1. Theatre and Performance
  2. Admissions and Aid

Admissions and Aid

We seek the brightest students from the United States and abroad who will bring imagination, creative thinking, and commitment to the researching the arts and understanding their transforming potential.

We seek students who value diversity and who will become a scholarly, critical, and supportive community of thinkers, teachers, writers, and arts workers.  We seek students who, through their research practices, creative work and teaching, want to change the world.

Learn more or apply online

Admissions Overview

Application Deadline: January 1 (Fall Enrollment Only)

Candidates complete The Graduate Center’s Application for Admission and provide appropriate supplemental materials including transcripts and letters of recommendation. 

A writing sample (15 page maximum) is also required.

Note that the GRE requirement is currently suspended.

Applications are first collected and processed by the Office of Admissions and then reviewed by the Theatre and Performance Program's Admissions and Awards Committee. 

Tuition and Fees

Tuition rates for doctoral programs at The Graduate Center are based on a student's “level,” which is determined by a combination of the number of graduate credits completed (including, in the case of transfer students, credits accepted by the student's degree program and the Registrar) and specific academic accomplishments. 

The fee structure is also affected by a student’s resident status.

See current doctoral tuition rates »

Each student will be billed for a Graduate School student activities fee, a University student senate fee, a University consolidated services fee and a technology fee. These fees are not refundable.

Fellowships and Financial Aid

Every applicant to The Graduate Center’s doctoral programs will automatically be considered for five-year institutional funding packages. The aid we offer — including fellowships, tuition awards, and assistantships — is based on merit. 

Learn more about institutional aid for doctoral students »

Federal aid for doctoral students includes:

New York State also provides the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) for eligible graduate students who are New York State residents.

 

In addition to the institutional five-year funding packages available to all doctoral students at The Graduate Center, the following fellowship opportunities may be of particular interest to students in the Theatre and Performance Ph.D. Program:

Additional funding may be available to incoming students from underrepresented populations through offerings from the Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity, including several fellowships and the CUNY Pipeline Program for undergraduate CUNY students.

Learn more about funding opportunities from OEOD »

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Learn more about us through a visit or interview

Although we do not require an interview for admission, it may be helpful for you to speak with faculty and other students as you make your decisions about graduate study. The program hosts an annual prospective student open house during the fall semester, and if you would like to speak with the Theatre and Performance Ph.D. Program executive officer as you consider your application, we invite you to call 212-817-8870 to set up an appointment.