Scholarships & Awards
The Department of Theater and Dance is proud to recognize the talent, dedication, and creativity of our students through a wide range of scholarships and awards. From one-time cash awards to full-semester tuition grants, these opportunities celebrate artistic excellence, academic achievement, and service to our department community.
Each year, faculty and community partners honor students in all areas—Performance, Design/Technical Theater, Dance, and Theater Education—who demonstrate exceptional ability, leadership, and commitment. Some scholarships are merit-based, while others support students with financial need or outstanding contributions to productions and departmental activities.
Our Friends of Theater and Dance (FOTAD) organization plays a vital role in supporting these awards, helping us recognize students who bring passion and excellence to every stage and studio.
Students will receive an email with application materials in December of each year.
Internship Opportunities
Our students don’t just study theater and dance—they live it. Faculty mentors help connect graduating majors with exciting internship opportunities across the region and beyond, providing hands-on experience in performance, choreography, design, production, arts management, and more.
Students have completed internships with organizations such as Dance St. Louis, The Muny, Stages St. Louis, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, the Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, COCA (Center of Creative Arts), and the American Dance Festival. Others have worked with innovative companies like Leverage Dance Theater, Tesseract Theatre, Upstream Theater, The St. Louis Repertory Theater, and The Black Rep, gaining valuable professional experience and building lasting industry connections.
These experiences prepare students for successful careers in the performing arts—whether on stage, behind the scenes, or in the creative leadership roles that shape the future of theater and dance.
