Theatre Arts (MFA)
The MFA in Performance is a three-year, 72-credit program combining acting, movement, voice, theory, script analysis, pedagogy and production experience. Students perform in Mainstage shows with professional guest artists, tour with the Repertory Company and create original performances. The program’s combination of artistic and academic courses fosters a value of applying research to performance. Students can earn the nation’s only Graduate Certificate in African American Theatre.
Master of Fine Arts in Performance
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (GA)
Department: Theatre Arts
Program Website
Academic Plan Code(s): PERFMFA
Program Information
Dedicated to Art in Action and offering the only Graduate Certificate in African American Theatre in the United States, our Master of Fine Arts in Performance program offers a three-prong approach. We train actors to act, teach, and make theatre that resonates locally, nationally, and internationally. Our students push boundaries of thinking and challenge conventions of theatre and society through exploration of classical, contemporary, and global dramatic forms. Marrying theory, practice, and engaged outreach, we encourage the application of research, creativity, and sustainability in embodied, socially-conscious performance.
The MFA in Performance offers a three-year course of study that includes classes in acting, movement, voice, drama, and performance theory. Students perform in shows directed by faculty and guest artists and staged in our two main theatres. They also perform in our Repertory Company’s touring production and may mount their own performance projects. The Graduate Certificate in African American Theatre, which can be completed alongside the MFA in Performance, features classes in the craft and theory of acting and directing African American theatre.
The African American Theatre Program, founded in 1993, is integral to the Department of Theatre Arts. Further information about the Graduate Certificate in African American Theatre can be found in the Graduate Catalog.
Admission Expectations
- Students must submit an online graduate application and submit all required documentation to the Graduate School.
- Evidence of a Bachelor’s Degree and 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA).
- Audition at the University of Louisville, at a regional or national conference site, or through a video submission. More information about MFA program auditions is available at https://louisville.edu/theatrearts/graduates/auditions
- Transcripts of all undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate work
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal Statement (500-800 words, double-spaced)
- Department committee reviews application materials and makes a recommendation to the Graduate School.
- All applicants are automatically considered for Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantships that include full tuition, stipend, and health insurance for the academic year (August–May).
Program Requirements
MFA candidates must complete the course requirements listed below. Students are paired with a faculty advisor to review their progress at the end of each semester, evaluating coursework, professionalism, performance projects, and any GTA responsibilities.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Performance Courses | 42 | |
TA 555 | Special Topics in Theatre | |
TA 691 | Graduate Acting I | |
TA 692 | Graduate Acting II | |
TA 693 | Graduate Acting III | |
TA 694 | Graduate Acting IV | |
TA 695 | Graduate Acting V | |
TA 686 | Graduate Movement I | |
TA 687 | Graduate Movement II | |
TA 688 | Graduate Movement III | |
TA 689 | Graduate Movement IV | |
TA 681 | Graduate Voice I | |
TA 682 | Graduate Voice II | |
TA 683 | Graduate Voice III | |
TA 684 | Graduate Voice IV | |
Theatre Arts Elective (at the 500+ level, minimum 3 credit hours) | ||
| Academic Courses | 12 | |
TA 571 | Playscript Interpretation - WR | |
TA 620 | Performance Theory | |
TA 664 | Approaching African-American Theatre | |
TA 665 | Tools for a Global Theatre | |
| Related Coursework | 8 | |
TA 610 | Introduction to Graduate Study in Theatre | |
TA 611 | Theatre Pedagogy | |
TA 654 | Independent Study in Community Service | |
Elective (at the 600+ level, outside of Theatre Arts, minimum 3 credit hours) | ||
| Performance Projects | 10 | |
TA 625 | MFA Performance Project I | |
TA 626 | Thesis Performance | |
TA 600 | Thesis Guidance | |
| Minimum Total Hours | 72 | |