Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships

Applicants to our graduate programs are considered for competitive financial support, including teaching assistantships, university-wide fellowships, tuition waivers, and subsidies for comprehensive health insurance.

• The current 9-month stipend for masters students is $17,300.00.
• The current 9-month stipend for doctoral students is $19,020.00.
• Many of our doctoral students receive fellowships on top of the current 9-month stipend, which can raise 9-month funding up to $35,020.00.

Teaching Assistantships

The Department of Theatre is strongly committed to developing outstanding theatre and performance educators. Graduate students with teaching assistantships have extensive teaching opportunities, including assisting faculty, co-teaching with faculty, and teaching independently as instructors-of-record.

MA students often assist faculty teaching Introduction to Theatre (Theatre in Society), Script Analysis, and Beginning Scenic Construction.

PhD students teach a range of classes as instructor-of-record, including: Acting for Non-Majors, Introduction to Performance Studies, Performance of Literature, Playwriting, Introduction to Scenic Construction, Introduction to Costume Construction, and Stage Make-Up. Assistantships are also available to work in the Center for Applied Theatre and Drama Research (CATDR).

Additional Employment Opportunities

Graduate students may also work in the Box Office or in our scenic or costume shops, which offer hourly pay. Graduate students may be hired to participate in MU’s professional Larry D. Clark Summer Repertory Season as performers, dramaturgs, designers, stage managers, house managers, box office, or in design/tech positions.