shop, instructing undergraduate students in the fundamentals of technical theatre. They may be asked to teach a class in an area of theatre considered a specialty.
- Doctoral GEs spend the majority of teaching time as instructors of basic acting classes.
Apply to our Graduate Program
Ready to apply? Start your application on Slate, the centralized application portal for graduate admissions at UO.