Admission

Who Should Apply?

Housed in the School of the Arts, our Theatre Education & Applied Theatre graduate programs  are designed for students who have majored in, work in, or are interested in theatre, theatre education, teaching, directing, or arts-based community activism. Our students aspire to teach the next generation of theatre lovers or use the arts for community justice and joy. They often pursue careers in teaching in PK–12 settings, universities, professional theaters, community-based organizations, and nonprofit settings. For more information regarding which program might be the best fit for you, check out our summary page.

Application Deadlines

MA in Theatre Education & Applied Theatre

Fall

• Priority: February 1
• Regular: May 1
• Final: July 1

MA in Theatre Education: Licensure

Fall

• Priority: February 1
• Regular: May 1
• Final: July 1

MFA in Theatre Education & Applied Theatre

Fall

• Priority: February 1
• Regular: May 1
• Final: July 1

*Priority Decision Advantages: Priority review for admission, first consideration for scholarships and earlier receipt of an admissions decision.

For official term start dates please review our Academic Calendar.

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Admission Requirements

• Online Application 
  • After submitting your application, you will receive an email with your Admission ID. Please use your username and password to log in and check the status of your application.
• Official Transcripts
  • Official transcript requirements
• 2 Letters of Recommendation
  • From persons best able to assess academic and professional qualifications, including motivations and goals. 
• Admission Essay
  • Emerson College's graduate programs form a vibrant and engaged community of creative artists, professionals, scholars, and clinicians who all believe in the power of language and communication to transform society. Your careful responses to the following prompts will help us determine if the program you are applying to is the right fit for you. Please answer each prompt as thoughtfully as possible.
    • How does the focus and curriculum of the program to which you are applying align with your experience and goals? What particular aspects of your current and/or future work do you hope to develop while in graduate school? 500 words. 
    • Drawing on your personal, professional, creative and/or academic experience please share an example of a time that you overcame an individual or collective challenge and the approach you took to address that challenge. 250-500 words. 
    • The mission of Emerson College is the betterment of society through communication and the arts. With this in mind, what impact do you want your work to have? 500 words.
• Resume
  • Include your professional and educational history.
• Artistic Resume
  • Include your artistic experience and history. 
• English Proficiency: Applicants whose native language is not English must provide evidence of English proficiency by submitting official TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or Pearson test results.

Admission Requirements: Master’s of Fine Arts Program

• Online Application
• Official Transcripts
• 2 Letters of Recommendation
  • From persons best able to assess academic and professional qualifications, including motivations and goals.
• Resume
  • Include your professional and educational history.
• Artistic Resume
  • Include your artistic experience and history.
• Artist Statement
  • Your artist statement is an opportunity to share the core values, broad vision, key methods, and driving motivations of your work. Please describe a specific example or set of examples of your artistic work as a theatre-maker, theatre educator, and/or applied theatre practitioner. Your statement should answer each of the following questions: What is the social justice lens that guides you in the creation and/or facilitation of that work? Why do you make the work you do and why is it important to you? What impact do you hope it has in the community and the world? What artists, activists, and/or theorists inspire and ground your work? (750 Words)
• English Proficiency:
  • Applicants whose native language is not English must provide evidence of English proficiency by submitting official TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or Pearson test results. Note that Duolingo is a lower-cost option that typically provides official results quickly.
• Admission Essay
  • Emerson College's graduate programs form a vibrant and engaged community of creative artists, professionals, scholars and clinicians who all believe in the power of language and communication to transform society. Your careful responses to the following prompts will help us determine if the program to which you are applying is the right fit for you. Please answer each prompt as thoughtfully as possible.
    • How does the focus and curriculum of the program to which you are applying align with your experience and goals? What particular aspects of your current and/or future work do you hope to develop while in graduate school? 500 words
    • Drawing on your personal, professional, creative and/or academic experience please share an example of a time that you overcame an individual or collective challenge and the approach you took to address that challenge. 250-500 words
    • The mission of Emerson College is the betterment of society through communication and the arts. With this in mind, what impact do you want your work to have? 500 words

View our graduate admission policies

International Applicants

• This program supports the issuance of an I-20 for the full duration of the on-campus portion of the program to learn more about applying for an I-20 you can preview the information here. No documentation is required until after you have been admitted.
• International Student Checklist