Admission to the Department of Theatre and Drama's Graduate Programs requires an undergraduate degree from an accredited four-year institution with a major in theatre or equivalent training and experience.
All candidates should, at minimum, have had undergraduate courses in the following areas:
Participation as a member of a crew, participation in a production, or involvement in "practicum courses" will not be considered an adequate substitute for these requirements. However, a student will not be required to repeat a course if it can be clearly demonstrated that he/she has acquired knowledge of a subject through practical experience at a professional level.
Incoming students who are deficient in areas of performance, design, or history, theory, and literature will be expected to make-up their deficiencies with appropriate undergraduate courses. Courses used to complete undergraduate deficiencies, however, cannot be counted as part of their graduate degree requirement.
All students seeking admission to Department of Theatre and Drama's graduate programs must complete Indiana University's Graduate and Professional Schools Online Admissions Applicationand pay the required application fee.
As a part of the application, the University Graduate School also requires three letters of recommendation that should be written by persons familiar with the applicant’s technical skill, creative ability, and potential for growth.
Each applicant is also required to submit a 300-500 word statement of purpose which should relate to the theatre in general as well as the applicant’s special areas of interest.
Individual programs may also require additional suplementary material, auditions or interviews. Please see the section pertaining to your area of interest for details on application procedure.
Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, official information regarding university application procedures and degree requirements can be found on the University Graduate School web page.
* Applicants to the programs in design and technology should submit the University Graduate School'sonline application within one week of their initial interview. Acting and directing candidates should not complete IU's application until a formal offer has been made.
The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is required for admission to both the MA and PhD Programs in Theatre History, Theatre, and Literature. GRE test scores are cumulative and reportable for five years after the testing year in which you tested (July 1 – June 30). Be sure to take the test early enough that scores will be reach IU before the department's application deadline.
Indiana University's Institution Code for score-reporting is 1324. The Departmental Code is 2304. Please contact Educational Testing Services (ETS) for additional information about sending score-reports.
* GRE scores are NOT required for applicants to the MFA programs.
Upon recommendation of the department and with the approval of the dean of the Graduate School, work taken for graduate credit at other institutions may be transferred in partial fulfillment of degree requirements. No course may be transferred from another institution unless the grade is B or better and unless the course was completed within the time limit prescribed. The following restrictions apply:
For more information about applying as a transfer student or applying transferred credits from another accredited institution, e-mail acadsec@indiana.edu.
International candidates must fill out the Online Application for International Students, and may be subject to additional testing requirements and fees during the application process. If you are an international student, we strongly recommend that you review the application checklist for prospective graduate students on the website of the Office of International Services, in order to ensure that you follow the proper procedure and send all required materials. For more general information regarding international student affairs, please visit IU's Office of International Services.
Auditions and interviews for prospective MFA students in the areas of acting, directing, and design / technology are held annually in January-February via the University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA) in New York and Chicago. Though applications are generally accepted through December, those who wish to participate in U/RTA's National Unified Auditions and Interviews (NUA/I) and avoid additional fees should complete the online application by U/RTA's specified deadline (generally between late-October and mid-November).
Please note: All candidates auditioning through U/RTA must, without exception, be nominated by a College/University/Recognized Training Institution's theatre department OR (if not currently enrolled in a training program), candidates may be nominated by a director or producer with whom he/she has worked recently. Please see U/RTA's guidelines for additional details.
Those students not participating in the U/RTA auditions, but wishing to audition for representatives of Indiana University in New York, Chicago, or on IU's Bloomington campus, should submit a letter requesting an interview/audition at the desired site, along with a resume, headshot, and statement of purpose to:
Graduate Secretary
Indiana University
Department of Theatre and Drama
275 N. Jordan Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405-5551
Inquiries for a non-U/RTA audition or interview should be received NO LATER THAN THREE WEEKS BEFORE the requested interview date. It is the prerogative of the department to deny or grant an interview or audition request based on resumes and any other supporting materials. Email acadsec@indiana.edu with additional questions about application materials or scheduling an appointment.
Scenic Design, Costume Design, Lighting Design, Theatre Technology
In addition to the University Graduate school's online application, applicants to the MA and PhD programs should submit the following:
| Accreditation and Affiliation: NAST URTA USITT | Email the Department
