Theatre - Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities

Overview

What you will study

Inherently interdisciplinary in nature, the Theatre - Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities MFA program offered at University of Texas at Austin draws on practice and scholarship from many fields such as theatre/drama, feminist studies, performance studies, education and critical pedagogy, youth development and cultural studies.

Through drama-based pedagogy, youth-focused artistry and rigorous scholarship, students and faculty in our program demonstrate a strong commitment to leadership, community, diversity, innovation and social justice.

The Theatre - Drama and Theatre for Youth and Communities MFA program offered at University of Texas at Austin prepares graduates for multiple career paths in education, community and non-profit organizations and professional theatre for young audiences. The three-year M.F.A. degree stresses flexibility and encourages participation in classes throughout the Department of Theatre and Dance and the university at large. The program culminates in a practical thesis project and a written thesis document, which applies theory from a wide range of disciplines to an area of practice in drama and theatre for youth and communities. Thesis projects apply reflective practitioner research to address applied drama/theatre, arts integration, community engagement, drama-in-education, theatre for young audiences, teaching artist praxis, theatre education, theatre-in-education, youth theatre and/or the creation or production of original works for young audiences. Within higher education and the theatre profession, the M.F.A. in Theatre with a specialization in drama and theatre for youth and communities is considered a terminal degree for related fields of study. The degree does not lead to public school teacher certification; however, students interested in teacher certification may take additional classes to achieve this goal.