Overview
Established in 1957 as part of the State University of New York system, Stony Brook is now recognized as one of the nation’s finest public universities. Stony Brook is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as one of the Doctoral/Research Universities-Extensive. This distinction, granted to fewer than 2 percent of all colleges and universities nationwide, reflects Stony Brook’s high volume of federally sponsored research, its high percentage of doctoral students, and its emphasis on scholarship. A 1997 study published by the Johns Hopkins University Press placed Stony Brook among the top three public research universities in the country—second only to the University of California, Berkeley and tied for second with the University of California, Santa Barbara—in research per faculty member.

Graduate study in this department is unique in a number of ways. First, the programs incorporate multicultural study, including both eastern and western drama and theater. Second, the program puts practical theater work and the production process at the center of the curriculum, offering graduate students numerous opportunities to produce their work in actual theater productions. Third, the program reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the theater arts. Among the faculty members are practicing directors, designers, actors, playwrights, and dramaturgs, all of whom work closely with graduate students. Finally, there is a strong emphasis placed on new technologies and interactive media studies.

There are typically 15 to 20 graduate students in a given year, most of whom are full-time students seeking the M.F.A. degree. About 70 percent of the students are women. While most come from the United States, there is a significant number of international students from such countries as Austria, Bosnia, Chile, Korea, and the People’s Republic of China. The faculty looks for students who are intellectually and emotionally mature and who have a strong desire to engage in the practice of theater.

Dramaturgy at Stony Brook is a dynamic process that is different for each individual. Graduates have not only pursued careers as dramaturgs and literary managers, but also in other areas of the theater, the arts, and the media; many have also taken teaching positions at the university level. Professional dramaturgs often become directors, producers, administrators, drama critics, teachers, or playwrights, and many combine two or three different careers. For students with a wide range of interests in theater practice, the Stony Brook program offers numerous opportunities to pursue individual development within a professional orientation. The dramaturgs at Stony Brook also publish a dramaturgy magazine/journal called The Groundling.

The Location and Community
The University is located on the North Shore of Long Island, about 60 miles east of New York City. The campus is nestled amid fields and woodlands, with Long Island Sound just minutes to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean is a 45-minute drive to the south. The Long Island Railroad connects New York City with the Stony Brook campus. Three major highways lead to New York City, and bus service is available on campus to various points on Long Island. Other transportation options include ferry, airplane, taxi, and limousine.

Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The Department of Theatre Arts at Stony Brook University, State University of New York offers two graduate programs: a 30-credit Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in theater and a 60-credit Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree in dramaturgy. The goals of the M.A. program are to study the dramatic tradition and the history of the performing arts, to develop an understanding of the vital relationship between theater theory and onstage practice, and to prepare students to be qualified to matriculate in programs of study at the M.F.A. or Ph.D. level.

Founded in 1984, the small, rigorously selective, and intellectually challenging three-year professional M.F.A. program has been at the forefront of the study and practice of dramaturgy in America. Stony Brook seeks to find and nurture dramaturgical collaborators who are skilled in numerous practical sides of the theater. Student dramaturgs and faculty members work as colleagues in the heart of the production process—not as critics working from the outside. Dramaturgs at Stony Brook also act, write, produce, and stage plays in addition to the more traditional dramaturgy work. In this practical environment of “making theater” (dramatourgos, in Greek), students study production, marketing, performance, design, and every aspect of theater life.

Stony Brook University’s graduate program in dramaturgy is the home of theatrical innovation for the twenty-first century. In this program, there is very little time to ponder the death of the theater when every moment is filled with the discovery, invention, and creation of new venues and theatrical opportunities. This is a place where artists can grow and learn to channel their own voices and nurture the voices of others in the spirit and practice of the collaborative arts.

Facilities & Resources
The Department of Theatre Arts is located in the Staller Center for the Arts, which houses a 1,106-seat proscenium stage and three black-box theaters. Additional theater spaces are also available on campus. The department also uses the Fannie Brice Theatre, a flexible and intimate 75-seat performance space, which is used for The Cabaret, undergraduate productions, staged readings, and as a studio classroom space. The Cabaret is run by the Stony Brook M.F.A. dramaturgy students as a production space and theatrical laboratory. Each year, eight to twelve productions are presented. The department also has a Laboratory for Technology in the Arts and an electronic classroom.

Expenses and Aid
In 2005-06, full-time tuition was $3650 per semester for state residents and $5660 per semester for nonresidents. Part-time tuition was $288 per credit hour for residents and $455 per credit hour for nonresidents. Additional charges included an activity fee of $22 and a comprehensive fee of $322.50 per semester.

Financial Aid:
Full-time teaching and graduate assistantships carry stipends of $11,947 per year. Graduate Council Fellowships are restricted to U.S. citizens and permanent residents and carry a stipend of $15,975, plus a full tuition scholarship; ten are awarded campuswide each year. W. Burghardt Turner Fellowships carry a stipend of $15,975, plus a full tuition scholarship; twenty are awarded each year to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are Native American, African-American, or Hispanic American. Federal and state aid includes Veterans Administration educational benefits, Federal Work-Study, subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Stafford Student Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

Housing/Living Expenses:
University apartments range in cost from approximately $325 per month to approximately $1400 per month, depending on the size of the unit. Off-campus housing options include individual furnished rooms as well as houses or apartments to share, with rents ranging from $350 to $1500 per month.

How to Apply
Admission and financial aid applications should be filed by January 15 for fall admission. Application materials are available from the Department of Theatre Arts or from the Web site at http://www.grad.sunysb.edu. Admissions and support decisions are made during the first week in March, and applicants receive notification no later than March 15. April 15 is the deadline to respond to offers of admission and support. Interested students should request information and application forms as early as possible, especially if they plan to apply for financial aid.

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