Theater, Dance and Performance Research (Master/Major)
Consecutive Master's program leading to a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree
Theatre studies deals with stage arts, theatrical practices, and phenomena of performance. The programme is characterized by interdisciplinary, intercultural, and intermedial perspectives that respond to the radical changes currently taking place in the arts. Students learn to reflect on theatrical processes, develop a critical perspective on current discourses, and acquire profound skills in cultural communication. Graduates find employment across the entire cultural spectrum, working in theatre and media, as curators and dramaturgs, in publishing, public relations, or educational contexts.
The Munich study programme is based at one of Germany's most prestigious universities and covers the entire spectrum of theatre and the performing arts, including drama, opera, dance, performance, and film. The programme thrives on dialogue and numerous collaborations with the city's diverse cultural institutions.
In additions to the perennial aesthetic and theoretical questions of art studies, we also incorporate approaches from transnational history and social sciences into our course. By combining practice-based research with theoretical reflection, students develop a rigorous academic approach to performing arts cultures. This MA programme is addressed to students with a first degree in the arts and humanities and a keen interest in the performing arts and their position in society.
| ECTS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st semester | |||
| P 1 | Critical Performance Studies | 15 | |
| P 1.1 | Theories of Culture and Performance | (9) | |
| P 1.2 | Contemorary Theater and Performance | (6) | |
| P 2 | Historiographies of Performing Arts | 15 | |
| P 2.1 | Transnational Theater Histories | (9) | |
| P 2.2 | Archive and Cultural Heritage | (6) | |
| 2nd semester | |||
| Choose two of the three WPs | |||
| WP 1 | Media, Culture and Performance | 15 | |
| WP 1.1 | Media Cultures and Performing Arts | (9) | |
| WP 1.2 | Mediating Performance | (6) | |
| WP 2 | Sound and Movement | 15 | |
| WP 2.1 | Intersections of Theater, Music and Dance | (9) | |
| WP 2.2 | Transdisicplinary Experiments | (6) | |
| WP 3 | Theater and Society | 15 | |
| WP 3.1 | Societal Entanglements of Performing Arts | (9) | |
| WP 3.2 | Theater as Social Practice | (6) | |
| 3rd semester | |||
| P 3 | Current Research Topics | 15 | |
| P 3.1 | Research Discourses | (9) | |
| P 3.2 | Research Lab | (6) | |
| WP 4 | Work Experience in Theater | 15 | |
| WP 4.1 | Internship | (9) | |
| WP 4.2 | Praxeological Reflection | (6) | |
| WP 5 | Self-directed Project | 15 | |
| WP 5.1 | Practical Realization | (9) | |
| WP 5.2 | Praxeological Reflection | (6) | |
| A module must be selected from modules WP 4 and WP 5; alternatively, courses worth 15 ECTS credits can be elected from the humanities and social sciences profile area. | |||
| 4th semester | |||
| P 4 | Final Module | 30 | |
| P 4.1 | Master's Thesis | (26 = 25+1) | |
| P 4.2 | Master's Thesis Seminar | ||
| P 4.3 | Disputation | (4) | |
The detailed standard curriculum, including the allocation of individual examinations to the submodules, can be found in the following overview: Forms of examinations and their proportionalities. (PDF, 136 KB)
Application
Application via applicant portal (3rd of March 2026 - 1st of April 2026):
https://www.efv.verwaltung.uni-muenchen.de/dance_en
Application documents
- CV
- Certificate of Bachelor's degree
Option A (Bachelor programme finished): degree certificate of Bachelor's programme including all course content and examination results; average grade of 2.5 or better (Note: Foreign degrees are converted using the modified Bavarian formula for converting foreign examination results and rounded to the nearest German grade)
Option B (Bachelor programme nearly finished): current Transcript of Records confirming that 150 ECTS credits have already been achieved; current average grade of 2.5 or better (Note: Bachelor's degree certificate must be submitted as soon as it is received.) - Evidence of academic competence:
Option A (Bachelor programme finished): Copy of the written Bachelor’s thesis
Option B (Bachelor programme nearly finished): Copy of the current status of the written Bachelor’s thesis - An essay of no more than 1,500 words that uses a specific subject to demonstrate your competences for theater studies and identifies possible research areas for the master's program in Theater, Dance, and Performance Research.
- Language certificate
Option A: Proof of English language proficiency with a minimum level of C1 according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
Option B: English-language university entrance qualification
Option C: Degree from an English-language study program
Application deadline
1st semester (starting annually on the 1st of October)
non-EU citizens: 1st of April
EU citizens / education domestics: 15th of July
suitability procedure (PDF, 112 KB) (german version)