Theatre for Young Audiences

Most programs in the UCF School of Performing Arts require an audition or interview.

The University of Central Florida offers one of the nation’s most distinctive graduate training programs in Theatre for Young Audiences. The program offers courses such as Puppetry, Storytelling and Methods of Teaching Drama and the MFA in Theatre for Young Audiences is partnered with Orlando Repertory Theatre, a professional Theatre for Young Audiences in vibrant downtown Orlando.

The Master of Fine Arts in Theatre for Young Audiences track is designed for students who demonstrate the artistic and intellectual capacity and evidence of professional promise to pursue careers in professional and academic theatre. This track is for all theatre disciplines and offers opportunities to create work with and for youth, including community-based applied theatre, teaching artistry and education, devised theatre and directing.

The program is a highly selective, rigorous, three-year professional training program emphasizing both theatre theory and practice. The MFA degree is rooted in the belief that classroom study and practical experience in the theatre are of equal and complementary value.

Students, in addition to becoming highly trained theatre practitioners, must also demonstrate the ability to understand the conceptual basis of their art and to be able to articulate that understanding to others. Toward this end, the School of Performing Arts will recruit and develop graduate students who can serve, along with faculty and staff, as role models for undergraduate students whose BFA programs of study are integrally connected and dependent. Assistantships also offer students teaching opportunities in the theatre department.

Application Requirements

Students interested in applying to the TYA MFA Theatre track must be accepted to both UCF Graduate Admissions and through an audition and interview through the UCF School of Performing Arts.

The MFA TYA Track admits students every two years to start the fall semester of each odd-numbered year with interviews and auditions held early that same year.

Minimum requirements

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required of all graduate students. Minimum requirements for admission are a B.A. or BFA degree in Theatre or equivalent and a competitive GRE score.

An audition or portfolio presentation and an interview are also required. Each student interested in the program must apply to UCF through the College of Graduate Studies before being considered a serious candidate.

Apply to UCF Graduate Admissions

Students must submit application materials to UCF's College of Graduate Studies and the School of Performing Arts. The University of Central Florida employs an online application process which can be accessed at graduate.ucf.edu. Additional materials must be mailed directly to the School of Performing Arts.

Submit to the Office of Graduate Studies

Online application
Application fee
Official transcripts
Official GRE scores
Residency classification form
Statement of purpose
Résumé
Three (3) current letters of recommendation

Audition/interview overview

The School of Performing Arts requires applicants to participate in an interview, as well as an audition or a portfolio presentation. All materials for the Theatre for Young Audiences program must be submitted through Acceptd.

The university's deadline for Fall early priority admission and fellowship consideration is January 15. In order for the department to have time to review your application, please submit your materials to Acceptd, and apply to Graduate Studies at UCF no later than November 14. Applications submitted after November 14 will not be considered for fellowships, but will be considered for acceptance. The final date for submission is March 15.

After your digital submissions are reviewed, the program will contact you if they are interested in scheduling an interview.

Submit application materials via Acceptd

On Acceptd, please upload the following as separate files:

Résumé
Transcripts
Use Acceptd's built-in format to request/supply your 3 letters of recommendation
Statement of Purpose (1–2 pages) addressing the applicant's qualifications, artistic and/or educational philosophy, and intended area(s) of focus within the program of study. Statement should also include how study at UCF will contribute to the applicant's long-term goals.

Applicants who are proficient in performance may submit (as separate files):

8 × 10 Headshot
Monologue 1 (no more than a minute, should contrast #2)
Monologue 2 (no more than a minute, should contrast #1)
Optional:
- 16 bars of a song of your choice
- Short example of dance ability

All others must upload (as separate files):

Design/Direction/Stage Management Portfolio. The portfolio presentation should highlight the applicant's strengths and experience in the field and should be limited to fifteen minutes.

We don’t want application fees to be a barrier. If you are submitting an application through AcceptD and need assistance, contact the coordinator for the program you are applying to for more information. For information about application fee waivers for UCF admissions, click here.