Onstage > College and Graduate Studies

Is college a necessity?

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katrina123na:
On a slightly related note, what would you guys say about grad school? Do you think it is more valuable to keep being formally educated, or to go out into "the real world" to get experience?

babens:
I think that varies greatly for each individual and their circumstances. Did you decide early on in your undergrad program that stage management would be your focus and build up a resume in both your program and outside work during the summers, or did you come to stage management later in your undergrad career and could use the advantage of some more time in the safety of an educational setting?

I personally recommend that it's generally a good idea to take a year or more after finishing undergrad to experience the outside world. You may find that you'll be able to dive right into the professional world and won't need to worry about grad school. Others may realize that they could benefit from going back to school.

KMC:
You will probably get different answers to this question, especially from folks who have spent a good portion of their careers in academia (either as students, staff, or faculty) but IMHO advanced degrees are not required for anything in theatre, unless you want to teach theatre at a collegiate level. 

Ultimately folks in the real world care about your ability to execute and do the job; this is where the rubber meets the road.  A piece of paper doesn't certify that you can do the job.  There are a lot of people with MFAs waiting tables, and there are a lot of extremely successful people with a bachelors or no degree at all.

From a financial side - what kind of debt load you are going to take on to earn a graduate degree, and what is the opportunity cost of foregoing two-three years of experience and earnings to stay in school?  Is it worth it?  Will your income be higher because of your advanced degree?  If so, how many years will it take you to recoup the missed earnings for 2-3 years at school and pay off the debt+interest of your graduate degree? 

Let's spitball and do some quick math.  This is by no means scientific, but it should clarify my point above.  Let's say you would earn 25k/year out of school stage managing and filling in the gaps with non-SM work.  Then let's say your MFA is a three year program costing $40k total (inclusive of stipends for teaching).

With these numbers:
$ 40,000 - Cost of degree
$ 75,000 - Lost earnings ($25k * 3 years)

Total cost of MFA - $115,000 - how long does it take to recoup that money after your MFA?  Is the difference in pay between your MFA and BA/BFA enough to justify that cost?  Maybe it is, maybe it isn't.  Cost of course isn't the only factor, but it's a big one.

David_McGraw:
Disclaimer: I lead a graduate program in stage management.

I agree with KMC that you should do the math.  But know that graduate programs vary quite a bit in cost.  For instance, at my MFA program at the University of Iowa, anyone who is admitted into our program receives a full tuition scholarship and a graduate assistantship for all three years.  This policy was vital for my decision to teach at Iowa: I don't want stage managers starting/returning to their careers with so much debt that they are limited in the types of shows that they can afford to take.  The trade-off is that I only accept 2-3 students a year.  If you want a program of 12-18 graduate students, or one located in a major metropolitan area, you are likely to pay more.  Or you might be able to earn almost regular wages from a university if you are willing to attend a tiny program, but you might be functioning more as staff than student.

MFA programs vary so much that you should examine the range of specialities and, more importantly, the alumnae/i to see if a specific graduate school will help you on your career path.

makena:
What college/university would you recommend for stage managing that gives you a full-on hands experience and preparation for working in this role?

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