The Theatre School’s graduate program is a highly specialized conservatory offering three Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) in acting, directing and arts leadership. Each of our three MFA programs is a professional training program designed to provide our students with not only the skills but the experience necessary to help them advance their careers.

Individual Attention. We have strict capacities for each of our programs which are designed to provide each student with personalized instruction and ample opportunities for practical experience.

Highly Structured. The acting and directing programs are three-year progression-based programs. The arts leadership program is a two-year program combining full-time employment at Chicago Shakespeare Theater with academic curriculum at DePaul University. Each quarter of the curriculum builds on the previous quarter responsibilities and expectations of our students increase each year both in the classroom and in production work practicum.

Learning By Doing. Learning does not stop in the classroom. Each year The Theatre School produces more than 40 productions – of varying shapes and sizes – to give our students ample opportunity to synthesize what they are learning in the classroom.

Working Professionals. Our students learn from people who know what it is like to work in business – because they do. The Theatre School has 27 full-time tenure-track faculty who are all accomplished theatre professionals and continue their professional work while teaching our students. We also employ more than 40 adjunct, or part-time, faculty who are hired right out of the Chicago theatre community for their individual expertise. Being a professional training program, it is important to us that our faculty has a finger on the pulse of what is happening in the profession and bring that into the classroom.