School of Arts and Sciences
Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies

Professional Development

Undergraduate

Internships, Awards, and Grants

We encourage our students to enrich their theatre training with internship opportunities. Although internships are not required, students may do internship to earn course credit.

Our recent Theatre and Performance Studies majors/minors have held different internship positions such as marketing and communications intern, assistant to deputy director, stage management apprentice, research assistant, production assistant, and many more positions in the following theatres and art organizations:

Our department works closely with Tufts Career Center to assist our students in discovering internship opportunities.

Molly Glynn Summer Theatre Award

In honor of drama major Molly Glynn, J90, who passed away on September 6, 2014, the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies created the Molly Glynn Summer Theatre Award. These awards will support student summer theatre internships and apprenticeships throughout the US and abroad. We are thrilled to be able to pay tribute to Molly's outstanding contributions to the Tufts theatre community, and thank her friends and fellow alums who made this possible.

The Molly Glynn Summer Theatre Award(s) underwrites a portion of students' expenses for internships and /or apprenticeships pursued in their chosen area of theatre. The award can be used in conjunction with funding from other sources. Preference will be given to students participating in unpaid or minimally stipend programs. Any undergraduate student participating in the department is eligible to apply, with preference given to majors (double majors included) or minors. Students may apply for up to $1,500 in support.

Internship Process

  1. Research internship opportunities
  2. Schedule a meeting with your academic advisor or internship mentor.
  3. Submit your internship applications for theatres and arts organizations.
  4. Apply for Molly Glynn Summer Theatre Award.

Contact your academic advisor, TDPS Director of Undergraduate Studies and TDPS Associate Chair, Linda Ross Girard, to request a meeting to discuss what kinds of internships would best match your interests.

Former MGSTA recipients Apply for the MGSTA Tufts Career Center

 

Tufts Dance Program Innovation Fund

Established in 2014, The Tufts Dance Program Innovation Fund (TDPIF) supports innovation and risk-taking by the Tufts Dance Program, its faculty, and undergraduate students beyond the confines of mainstream dance studies and emerging dance forms; creative process; choreography and performance; and cross-disciplinary research. The fund supports first through third year students (non-second semester seniors) with the ability to participate in innovative projects and learning opportunities, and dance faculty who are exploring and cultivating new areas of artistic work and scholarship.

Examples of funding for students and dance faculty include but are not restricted to collaboration and interdisciplinary projects, summer workshops and classes, attendance at conferences and professional events, and other endeavors that reach beyond the scope of current Dance Program activity.

Student Eligibility: First year through first semester seniors are eligible to receive funding to support projects taking place between first year spring and senior fall semesters. (Projects scheduled to take place during a student’s second semester senior year are not eligible). Students awarded TDPIF grants receive mentorship for their projects from full-time Tufts Dance Program faculty members either through independently arranged meetings and discussions, or through registering for DNC 191 or 192 as an independent study course, depending upon the scope of the project.

Faculty Eligibility: Current full- or part-time faculty who are scheduled to be employed and active at Tufts either during and/or after the period of the grant are eligible to apply. Faculty proposals that have a clear connection to student and program development will be given priority.

Contact the Dance Innovation Fund Co-Directors, Jaclyn Waguespack and Jenny Oliver for more information.

Application

Graduate

We encourage our graduate students to enrich their theatre training with internship opportunities.

The graduate program in Theatre & Performance Studies offers internship grants for graduate students to promote Immersive Engagement and Experiential Learning. This initiative is an opportunity to diversify our graduate students' PhD portfolios so that they may apply their degrees to a wider range of potential professional opportunities beyond the academy. The initiative includes the possibility to earn credit for internships during the semester, a limited number of modest internship grants during non-funded semesters, professional development roundtables and career fairs, mentorship from a faculty member serving as the internship coordinator, and the integration of professional development into the curriculum through a new required course. Graduate students also have access to research and conference funding from the Collins Fund, up to $750 per year. Students are welcome to look near and far for internship opportunities: they can be placed in other offices at Tufts (fundraising, RCD, Dean's Office); in arts or advocacy organizations in Boston and New England; or they might be closer to your research field site/summer archive destination. Our department works closely with Tufts Career Center to assist our students in discovering internship opportunities.

Apply for the IEEL Grant Collins Funding Authorization Forms Tufts Career Center

Contact your academic advisor, Lily Mengesha for more information.