Join Us!

If you are interested in pursuing an MA or PhD in theatre/performance studies research, we’d love to talk with you. We can help with the UW’s admissions process, answer questions about the ITS program, and put prospective students in touch with faculty and current students who share their interests.

How to Apply

Any student applying to a graduate program at UW-Madison must apply using the Graduate School’s on-line application form. In addition to this form, applicants to the M.A. and Ph.D. degree programs in Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies need to include in their application a thoughtful statement about their interests in theatre research and the areas in which they might like to study, as well a sample of their writing in the form of an advanced research paper of 15-20 pages. Applications are judged on the basis of the prospective student’s previous academic record, Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores, references, personal statement, and writing sample.

Applications must be received by January 1 to guarantee consideration for financial aid.

For More Information about UW-Madison’s application process, follow this link http://grad.wisc.edu/admissions/process/.

For information about the Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies Program, or to set up an on-campus interview, contact the program director: michael.w.peterson@wisc.edu

6174 Vilas Hall
821 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706-1497

Financial Aid

Fellowships

Qualified students may be offered a one-year merit fellowship as part of their financial aid package. They may also be offered an Advanced Opportunity Fellowship, which is intended to support the recruitment and retention of highly qualified underrepresented students in UW-Madison’s graduate programs.

Teaching and Project Assistantships

The Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies Program supports its graduate students as much as possible through Teaching, Research, and Project Assistantships. These assistantships offer students not only financial support but vital professional training.

It is our policy to provide assistance, when available, for up to three years to PhD students. Many students in the program are awarded funding beyond their third year either within the program or by taking on Teaching or Project Assistantships with other departments and programs on campus.

M.A.s matriculating into the Ph.D. program may receive up to four years of support if they had already received a year of assistantship during the MA, although assistantships for M.A. students are exceptional rather than customary.

Fellowships, teaching assistantships, and project assistantships include salary, tuition remission and eligibility for health benefits.

Scholarships and Readerships

In addition to the longer-term support outlined above, the department offers more modest support in the form of scholarships and/or readerships. Readers are hired on an hourly basis to assist faculty members in grading papers for large lecture courses with 40 or more students. These are ad hoc appointments.