Embrace your role as an essential member of the creative team.

Special Requirements

The IU MFA Dramaturgy degree includes theoretical, historical, and academic study as well as hands-on experience in production dramaturgy, new work dramaturgy, theatre publications, season selection, teaching, and other areas vital to the field. Candidates must provide evidence of a high degree of technical skill and creative ability in the area of Dramaturgy over the course of our three-year program. At the end of each semester in residence, the student’s skill and creative ability will be evaluated as evidenced by work done in the Department of Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance. Only students who have clearly demonstrated growth and excellence, and have maintained a 3.0 GPA, will be permitted to remain in the program. IU will provide students with a free Membership to the professional service organization for Dramaturgs, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (LMDA). Students are expected to engage meaningfully with the organization which includes networking events, online workshops, early career granting opportunities, and more.

Course Requirements

A minimum total of 60 credit hours of graduate work with an emphasis on dramaturgy. The distribution of course work will be determined by the student and advisor.

The 60 minimum required credit hours includes:

• 18 credit hours of Dramaturgy Seminar
• 3 Credit “Dramatic Theory”
• 9 additional credit hours in the areas of theatre history, dramatic theory, and dramatic literature (HTL)
• 5 credit “Introduction to Graduate Studies”
• 5 credit “Pedagogy”
• Up to 12 credit hours may be taken in an allied field in another department.
• Up to 10 credits may be taken in M.F.A. thesis during the final year of study (5 fall/5 spring)

Specific Departmental Requirements (Independent Study Credit Allowed):

• Dramaturg one mainstage show each semester. Additional production dramaturgy opportunities available but are contingent upon both adviser and student agreeing to the position.
• Write at least one popular dramaturgy article for the IU theater magazine, STAGES.
• Write at least one academic article for submission to academic journal(s).
• Dramaturg at least one new work.
• Dramaturgs must sit on the IU programming committee for at least one year.
• Dramaturgs must teach at least one class.

Independent Study courses are allowed. These courses should be appropriately named (not titled “independent study”) so that the student’s transcript appropriately reflects their training. Students can apply to receive Independent Study Credit, if they wish, for unpaid labor like writing for IU’s STAGES Magazine or serving as a dramaturg for a mainstage production.

Recommended by not required:

Internship at a theatre or other non-profit over the summer between Year 1 and Year 2 in a professional area you are interested in pursuing post-graduation. A minimum of four semesters or equivalent summer sessions must be spent in residence on the Bloomington campus.

Assessment and Feedback

At the end of each semester in the course “Dramaturgy Seminar”, students will reflect on their production work in the form of an updated CV, portfolio, and presentation. Peer and instructor feedback will be given on their work in writing. Additionally, at the end of each semester, students will have a meeting with the Head of Dramaturgy to discuss their experience in the program and ensure they are making satisfactory progress toward completing the degree.

Thesis

Required. See separate thesis document for timeline and requirements.

Examination

Oral defense of the thesis.