Theatre, MA

Location(s): Main Campus

The Master of Arts in Theatre exists to provide a broad-based, comprehensive body of knowledge regarding theatre and drama at an advanced level. It is designed to appeal especially to students who wish to teach or to undertake an intensive pedagogical experience en route to the PhD. Furthermore, it serves as a practical training ground for students hoping to enter an MFA program or the professional theatre. The program includes a carefully planned combination of theory and practice; however, with attentive counseling, students determine a sub-specialization in history, criticism, or some aspect of performance, technology, or design.

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate specialization in theater is not required; however, students lacking a suitable background in theater studies as a part of their bachelor’s degree are obligated to complete appropriate undergraduate courses in addition to courses required for the MA degree. The deficiencies to be made up are determined by the graduate committee of the department. Students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the United States or certain countries where English is the medium of instruction must also submit proof of English proficiency (such as TOEFL, IELTS or PTE Academic scores). Additionally, all international students must provide immigration forms guaranteeing financial support.

Program Requirements

Course Requirements

Students pursuing the MA in Theatre must complete 32 credits of graduate level coursework, which includes:

Four Required Courses (4 credits each):
- THEA 544 Theatre Production Technology
- THEA 569 Theories of Acting and Directing
- THEA 572 Seminar in Dramatic Theory and Structure (any section)
- THEA 579 Seminar in Theatre History (any section)
Comprehensive Exam or Thesis (4 credits)
The remaining credits/classes should complement each student’s interests and should be chosen in consultation with the director of graduate studies and student’s area advisor.

Comprehensive Exam or Thesis Requirements

Given the department’s objectives, all candidates for the Master of Arts in Theatre are required to demonstrate a general knowledge of the field plus cultivated skills in a specialized area of theatre, culminating in either an acceptable thesis or a comprehensive examination. In the Theatre Department, theses fall into two broad categories:

Critical thesis (THEA 599), consisting of an extensive written document of a scholarly or reflective nature;
Creative thesis (THEA 598), centering around a project, performance or other activity and accompanied by a brief written summary paper laying out the nature of the project and evaluating its success, with other materials presented in appendix form as appropriate.

Additional Information About the Program

Matriculated students who are candidates for the Master of Arts degree must receive at least a full B (3.0) in all required courses and achieve an overall grade average of at least a B (3.0) for any 32 graduate credits in order to successfully complete the program. All graduate students are expected to participate actively in the department’s various projects.

For more information on the Theatre MA program, please refer to the Theatre Department website or email theatre@binghamton.edu for more information. To apply to the Theatre MA program, please visit the University Admissions website.