Academics

A student actor in costume sits on the edge of a stage with an open book in his lap, looking out into the audience.

Create Your Future

Carnegie Mellon School of Drama was the first, and is consistently ranked among the best degree-granting drama programs in the United States.

Undergraduate students earn a BFA in Drama with concentrations in Acting/Music Theater, Dramaturgy, and all areas of Design and Production. MFA degrees are offered in Costume Design, Costume Production, Directing, Dramatic Writing, Lighting Design, Scenic Design, Sound Design, Stage & Production Management, Technical Direction, and Video & Media Design.

Undergraduate ProgramsGraduate Programs
A group of students stands on the set of a play, with the arms around each other, some in costume, some wearing all black.

The CMU Experience

Here, you will be part of a vibrant and diverse community of artists and researchers. The School of Drama’s rigorous conservatory training is balanced with the expansive opportunities that exist on Carnegie Mellon’s campus and in the Pittsburgh region at large. Students create connections at CMU that last a lifetime.

Student Life

More Reasons for CMU Drama

A stage with a full Shakespearean set and actors in costume.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

The School of Drama’s home is the Purnell Center for the Arts, which opened in 2000. It contains three fully equipped performance venues, state-of-the-art costume and scene shops, and classroom studios and laboratories for construction, design, engineering, movement, voice, and more.

A classroom with a large screen at the front and students at tables working on computers and laptops with screens showing colorful media and technology.

Innovative Collaborations

Carnegie Mellon’s reputation for cutting edge technology and research makes it the ideal playground for artists interested in innovative and trans-disciplinary creative work. Our research centers, including the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, the Entertainment Technology Center, and the Center for the Arts in Society, are fertile grounds for experimentation and innovation.

Large white sheets drape the walls and floor of a black box theater, with students seated on the ground facing the sheets.

Room to Experiment

Playground, an annual week-long festival of independent student work, is of the hallmark experiences of the School of Drama. Classes are cancelled and students are given the time, space, and creative resources to develop collaborative live performances, short films, light shows, art installations, murals, and more throughout the Purnell Center for the Arts.