Texas State University School of Theatre, Dance, and Film seeks qualified candidates for our MFA in Lighting Design, to start Fall 2026.

All MFA candidates receive full scholarships which cover both tuition and fees, and each student also receives a paid assistantship for which they earn an average of $16,000 per year.

Texas State's intensive three-year program provides a solid grounding in craft and collaboration and balances rigorous coursework with frequent realized designs. The program produces 8+ shows each academic year, and our facilities feature the nicely equipped Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre, a 397-seat Broadway-style proscenium stage, and both a small thrust and configurable black box. MFA candidates are assured of numerous design opportunities over their three years, including for our well-supported musicals.

Texas State is located in beautiful San Marcos, TX, on the doorstep of the Texas Hill Country but within easy driving distance of Austin's lively theatre and music scenes and San Antionio's vibrant cultural activities. Because of our proximity to Austin, MFA candidates commonly work as designers or assistants for Austin's professional companies, with frequent partnerships at Ballet Austin, one of the 15 largest ballet companies in the US, and Zach Theater, Austin's largest professional regional theatre. Also, graduate students often assist our active design faculty on their own projects outside of central Texas.

In both 2024 and 2025, Hollywood Reporter ranked Texas State's theatre program in its top 25 drama schools in the world. Current MFA Lighting candidates have been selected as ACTF National Design Finalists and to participate in the Hemsley Lighting Portfolio Review, and recent graduates are working as freelance designers or assistants, as supervising electricians, and in academic institutions nationwide.

For more information, please visit https://sotdf.txst.edu/theatre/degrees/theatre-graduate-degrees/master-of-fine-arts-in-theatre-design.html.

Interested applicants should email their resume and portfolio or website link to Matt Webb, Assistant Professor of Lighting Design, to schedule an interview.