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*NOTE: If you are attending the Chicago U/RTAs, you do not need to submit a formal application at this time though you are encouraged to mail in the preliminary portfolio materials listed below. You will be instructed as to if and when you should formally apply after the U/RTA Event in January. http://urta.com/events-hub/ *

All students wishing to apply for a position in the Stage Design program should submit a Preliminary Application Materials by January 31. Prospective students not attending the January Chicago U/RTAs must submit their Formal Application by January 31 as well.

It is preferred that preliminary application materials be mailed to:

Northwestern University
MFA Stage Design
70 Arts Circle Drive
5-160
Evanston, IL 60208

If you are submitting paper materials, please email the following address to notify us that they are coming: David.Kleineick@northwestern.edu

Preliminary Application Procedure

Packets should include the following:

  •  Unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended, documenting all courses taken (within or outside a degree program), grades received, and degrees earned.
  • Three reference names: individuals who can discuss you as a designer and/or your design work.
  • A sample portfolio of design work. Portfolio materials should include production photos of produced projects for which you were the principal designer (no photos of assistant credits) and evidence of other artistic skills (drawings, renderings, photography, sculpture). Materials will not be returned. Websites and/or PDFs are preferred. If you are submitting materials by mail, and wish to send digital files, please do so on USB drives. CDs will not be accepted.

Formal application

For prospective students not attending the January U/RTA Event in Chicago, formal applications are due by January 31st. Prospective students attending the U/RTA Event will be contacted with formal application instructions in early February.

  • Online formal application at www.tgs.northwestern.edu/admission
  • Unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended, documenting all courses taken (within or outside a degree program), grades received, and degrees earned.
  • Three letters of recommendation from people who know the applicant’s work as a student and/or theatre artist.
  • Academic Statement: For more information on this statement, please see Application Requirements: Essays from the Graduate School.
  • Personal Statement: For more information on this statement, please see Application Requirements: Essays from the Graduate School.
  • Official GRE scores are optional. If your GPA is between 3.0 and 3.40, taking the GRE is recommended. Visit www.ets.org/  The Educational Testing Service will send official results directly to Northwestern University’s Graduate School. Please use the institutional code 1565.

Portfolio Presentation and Faculty Interview

  • Invited applicants may arrange their portfolio interview at David.Kleineick@northwestern.edu or by telephone at (847) 491-3589.
  • The visit will include a presentation of the applicant’s portfolio to the design faculty, a tour of the facilities, a meeting with other graduate students enrolled in the program, attendance in available classes, and other activities available the day of the visit.
  • The portfolio should be comprehensive. Examples of theatrical design work should include process work and preliminary ideas and sketches, as well as, finished renderings or color elevations, models and photos of realized productions, light plots, and examples of drafting. Include any other pertinent materials that communicate the applicant as a visual artist and theatrical designer, e.g., graphic or studio artwork, photography, sculpture, weavings, etc. If possible, include evidence of aptitude and/or level of development in another area of design. The program requires that each student develop a range of fundamental abilities in a secondary field of design (scenery, costume, or lighting).

U/RTA

  • As a member institution of U/RTA, Northwestern will be conducting preliminary interviews of interested applicants in Chicago during January/February. Interested applicants should visit www.urta.com for more information.

International student requirements

  • official TOEFL scores for international applicants whose native language is not English. The minimum TOEFL scores are 80 (internet based), 213 (computer based), and 550 (paper based). The Educational Testing Service will send official results directly to Northwestern University’s Graduate School. Please use the institutional code 1565. Please see The Graduate School’s website for details at www.tgs.northwestern.edu/admission/requirements/test-scores/
  • Certifying English Proficiency Please read more at www.tgs.northwestern.edu/admission/faq/.
  • International students wishing to be considered for teaching assistant appointments during any year of study in the Graduate School must score at least 50 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or 50 on a SPEAK test. These tests are administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and given at test centers worldwide. Visit www.ets.org