<p>I have a couple of questions for this thread. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in theatre, have traveled quite a bit with shows and am pretty much done with the whole "starving artist" thing. I have always known that I wanted to eventually go back to school for education, and I am very excited to pursue this dream of mine.
That being said, I am choosing to go back for high school english education (with hopefully the chance of having opportunities to maybe coach debate, direct some theatre, and get speech endorsements) OR theatre education at the collegiate level. I know that they are both very different, and that the latter would involve more schooling, but the biggest problem that I am having is choosing a school.
I currently live in Chicago and would like to apply for schools as soon as possible, so what would be the best choices for either/or grad degree? Are there other schools across the country that would be better? I am not opposed to moving if it were to give me a better chance of being hired once I was out of school.
Also, what are your opinions on each of the graduate degrees and what would be the better choice? I appreciate any and all advice!</p>
<p>Teacher certification regulations vary from one state to another, and hiring usually is local. If you have identified the part of the country that you would like to begin your career in, get in touch with some teachers and secondary school principals there. Ask them where their best teacher candidates come from. That short list of colleges/universities is the one you want to apply to. With a full college degree and some working experience, you may be able to find a one year MAT program that will get you your credentials quickly.</p>
<p>For teaching at the college level, an MFA would be the degree program to pursue. When you are considering MFA programs, find out where their graduates are hired. Some sub-fields have better track records than others.</p>