The Green Cockatoo (2017) Photo: Jim Carmody. 

Graduate Admissions

We thank you for your interest in the MFA and PhD programs at UC San Diego Theatre + Dance!  

Consistently ranked among the top graduate Theatre training programs in the country, UC San Diego's Department of Theatre and Dance offers Master of Fine Arts degrees in Acting, Directing, Design (Costume, Lighting, Scenic, Sound), Stage Management, and Playwriting, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Theatre and Drama offered in conjunction with UC Irvine. The Theatre and Dance department also shares a close relationship with the Tony Award-winning La Jolla Playhouse, in residence on the UC San Diego campus, where MFA candidates are provided professional residencies.

A Brief History of the Program

UC San Diego's MFA program was created in 1974. Several years later, the Department of Theatre and Dance began offering its PhD in Theatre and Drama, a joint program with UC Irvine. In 1985, a unique professional relationship with La Jolla Playhouse was established, and that relationship grows stronger each year. La Jolla Playhouse (Tony Award winner for Outstanding Regional Theatre) is in residence at UC San Diego in our shared facilities, the Jacobs Theatre District, and they produce some of the most vital and nervy theatre in this country.

Thank you for your interest in our graduate programs in Theatre.

• Playwriting
• Directing
• Design (excluding Costume Design)
• Stage Management
• PhD (Performance Studies)

If you have questions about the application process or the materials you should submit, please contact
the Graduate Coordinator by e-mail at cpcaswell@ucsd.edu or by phone at (858) 534-1046.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants must have or must be about to receive a Bachelor's Degree (not necessarily in theatre) prior to applying for graduate admission. A 3.0 or better grade point average in the last two years of undergraduate or post-baccalaureate work is required. The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is now optional for all of Theatre's graduate programs. Please note that due to the nature of our program, students may enter only in the fall quarter and we do not accept transfer credits from other programs.

English Language Proficiency 

Demonstrated English language proficiency is required of all international applicants. International applicants may either display proficiency by meeting the minimum scores listed below or can be exempt from the test scores requirement if they received a degree from an institution which provides instruction solely in English, with at least a 3.0 GPA minimum or 'B' average. Please refer to the following link for more information regarding the degree from an institution exemption: English Language Proficiency.

UC San Diego accepts the English proficiency exams listed below. Please note both the minimum overall scores and minimum speaking sub-scores required for consideration for admission into Theatre's MFA and PhD programs. UCSD’s institution code is 4836.

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

  • The university-wide minimum TOEFL score required for consideration for graduate admission is 85 for the internet based test (iBT).
  • TOEFL iBT minimum speaking score: 26

• International English Language Testing System (IELTS)

  • The university-wide minimum IELTS Academic Training exam score required for consideration for graduate admission is Band Score 7.
  • IELTS minimum speaking score: 8

• The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic)

  • The minimum PTE Academic score required for graduate admission is Overall Score: 65
  • PTE minimum speaking score: 84

• The Duolingo English Test (DET)

  • The Minimum Total Score required is 120 (out of 160)
  • Minimum DET speaking score: 150 

Financial Aid

Financial assistance is detailed in the Application for Graduate Admissions. Be sure to check the Financial Assistance Requested box indicating that you intend to apply for need-based financial aid and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March. (Foreign students are not eligible for need-based financial assistance.)

The UCSD school code for your FAFSA is 001317.

Scholarships/Fellowships

A limited number of scholarships and fellowships are available to entering graduate students through the Graduate Division and are described in the Application for Graduate Admission booklet. The Department of Theatre + Dance will nominate students for departmental scholarships as warranted.

Selection Process

All of our graduate program areas have their own selection process. At the conclusion of the audition tour, there will be a final selection process in San Diego for applicants to the MFA Acting program. We will then immediately notify those actors we wish to admit. The same process will be implemented following interviews with directing applicants. For all other areas, students selected for admission will be immediately notified after a complete review of the file and all submitted documents and after a personal or telephone interview. We will also notify you of financial awards for which we plan to nominate you.

Entrance into the program is highly selective. Students who are not selected for admission will be notified in April 2024.

Prospective Students Mailing List

Want to learn more about an MFA or PhD in Theatre?

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