Graduate Admissions and Aid

Notice for international applicants

UW-Madison is awaiting approval of this new academic program by the Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) before we can accept prospective F-1 students into the program or issue a Form I-20. International students may apply for this program, but will only be considered for admission if or when the program is approved. 

How To Apply

All prospective Dance MFA students must apply directly to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School and the Dance Department’s requirements. 

Applications will open September 1st. Please complete your application no later than December 1st. The program does not offer admission in the spring or summer.

Application Requirements

1. Statement of Purpose

   • Your Statement of Purpose should include relevant information related to your creative practice and how attending UW-Madison will benefit your artistic work over the course of the program. This is your opportunity to share specific aspects of your artistic practice and related research that connect to what the Dance Department can offer. It’s appropriate to mention individuals and departments or units, as well as spaces and other university resources, inside and outside of the Dance Department, that will support your creative projects during your time in the program. If applicable, please include a teaching statement outlining your experience, interests, goals, and any areas of support for growth that you need.

     Your statement of purpose should be no longer than 500 words.

2. Artist Statement

   • Your Artist Statement should help situate you and your professional work within the dance field at the present time. How do you envision your work? What is your artistic voice? What more can you add about how the UW-Madison MFA in Dance program aligns with your artistic agenda? Provide insight into your philosophical frame/viewpoint, approach, and methodology. Highlight significant details of your previous professional experience, and focus on your current creative practice, research, and your major artistic influences. If your work is inspired by or in conversation with the work of other artists, please discuss that here.

     Your artist statement should be no longer than 500 words.

3. Portfolio

   • Provide a PDF or Word document containing active links to your choreography or screendance works, along with passwords, if needed. Submit a minimum of 3 works created within the past three to four years. For the Creative Research, Culture, and Practice named option, submit whole, unedited videos of choreographic samples. Recent projects provide the admissions committee with a clearer understanding of your skills and the contributions you can make as a first-year graduate student. For each work sample, please include a brief narrative about why you have selected this work sample, including key collaborators and your role(s), and highlight the unique qualities of this work. Additionally, it’s important to include examples that are relevant to your intended area of creative research. It is your responsibility to ensure that our Admissions Committee can access these videos.

4. Resume or CV

   • Include relevant teaching experience

5. Two to three Letters of Recommendation

   • A minimum of two Letters of Recommendation is required

6. Transcripts

7. Test Scores

   • English Proficiency: Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not exclusively in English, must provide an English proficiency test score earned within two years of the anticipated term of enrollment, see Minimum Requirements for Admission policy. 

   • GRE test scores not required.

Finalists will be chosen for interviews in mid-January after applications are reviewed. Offers will be made to selected applicants on February 1st. Waitlisted candidates will also be notified on February 1st. The deadline to accept offers will be April 15th.

If the Dance Department nominates you for a fellowship, your Statement of Purpose and/or Artist Statement may also be used to support your nomination, and as such, should provide a compelling account to a committee of readers from diverse disciplines.

Our admissions committee uses a holistic rubric to evaluate applications, ensuring a fair and thorough review process. This rubric, developed from best practices in holistic admissions, helps us identify candidates with the highest potential for success in the MFA in Dance program. It standardizes the evaluation criteria, focusing on key factors such as academic performance, creative research experience, letters of recommendation, personal statements, and fit with our program’s goals. Click here to view the rubric.

Funding

Students entering the UW–Madison MFA in Dance program are offered tuition remission, generous monthly stipends, access to UW–Madison health benefits, and other annual funding opportunities. Students are assigned assistantships within their first year of study, which may be a Teaching Assistantship (TA), Lecturing Student Assistantship (LSA), or Project Assistantship (PA).

Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study are available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and funding-related restrictions.

Office of Financial Aid
Financial Aid information for graduate student grants, employment appeals, and general loans is available from the Office of Student Financial Aid. Please note that student financial aid awards are not connected with the Dance Department.

Work-Study
Work-study is awarded through the Office of Student Financial Aid. Work-study positions are listed in the work-study office.