NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma has announced a new Master of Fine Arts in Drama, with a concentration in Directing, launching in Fall 2026. Applications are now open for the inaugural cohort, whose members are expected to complete the degree by Spring 2029.
Offered through the Peggy Dow Helmerich School of Drama in the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, the MFA program is designed to cultivate visionary theater directors with a strong foundation in storytelling, leadership and collaboration.
Seth Gordon, a professor in directing and theater management, will oversee the new program. Students will benefit from a blend of practical directing experience and rigorous academic coursework and which prepares them for careers in both professional and academic theater, he says.
“The MFA in Directing represents an exciting new chapter for the OU School of Drama,” Gordon said. “It not only enhances our academic offerings but also positions us to help the next generation of American theater directors ignite their careers.”
Graduate students will have access to production and play development resources, as well as access to targeted professional residencies.
While the primary focus is on theatrical directing, the program will also allow students to take courses in film directing and theater pedagogy.
Learn more or apply at https://www.ou.edu/finearts/drama.
The Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma produces more than 400 concerts, recitals, plays, musicals, operas and dance performances annually. Learn more at ou.edu/finearts.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
As a child growing up in Atlanta, Curtis Harris would ask his mom to arrive at the airport hours early so he could sit by the window and watch airplanes take off and land. Today, at age 22, he is directing aircraft as a certified air traffic controller after graduating from the University of Oklahoma’s enhanced air traffic controller training program.
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation recently named Arianna Dambold and Aaron Lim as members of its 2026 class of Astronaut Scholars. The prestigious awards are given to junior and senior-year college students pursuing degrees in STEM and aims to support the next generation of explorers and innovators.
Zermarie Deacon, Ph.D., and Deonnie Moodie, Ph.D., have each been named a 2026-2027 Fulbright U.S. Scholar by the U.S. Department of State and the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. These prestigious fellowships support research and development opportunities abroad.
