MFA in Performance Pedagogy

What is the MFA in Performance Pedagogy?

Designed to equip working, professional actors with the tools to expand their employment opportunities in teaching at the college and university level, the MFA in Performance Pedagogy at the University of Pittsburgh offers a dynamic synthesis of teaching, practice, and scholarship.

This program is based on the premise that the professional actor has already gained a level of craft and broad experience that can become the foundation for solid teaching skills. Therefore, emphasis is placed on exploration and strengthening of pedagogical techniques as related to areas of acting and performance training.

Each student is given the mentorship of an experienced teacher of performance and works closely with the mentor to create opportunities for independent studies in pedagogy and curriculum development. Students gain experience applying theory to the practice of teaching acting and performance classes every semester, creating a course, conducting master class workshops, working on production assignments, and coaching or advising undergraduate students as needed. Students are encouraged to develop an area of specialty and to develop other areas of training in order to broaden their knowledge and remain competitive in the academic market.

How long is the program?

The MFA in Performance Pedagogy is a full-time program designed to be completed in two years.  The program includes practical and supervised experience in teaching throughout the period of study, culminating in a thesis class of the candidate’s specialty. MFA candidates are also given the opportunities to be involved in productions as a performer or part of the creative team at UP Stages, for which credit is given. Credit may also be given for work at outside professional theaters and/or film/TV productions in the summer or during the school year (pending academic duties and in consultation with the advisor). It is our expectation that teachers of performance will continue to practice their craft to enhance their own pedagogy as well as to model examples for other students.

Statute of Limitations

MFA candidates must complete all requirements for the degree within four years of enrollment in the program.  Extensions may be granted by the Graduate Dean only in exceptional cases.

Who is eligible to apply?

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 and/or film experience. 

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.  We recommend that you explore the Graduate section of our site and read the online Graduate Handbook (PDF) before applying. For more information about applying to our program, visit our application page.

Overview

The curriculum for the MFA degree in Performance Pedagogy centers around four focus areas:

1. Pedagogical Study
2. History/Literature/Criticism
3. Practice of Acting and/or other performance styles
4. Other Electives.

Each semester students are expected to carry a 15-credit load in addition to teaching two performance classes. Classroom teaching serves as fulfillment of the student’s work obligation to the university in addition to providing a laboratory for applying the pedagogical ideas under study.

Degree Requirements

Thesis

The thesis project is the final requirement for the Performance Pedagogy degree. It is comprised of an original, created course plus a substantial written document that serves as a teaching guidebook for other instructors interested in using the thesis topic in the classroom, and an oral defense of the written document.  The thesis document identifies a pedagogical question, investigates that question through research and classroom work, and identifies conclusions reached and considerations for future revision of the course.

Please see the graduate handbook for further details.

Evaluation Procedures

MFA students are given an advisor from the performance faculty during the first week of their first semester.  They will meet regularly (usually weekly) with this mentor to discuss progress in the program.

The department creates a file for every graduate student. This file contains copies of documents that identify work accomplished during the course of study.

MFA students’ teaching is evaluated several times during the course of the semester. The student’s advisor will visit the class at least twice and another member of the performance faculty will observe the class near the end of the term. Each of these visits results in a written report which will be reviewed by the student and his or her advisor, and become a part of the student’s file. In addition, the University conducts in-class evaluations of everyone teaching a course. These scores become a part of the student’s file as well.

At the end of each semester, MFA candidates meet with the graduate faculty to discuss and evaluate progress in the program.  The advisor provides the student with a written report of his or her progress to date, which becomes a part of his or her departmental file.  A student who does not meet departmental expectations in any area will be put on probation and/or may be asked to leave without notice.

Funding

The department is given a certain number of Teaching Assistantships (TA)/Teaching Fellowships (TF) lines for the academic year.  All students admitted to the MFA program will receive a teaching assistantship (TA) during their first year of teaching at the University of Pittsburgh. This includes full tuition remission, health benefits at no additional cost, and a stipend. If the student’s teaching is deemed satisfactory by the graduate faculty based on OMETS and teaching observations, the student will receive a teaching fellowship (TF) during their second-year of teaching in the department.

Information on current stipend rates can be found here.

Service

Service is a significant portion of a teaching position at a university. Students may be asked to serve on a committee, assist a production, serve as tour guide for a prospective student, or teach an Honors Workshop for Introduction to Performance students.  They do not receive credit for these endeavors.  Although they are encouraged to participate when time and experience allow, they may opt out when the work load in a given semester would make such participation a hardship.

Sample Course of Study

Although some courses are fixed and immovable in their sequencing, many are not.  Students will work closely with the advisor to devise a four semester schedule that best suits their needs while accomplishing the requirements for the department.  The following is offered as an example of what to expect but should not serve as the only possible sequencing of course requirements. 

First Year Fall Semester

Classes:

Teaching:

First Year Spring Semester

Classes

Teaching

Second Year Fall Semester

Classes

Teaching

Second Year Spring Semester

Classes

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
Graduate Student Administrator
liw151@pitt.edu

For questions or information regarding the MFA in Performance Pedagogy Program, please contact: