The Juilliard School

The MFA in Theatre at the Juilliard School—part of its renowned Drama Division in the School of the Arts—offers graduate students immersive training alongside undergraduate BFA peers in a closely integrated cohort of 18 students per year. Students specialize in disciplines such as acting, directing, dramaturgy, playwriting, stage management, or theatre management and producing, with the option to pursue a unique joint JD/MFA pathway in collaboration with Columbia Law School. Both BFA and MFA candidates attend many core dance, voice, scene study, and Alexander Technique studio classes together, creating a richly layered learning environment grounded in diversity, collaboration, and artistic rigor.

From their first year, students engage deeply with classical (Shakespeare, Chekhov) and contemporary repertoire, and collaborate with Juilliard’s Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights Program and professional directors. Graduates participate in readings, workshops, fully produced performances, and public showcases. In the third and fourth years, MFA actors and playwrights refine thesis projects—acting students perform full-scale productions; writers, directors, and dramaturgs lead new work development; and stage management and producing students complete multiple internships and written theses.

The Drama Division emphasizes personal growth as well as artistic excellence. Students cultivate a strong understanding of body, voice, imagination, and text—while exploring identity, empathy, and responsibility within their work. Drama faculty include working professionals in speech, movement, Alexander Technique, dialect, and physical acting, all committed to nurturing authentic expression. Juilliard also fosters community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration by pairing drama students with peers in music and dance.

A major recent development: as of fall 2024, the MFA in Acting component of the Drama program is 100% tuition-free, including a living stipend in the fourth year, reflecting Juilliard’s dedication to accessibility and removing financial barriers to high-level theatrical training. Complementing creative coaching, students also receive training in arts entrepreneurship, leadership, budgeting, contract negotiation, and career preparation—skills supported by the Alan D. Marks Center and Juilliard’s growing emphasis on professional sustainability