<p>I am a senior in college and I am definitely not ready to consider graduate school yet. After four years, I feel I need some real world knocks and experience before I could conceive the possibility and how to even finance grad school.</p>
<p>Since...the lure of having a Masters degree is appealing. I love learning. But I need to learn more about grad schools in general, the pros and cons of having a MFA or MA/+ PhD in the theatre business, what schools offer what programs and degrees (and what ones are actually good!), how to apply/be accepted, any advice, etc. before I can even start to think about what would I actually want to get an MFA in! </p>
<p>I figured a thread was in order, to discuss this. Either reply with specific answers for me (I know I would want an MFA and that I would be interested in studying devised theatre, stage combat or just acting. I also love poetry but I don't know if I could hold up to the demands of an MFA in writing!) or respond with general knowledge (<em>salute</em>) and advice.</p>
<p>Does your advisor help you with this? It’s hard for us to comment as we don’t know what your background is, what you want, what your strengths are, etc </p>
<p>I do have to say that if you don’t yet know what focus you want for your MFA or even if you want an MFA, MA or PhD, it is much too early to apply. It takes a lot more than loving poetry, for instance, to be accepted into an MFA program and to succeed in one. Personally, I would suggest getting some real world experience (which you allude to in your first paragraph) and learn what it is you are passionate about and are competitive in. There are some MFA and PhD programs that are financed completely, by the way. It depends on the program.</p>
<p>I agree. This is a great conversation for you to have with your program advisor, or another teacher at your school. All will likely have MFAs or PhDs and will have gone through the process of applying themselves.</p>
<p>Is this not covered in any of your classes? Where I teach graduate school is covered, along with all post graduate professional options, in multiple classes. We also spend a lot of time assisting any students applying to go to grad school directly from undergrad. You may have faculty at your school who would be happy to work with you on this :).</p>
<p>Grad school is very different than most liberal arts undergraduate programs. You apply for a very focused program of study… there is no “undecided” option in grad school. Since the students are older the expectation is that you will be very self directed and motivated. </p>
<p>If after a few years out of school working professionally you have a better idea of what you might like to study in graduate school it will be easier to find programs that meet your criteria.</p>
<p>The application process is somewhat similar to undergrad, but each school will have “quirks” depending on the program.</p>
<p>If you are interested in checking out some programs and what kinds of things they have to offer, look at the URTA (University Resident Theatre Association) website, and their member schools. If you are interested in devised theatre check out Towson University’s MFA program… they used to have an MFA program that focused on generating original work… not sure if they still do.</p>
<p>It sounds like you are at this point just wanting to explore how grad school works, and options for the future. You can learn a ton by checking out the websites of schools to see what they ask for and offer.</p>
<p>I think we need to know (1) what you are majoring in now and will get your degree in, and (2) where you hope to be in about 10 years.</p>
<p>I don’t think a college degree should be an end in itself, a college degree is something that allows you to get the life that you want.</p>
<p>If you want to be, say, a university professor, then you will need a terminal degree such as an MFA or a PhD. Also Doctors need MDs, Lawyers need JDs, etc.</p>
<p>Other than that, not so much.</p>
<p>Really study the career you are interested in, and find out whether it really does require a graduate degree, or whether many people succeed in the career without a graduate degree.</p>
<p>If you talk to your college, they may be biased in favor of “everyone, including you, should get lots and lots of degrees”. So make sure you get some other points of view as well.</p>
<p>As KEVP often posts - take a look at people doing the jobs/having the careers that appeal to you. What is their background? Do the vast majority of them hold an advanced degree? Or do they have a wide range of educational backgrounds?</p>
<p>Get into the field after you graduate–find out what you like and get some work experience. Many MFA programs want older students, specifially older students who have a focus and know why they want to go to graduate school–not just because they enjoy learning. After you’ve had some work experience (like 2-3 years), you’ll have a better idea of your goals and how to get there and if an MFA is likely to get you there.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody! I’m making notes on everyone’s suggestions and compiling a list for myself.</p>
<p>Yes, I have an adviser and a senior seminar class in which we have discussed grad schools but I find that I was even more confused and conflicted by the end of our discussions! I thought that this thread might give me a better understanding to start off from, something in which I can go to my adviser to with specifics rather than walking into their office and saying “So, this grad school thing…what?”</p>
<p>I know grad school is not something I plan on pursuing in the next five years (or more. Or ever) but I am afraid that in five years, it will be so much harder for me to jump back into applications and finding the right program and I’ll have even less of an idea of how to go about it. I guess my thought process is that if I do the research now, I can pick it back up when the day comes that I am ready to go to grad school?</p>
<p>But for me specifically, as I understand my future plans right now:
I am graduating in six months with a Theatre B.A. and double minors in Creative Writing and Interdisciplinary Studies.
I’m going out to the real world to gain the real world experience.
My extremely specific interest lies in feminist, devised (or re-creation of established, even classical theatrical shows) works that are primarily text-heavy and/or involving stage violence.
to do what I want to do in life, will probably involve finding the right people (or a company of people!) with similar ideals and ambitions and just doing it. I don’t where this will take me or how this will turn out but the idea of professionally studying it is an exhilarating thought! Probably not a practical or affordable thought though.</p>
<p>“I know grad school is not something I plan on pursuing in the next five years (or more. Or ever) but I am afraid that in five years, it will be so much harder for me to jump back into applications and finding the right program and I’ll have even less of an idea of how to go about it.”</p>
<p>I took 6 years between undergrad and grad school. By the time I was looking at graduate schools I knew what I wanted to study and why. it was not difficult at that point to figure out what I needed to do to apply to the programs that interested me after doing the research. You may find that some of the information that is relevant now when looking into graduate programs will be different by the time you apply… this goes for requirements, procedure, programs available at specific schools, and your own interest and passions. </p>
<p>Once you are out of school and working you gain a lot of knowledge and experience, and as you hone in on what you might like to study in graduate school (or IF you want to study in graduate school) you will have a network of people to bounce ideas off of. Hopefully, your teachers from college will also remain a resource for you if you so choose. </p>
<p>It is stressful as one is approaching college graduation, particularly when going into a field that does not seem to have a clear, linear path… BUT, starting down a road, and being open to all the paths that appear as you learn, grow, and meet people will help you discern what may be your best next step down the line. A career in the arts is a career full of tacking as you go on the journey. I suspect that many careers are like this now a days. :)</p>
<p>If you KNOW you won’t be doing grad school within the next five years (and maybe not ever!), don’t worry about it now.</p>
<p>Focus on what you are doing now–as you say “finding the right people (or a company of people!) with similar ideals and ambitions and just doing it”. That’s enough work right there that you don’t need to distract yourself by worrying about grad school when, as you say, that might never happen.</p>
<p>Once you are “just doing it” you will probably find that you don’t need a graduate degree. If you do come to a point in your career–and, yes, this does happen to people–where you say “I need a graduate degree to go forward” then at that point you can start thinking about grad school. At that point, you will be a completely different person, you will have more stuff on your resume that we can’t predict now what it is going to be. You will be looking at grad school based on where are you are at that point (which also might include living in a certain region of the country, etc) so these are more reasons why looking at grad school based on where you are now doesn’t make sense.</p>
<p>These days many, many, people take a long break (years) between undergrad and grad school. Especially in theatre. Grad schools expect this, and they do not discriminate against people who have taken a break. In theatre, it is often expected, they will often ask “What have you been doing in theatre since you got your B.A.”. The grad schools I have been looking at have certainly been asking me that.</p>
<p>It sounds like your university is pushing you to make premature decisions about grad school. Maybe they are hoping you will stay there and give them more money.</p>
<p>I think I am just panicking - graduation is in six months (!) and it’s almost the end of the semester already. Grad school was a really attractive option that delays figuring out where to live in the real world. Although even then, I’d still have to figure out where to go to grad school since my school doesn’t offer any graduate programs, KEVP. </p>
<p>I’m going to take a couple of deep breaths now. </p>
<p>And now I guess I get to focus on figuring out where I want to move to in six months so that in the scary possible/probable event that I don’t have a theatre company to work/live for by the time I graduate, I’ll know where I’m going next.</p>
<p>What have you been doing during your summers, Songsearcher? My son graduated last May with a BFA in theatre and chose to take advantage of an opportunity to keep working with a theatre company where he had spent two summers as an intern. </p>
<p>This allowed him to be grounded for a while and have some breathing space while he mulled over his next move.</p>
<p>It is completely natural to panic a bit as graduation approaches … at this point in your life (unless you have taken time off) you have pretty much been in school for the past 17 or 18 years… it is the “devil you know.”</p>
<p>Unless you are completely focused upon, and certain about what you will study in grad school, and are 100% motivated to go, grad school can wait… time to explore the “devil you don’t.” In a few years you will be a more competitive applicant for programs that interest you, and you will have a much better idea of what you may want out of a graduate program… this is a win/ win! </p>
<p>You are on track in post #10… put your focus into internships, cities you might like to move to work, companies you might like to audition/ interview to work with, etc… expect that you will be combining work in the arts with some non-arts jobs (or at the very least jobs outside of performing, but still connected to the arts) in order to make ends meet. Arts careers are not linear, BUT… you likely have a lot of skills that are useful in many fields… arts grads likely understand meeting deadlines, team work, creative collaboration, how to work through rejection, how to be entrepreneurial… etc…</p>
<p>As you said, take a deep breath, and put your energies into exploring your immediate viable next steps. :)</p>
