Admission applications for the Fall 2026 MFA class will be accepted starting September 2025. Applications are due January 15, 2026.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the Head of the MFA Program, Cynthia Croot.
Please do not email application materials to the Graduate Administrator and Head of MFA Program. All materials must be submitted via the online application portal. Emailed application materials will not be reviewed.
Entrance Qualifications
The MFA in Performance Pedagogy is open to all qualified applicants who have completed an undergraduate degree (or who will complete one prior to registration), along with an expectation of five or more years of professional theater experience.
An undergraduate major in theatre arts is normally a prerequisite for admission to the program, though exceptions can be made if circumstances warrant. Because candidates will be teaching during their course of study, some teaching experience is preferred.
International students - The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences requires a TOEFL score of 90 (with at least a score of 22 in all of the four sections of speaking, listening, reading and writing); or a minimum IELTS of 7.0 (with at least 6.5 in each of its four sections).
Selection Criteria
Applicants to the MFA Program in Performance Pedagogy must demonstrate a desire to develop a pedagogical approach to teaching performance; exhibit potential for teaching excellence; show interest in practice-based research; demonstrate ability to collaborate across degree programs; and display a willingness to continue professional experience outside of the classroom.
Please note: The department is not able to review applications and give feedback in advance of submission and applicants do not need to confirm an advisor before applying. Due to the number of applications received, we are not able to give individual feedback after admission decisions are finalized.
For more information on what the department is looking for in an application, please see the MFA Admission Rubric.
Successful applicants will be seasoned professional actors willing to make a full commitment of time and energy to the program. Although it is possible—and encouraged—for the actor to continue commercial, voice-over, industrial, and some film work in Pittsburgh, longer-term professional engagements cannot be accommodated within the structure of the program.
MFA Application Material Requirements *GRE are no longer required
The following must be submitted to the online application.
Admissions requirements include:
- University of Pittsburgh’s on-line application (there is a $75.00 application fee). In an effort to reduce financial barriers to attending graduate school, the Kenneth P. Dietrich Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers application fee waivers. Please note that fee waivers are approved on a case-by-case basis and not all fee waiver requests will be granted. All requests received will be reviewed and responded to within 48 hours during normal business hours: Monday - Friday 8:30a.m. to 5:00p.m. EST. To be considered for a fee waiver, please complete the following fee waiver survey for review.
- A personal statement indicating your reasons for pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh and your academic and professional goals.
- Official or Unofficial College Transcripts are uploaded with application. After a student is recommended for admission, official copies of all college transcripts will then need to be sent directly from the institution to the Dean’s office before a student can be matriculated.
- Curriculum Vitae
- Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
- Diversity Write-Up - We are a program that values departmental citizenship. This plays out in multiple spaces: seminars, teaching, and production work, among others. Please discuss how you have engaged diversity with respect to race, gender, sexuality, disability, and/or class, or might negotiate it in one of these spaces.
- Headshot and Resume
- Non-US citizens: TOEFL or IELTS scores - this is mandatory and cannot be waived. Review Guidelines and Expectations for the TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo.
Auditions and Interviews
In addition, some candidates will be invited to interview and audition as part of the application process.
Once all materials have been received, the department will contact candidates selected for a phone/Skype interview, typically during the month of January.
Candidates will then be considered for an in-person audition, teaching demonstration and interview, to be held in Pittsburgh during the months of January and/or February.
For the audition and teaching demonstration, applicants should prepare two contrasting monologues (one contemporary, one classical) and be prepared to teach a warm-up and a short exercise and/or game.
Those unable to travel to the auditions will need to make alternative arrangements with the Head of the MFA Program. This may include submitting a video file along with the two monologues and any samples of teaching.
Contact
Please do not email application materials to the Graduate Administrator and Head of MFA Program. All materials must be submitted via the online application portal. Emailed application materials will not be reviewed.
For information on the application process, please contact-
LJ Woolcock-Srolovic
Graduate Student Administrator
liw151@pitt.edu
For questions or information regarding the MFA in Performance Pedagogy Program, please contact
ccroot@pitt.edu