MFA in Acting in Urbana United States | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The Illinois Department of Theatre provides nationally recognized acting programs for both BFA and MFA students. Learners collaborate with actively practicing faculty, visiting artists, and casting professionals. Notable recent audition guests have featured NYC's Pat McCorkle, Steppenwolf's Erica Daniels, Chicago Shakespeare's Bob Mason, Utah Shakespeare Festival's Kathleen Conlin, Illinois Shakespeare Festival's Deb Alley, Great River Shakespeare Festival's Paul Barnes and Alec Wild, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre's Brent Hazelton, American Players Theatre's Brenda deVita, among others. The intensive three-year graduate acting curriculum culminates in a professional terminal degree for theatre performance. Graduate actors engage in daily four-hour training sessions covering dynamics, vocal techniques, physical movement, and performance skills. Participants analyze and perform scenes drawn from diverse dramatic works, presenting final showcases each semester. Academic research complements practical work to foster innovative interpretations and deep comprehension of theatrical works and their historical contexts. Optional courses span theatre history, creative dramatics, performance theory, and specialized production projects. Degree requirements include three years of residency with eighteen graduate credits (each equivalent to four semester hours), comprising twelve acting credits, one theatre history credit, and five approved elective credits. MFA candidates actively contribute to the department's annual production schedule, which stages six to eight performances at Krannert Center.