10 Best Master’s Degrees in Theater & Drama

Updated on March 29, 2024

Pursuing a Master's Degree in Theater and Drama

For generations, storytelling through performance art has enriched humanity. The following 10 Best Master's Degrees in Theater & Drama train actors for stellar performances on stage and screen.

From Shakespeare to Spielberg, the world of theater and drama has helped us understand our humanity. Whether it's a classic play or a surreal film, the dramatic arts can serve as a brain-bending puzzle, a welcome escape, or an emotional release. The following 10 Best Master's Degrees in Theater & Drama offer advanced training for actors, helping them express characters authentically and effectively.

At their core, the following list of acting programs focuses on performing arts skills such as voice and movement. They may also offer specialized skills in areas such as musical theater, audition skills, and diversity in film. Students can expect to receive hands-on experience onstage, from single scenes to full-length professional productions.

Graduates of these programs may go on to work as actors on stage and screen. They may work in environments from local theater companies to Broadway plays to Hollywood sets. Alternatively, graduates may pursue positions in university theater departments. Actors can generally expect to have inconsistent, unpredictable schedules with frequent travel.

Explore these promoted online degree programs.

These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online graduate degree programs. Figuring out where to apply? Consider one of these online Master's or PhD programs.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, actors earned a 2018 median wage of $17.54 per hour, though certain skilled – or especially lucky – actors can make much more. The field is experiencing a projected growth rate of 12 percent, which is faster than average. With the current "golden age of television" and new platforms such as Netflix, the strong demand for and consumption of movies and TV shows is expected to keep growing.

Methodology

The staff of Grad School Hub has compiled the following 10 Best Master's Degrees in Theater & Drama for the 2019-20 academic school year based on public data released from educational, commercial, and government databases. Data contributed from sources such as the National Center for Education Statistics, and the U.S. Department of Labor plays a significant role in how graduate degree programs are ranked because institutional transparency is essential for deciding which career path is right for you. Based on this data, GSH organizes information into five weighted categories, which are:

  • Alumni Feedback: 20%

  • Continued Enrollment: 20%

  • Degree Selectivity: 10%

  • Graduate Expenses: 25%

  • Projected Annual Salary: 25%

A more comprehensive evaluation of how each category is determined and scored is accessible through ourRanking Methodology page.

Here are the 10 Best Master's Degrees in Theater/Dramafor –!

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