Master of Fine Arts

USC has long been a leader in the arts. Through our intimate and rigorous programs, we offer exceptional professional preparation, a determined and creative student culture, and access to a thriving and active alumni network. By graduation, students have undergone a significant personal and professional transformation that has prepared them well for future career success. This is the USC Advantage.

We invite you to explore the many benefits USC has to offer as you prepare for this next step in your life.

For more information on our programs, you can download the School's catalogue of Acting and Dramatic Writing courses as a PDF here or scroll down below:

The School of Theatre anticpates the opening of two new programs - MFA in Design and MFA in Theatre Administration and Producing - in the near furture.

The primary objective of the three-year MFA Acting Program is to train actors as artists and professionals who can function at the highest level of their field, in any medium, and who are capable of taking on positions of leadership. To achieve this, we are unifying the classical professional actor-training (a rigorous program that attunes the voice, body and the intellect to the demands of text and performance) with an innovative physical approach to acting that draws upon the work of such theatre artists as Jerzy Grotowski, Peter Brook and Jacques LeCoq in the last 40 to 50 years.

The program stresses an ensemble philosophy in which faculty work with students to achieve shared goals. After two years of working together as a “company” in classes, workshops and performance situations, the third year is devoted to advanced skills classes in both film and theatre, professional seminars, and creating a three-play repertory that grounds the ensemble idea in a practical, performing situation. The third year is the transition from school to the profession; not only does this year create the three-play rep, it focuses on the individual needs of each student. By the time the student leaves the program, he or she has the confidence, the craft, and the passion for the art of acting that’s necessary to succeed.

The program is staffed by master teachers who have had extensive experience in all areas of the professional world. Because we are located in Los Angeles, one of the entertainment capitals of the world, our teachers continue to work at the highest levels of the theatrical profession

The Master of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing is an intimate, dynamic three-year program that approaches the craft through its critical roots in playwriting and extends this exploration into other genre of dramatic writing The program encompasses stage, film and television studies for today's dramatic writer. The MFA student in Dramatic Writing enjoys mentoring from professional playwrights and screenwriters. The program is offered in partnership with the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

For information on how to apply, please click here. (Link to Dramatic Writing Check List.)

Admission to the USC School of Theatre is highly competitive and is only for full-time graduate study beginning in the fall term. There is no rolling admission. There is no summer session. Transfer or part-time students are not accepted.

Each year, our challenge is to select the highest potential class/ensemble from an applicant pool of very talented candidates from around the country. Our selection process emphasizes creativity, determination, personal qualities and characteristics, and experience. Moreover, the MFA Admissions Committee aspires to create a class/ensemble with diverse backgrounds and global perspectives to add to the richness of both the MFA learning experience and the School of Theatre community.

Please note that there is no minimum work experience requirement for the MFA program. Successful candidates are able to demonstrate strength in the criteria outlined above, regardless of their number of years of experience. They include college seniors with a great deal of creativity, as well as individuals with more seasoned work experience.

Lastly, there is no single formula for a successful applicant. Candidates are evaluated for their achievements, their potential, and the fit between what they aspire to achieve and what our MFA program has to offer. If you believe that USC may be right for you, we encourage you to carefully review our web site to get all the information you need to apply to our program.

It is important, however, for you to assess your own readiness when deciding when to apply.

Applications for admission must be received by the following dates or the succeeding Monday if the date falls on a Saturday or Sunday.

MFA in Dramatic Writing: TBD for Fall 2008 Admission Application Checklist [COMING SOON]

Acting applicants MUST audition in person. Auditions are typically held in New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles in January and February. Please check back at this web site for further information after October 1, 2007.

Graduate Applications for the 2007/08 academic year are now closed. The online application for the 2008/09 academic year will be active in September 2007.

The MFA supplemental admissions application for both programs is available here.

An MFA program is a significant investment in yourself and your future. We're committed to working with you to meet all of your demonstrated financial needs through fellowships, TA appointments and loans.

Tuition for the 2007/2008 academic year is $28,440. To assist with your financial planning, the following is provided as an estimated budget for an average student entering in fall 2007. While living expenses vary, this is the standard estimate used in determining financial need.

Note: The total cost listed above represents a domestic student with dental insurance. Total expenses for international students or those opting out of dental insurance may differ.

*The above represents an estimated budgetof fees and expenses. Fees may be subject to change without notice.

Your personal resources for financing your education are not considered in our admission decisions. Once you are admitted, the Financial Aid Office will determine your financial need and create an aid package based on a variety of factors. In addition, the SOT offers generous financial support to off set the cost of attending USC.

SOT fellowships are available to U.S. and international students and are offered on a competitive basis.

The USC School of Theatre offers personal tours to give prospective students a more intimate look at the School's facilities.

Currently, tours are available by reservation only and must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. Please contact the Director of Graduate Students Services at sergio.ramirez@usc.edu to reserve a tour time.

For directions to the USC campus, please visit: www.usc.edu/about/visit/upc/driving_directions/

We hope you have the opportunity to visit our campus and see the USC MFA program firsthand. However, we understand that many of you will not be able to come to USC's campus until later in the admission process. For this reason, we bring the USC MFA experience a little closer to you through School of Theatre-sponsored events and workshops. These events are for your information and are non-evaluative. If you have not yet done so, please add yourself to the USC MFA mailing list in order to receive further information about events in your area.

Event dates and locations related to fall 2008 admission will be posted in August 2007

You may apply to a maximum of five graduate programs. Youwill need to complete and submit a complete USC graduate application for each program and pay the application fee for each submission. Unless the departments to which you are applying have other requirements, you will only need to send one official transcript from each educational institution previously attended.

Students applying for the MFA Acting must submit a supplemental admissions application only. You may download the MFA supplemental application here.

Students applying to the MFA in Dramatic Writing are required to submit both a University application and a supplemental admissions application. To access the University application, please go to www.usc.edu/admission/graduate/apply/. You may download the MFA supplemental application here.

No. Your audition fee covers processing and other administrative costs. For this reason we cannot waive audition fees. Students admitted into the MFA in Acting program are then required to submit a University application. Once admitted, you may be eligible to waive the application fee. Please see the criteria under Dramatic Writing for more information.

You are a full-time USC employee, or dependent of a full-time USC employee
You are a U.S. citizen/permanent resident, and paying the fee would cause financial hardship. If so, you need to obtain and submit verification of financial hardship from the financial aid office of the institution you last attended. Please note that you must use the paper application (not the online form) when using a fee waiver.
You are a USC student or alumnus/alumna
You are a McNair Scholar

USC offers a number of options for students to take advantage of while in Los Angeles. For more information, students are encouraged to visit the USC Housing Office website at: http://housing.usc.edu/

No. We typically have a large number of students apply with very little background in theatre. Our philosophy is that if you can show your creative talent, determination for the craft you should apply. The overall importance is your connection to the work and fit with our programs.

Students who have already submitted their application materials do not need to bring anything with them. You must, however, have your two monologues prepared to perform.

No. Due to the nature of the conservatory training program and the rigorous nature of the selection process it would be extremely difficult to grant a deferment.

Students may have the option of deferring admission on the approval of the Director of the Dramatic Writing program.

For more information, please click here. (Link to Check List in Dramatic Writing.)

Students who were denied admission have one year to reapply in order to use some of the same materials from the previous application. You will, however, be asked to update some materials. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 213.821.4163 for more details.

Yes. You must have an undergraduate degree to apply to any of our graduate programs.

The graduate admissions office staff will be happy to meet with you to answer all your questions about the admissions process and general information about the school and university. To schedule a tour, please contact the Director of Graduate Student Services at (213) 821.4163, sotmfa@usc.edu.

The USC academic calendar is divided into two terms: fall and spring semesters. The fall semester begins in late August and ends in mid-December. The spring semester begins in early January and ends in early May. There is also a summer session with four- to six-week classes, but not all courses are offered during the summer session. For the current calendar—including dates for registration, the first and last day of classes, and the final examination schedule—click here. The calendar is also published in the printed application booklet and the USC catalogue.

To request a printed copy of our viewbook, learn about admissions events in your area, and or to receive additional information about the USC MFA, please fill out our information request form. [LINK TO SEND ME INFO]