Graduate Programs
Theatre Design/Technology MFA

Be sure to review and follow all application instructions and observe all deadlines carefully. In cases where students fail to follow the requirements and instructions and/or to observe deadlines there is no guarantee the application can be reviewed and the application may be withdrawn from consideration.

• Admission Requirements

• Application Process

• MFA Interview/Portfolio

• International Students

Admission Requirements

Who may apply:

• Persons holding a undergraduate degree or the equivalent from an accredited college in the United States or an approved institution of higher education abroad.
• Persons who are enrolled for a bachelor's degree who are in their senior year.

Application Process

Deadline to Apply:
Fall Admission: March 1, 2013 

Step 1: Apply online:

Apply online at http://purchase.slideroom.com.

Submit your application and portfolio and pay the non-refundable $90 application fee ($75 graduate application fee plus the $15 SlideRoom submission fee) online at http://purchase.slideroom.com. A complete online application will contain:

• Completed graduate application forms
• Resume
• Three letters of recommendation
• Portfolio of work
• A nonrefundable application fee of $90 payable online with a valid credit card or electronic check. This fee includes the $75 graduate application fee and the $15 SlideRoom submission fee.
  

Step 2: Complete your application:

Submit all the following information required to complete your application together in one package:

• Official transcripts (in envelopes sealed by the registrar) from all colleges attended.
  
• *TOEFL score, if required (see International Student Application Instructions)

Mail your complete package to:

Purchase College - Application Processing
Attn: Graduate Programs
279 Broadway
Albany, NY 12204-2755

Your application will not be considered complete until you have submitted all required official transcripts and, if applicable, test scores to the above address.

*Note: International students may have TOEFL or IELTS scores submitted electronically.

MFA Portfolio/Interview

Portfolio 

All students must submit the portfolio at http://purchase.slideroom.com along with the non-refundable $90 graduate application fee ($75 graduate application fee plus the $15 SlideRoom submission fee).

Submitting your portfolio online will involve completing the following steps:

1. (DOCUMENT UPLOAD) Resume - Submit a resume of your professional experience.

2. Three (3) Letters of Recommendation - Submit email addresses of three references. At least one reference should be from a professional in your program of study. Your reference providers will automatically be sent an email from purchase.slideroom.com that invites them to login and upload a letter of recommendation for your application.

3.  (MEDIA UPLOAD)  10 to 25 samples of work - At least 10 and no more than 25 representative samples of prior undergraduate and/or professional work. Portfolio materials can include the following for each respective specialization:

• Scenic Design concentration - examples of: drawing and painting ability, theatrical designs, drafting, and models.
• Lighting Design concentration - examples of: lighting plots, hook-ups, color charts, draftings, and when possible, examples of drawing and painting ability.
• Costume Design concentration - examples of: drawing and painting ability, theatrical designs, costumes and/or clothing constructed.
• Technical Direction concentration - examples of: drafting and technical drawings.

Applicants should upload images (jpg) and documents (pdf), and may upload video (mov). and sound (mp3). Please follow these technical requirements when uploading your audition pieces:

• Images (jpg,png,gif) must be 5MB or less
• Videos (mov, flv or wmv) must be 60MB or less. Please size your videos to be 640 x 480px to get maximum duration.
• Audio (mp3) must be 5MB or less
• Documents (pdf) must be 10MB or less

NOTE: If you experience difficulty uploading your portfolio, you must contact Slideroom technical support at support@slideroom.com for assistance. Please allow one day for a response. You can also consult the Slideroom Helpdesk and FAQ at https://slideroom.zendesk.com/home.  

Interviews

A personal interview and portfolio review with a member of the faculty interview is required as part of the application process. DO NOT CALL THE DEPARTMENT TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW.  ALL INTERVIEWS ARE SCHEDULED ONLINE THROUGH YOUR MYPURCHASE ACCOUNT AS FOLLOWS:

Step 1: You submit your completed graduate application and portfolio materials online at http://purchase.slideroom.com and they are processed by Admissions (Allow up to two weeks for processing).

Step 2: Within two weeks of receipt of your completed application Admissions will email you to log into your online MyPurchase web account. If you do not have a MyPurchase account you will be prompted to create one.

Step 3: Follow the instructions in your MyPurchase account to request your interview date online. A non-refundable interview fee of $50.00 is due online upon submitting your request to interview.

IMPORTANT: You must allow up to two (2) weeks for the processing of your application before attempting to request an interview through your myPurchase account.  Only after this two week application processing period has passed will your myPurchase account page provide you with the link to request an interview. 

Theatre Design/Technology Program Interview Tour

Purchase College
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013

New York: @ Rypley Grier Studios, 530 8th Ave. (between 36th and 37th)
Saturday, February 2, 2013

Chicago: @ Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Wacjer Dr.
Monday, February 4, 2013

*Students who live in the New York tri-state area must attend an on-campus interview.

NOTE: If you are not able to attend any of the above scheduled interview dates, please contact the Theatre Design/Technology program office at design/technology@purchase.edu to inquire if alternative dates can be arranged.

All candidates are welcome to bring photographs, slides and any other materials to the portfolio review which they believe will support their application.

The portfolio and interview are essential requirements of the admission process. However, applicants are urged to complete all necessary application documentation beforehand, since no final decision can be reached without complete materials. The entire class is limited to a select number of students, so it will not be possible to confirm admission and hold space for a candidate without a fully completed online application and portfolio, all official college transcripts and any/all other required documentation.

Admission Decisions:

Applicants will be acted on and admission offered only when the complete graduate application and all fees, required transcripts, letters of reference and any other required documentation have been received and only after the interview/portfolio review.