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[Admissions Guidelines] [Degree Requirements] [Admissions Calendar]

Graduate Admissions Guidelines

Admission Applicants to the Ph.D. or M.A./Ph.D. program should give clear indications in their application materials of their interests and abilities in the area of theatre scholarship. Acting resumes, design portfolios, original plays, and so on will be considered as part of the general profile but should not replace a writing sample, preferably a polished essay, indicating critical acumen, historical research, or other indicators of scholarly potential. Similarly, letters of recommendation should, when possible, address scholarly potential. Letters should be as recent as possible.For applicants to the M.A. program a wider range of materials might be appropriate, but an academic essay is still preferred.

Doctoral applicants must hold an M.A. in drama or an M.F.A. in theatre. Other M.A. degrees, such as in English literature, might be considered in cases where the applicant has given special attention to an area of theatre studies, but the statement of purpose should make a clear case for the applicability of the degree. Applicants to the M.A. or M.A./Ph.D. programs need not have a B.A. or B.F.A. in theatre, but evidence of a significant background in theatre studies should be provided.

The GRE General Exam (verbal, analytical and quantative), is required for all programs. The Writing Assessment is not required. The TOEFL Exam (minimum score 600) is required for students whose first language is not English. Undergraduate G.P.A. must be at least 3.0. The deadline for the Ph.D., M.A./Ph.D., and M.A. programs is January 5. Admission decisions are made in early February. Fellowships are awarded by the end of February.

Applicants who have been awarded fellowships must decide whether or not to accept by April 15.

Applicants to the M.A./Ph.D. track who are not admitted into that program are automatically considered as applicants to the M.A. program. Admission decisions to the M.A. program are made on a rolling basis beginning in March. All admission decisions will be made by April 15.

Online Application

The UCSB Graduate Application for Admission can be started on line. Please go to www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/eapp/ and click on the “START a new application” link. Read the instructions, scroll to the bottom of the screen, and click on the gray box that says “BEGIN APPLICATION.”

Before applying, you may wish to download and review the UCSB Graduate Division Electronic Application Preparation Guide.

About Santa Barbara

Downtown Santa Barbara is the location for an Equity regional theatre company, the Ensemble Theatre, and several venues for commercial productions. There is also a well-located multi-purpose venue frequently used by various local theatre groups on a rental basis. The department sponsors a faculty and student group--Theatre Artists Group--that produces plays in the summer, using some of the facilities of the department. One or two plays have been produced each summer since 1983, and graduate students have been frequent participants in these shows.

Santa Barbara Scenery -- Nice.
Santa Barbara Weather -- Very nice.
Santa Barbara Cost of living -- ...Uh-oh.

Prices in Santa Barbara tend to be high in all areas, not the least of which is housing. The university provides subsidized housing for graduate students, and most of it is attractive and in good repair. The prices for this housing are far below the market value. For more information contact the Housing Office at UCSB.

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Contact: webmaster@theaterdance.ucsb.edu | Last updated October 11 2007 05:10:56 PM

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