Gain valuable real-world, professional experience while enjoying paid employment and discounted tuition rates as a graduate student at USD. The affordability you gain through graduate assistantships and fellowships will equip you with valuable, professional-level skills that will set you apart after graduation.

Teaching and research assistantships are awarded by individual departments. If you do not receive an assistantship within your department, you are eligible for an assistantship outside of your academic program or within support offices (non-academic units) at USD. Further inquiries should be directed to the graduate director of the department.

Graduate School Assistantships

Real Accomplishments through Hands-On Experience

You'll find the mentorship and facilities at USD that you need to develop your artistic talents. Take advantage of all we have to offer in the College of Fine Arts from a newly renovated theatre to a fully equipped dance studio. 

• The Wayne S. Knutson Theatre is a 400-seat theatre that houses 30 line sets, full-length side tabs and state-of-the-art equipment.
• The Arena Theatre is a flexible configuration space capable of seating up to 70 patrons and serves as our studio performance space, as well as our primary room for acting, directing and voice classes.
• Fully equipped dance studio featuring a wall of curtained mirrors and a sprung, wooden dance floor. The space is home to our dance, movement dynamics, stage combat and mask classes and can accommodate up to 50 patrons for performances. 
• Our theatre department also has a fully equipped scenic shop and costume studio for the design, construction, dyeing and cleaning of costumes and crafts. 

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Build Your Artistic Community

Student Theatre Cooperative

The Student Theatre Cooperative (STC) is an independent organization that produces original and cutting-edge theatre that typically would not get produced in our main stage season. STC provides opportunities for students to develop leadership and management skills, while also refining their craft through theatre production.

At weekly meetings, students will:

• Select a season of plays and musicals
• Assign production teams and plan productions
• Participate in a Spontaneous Combustion event, where student playwrights, directors and actors write and produce original 10-minute plays in a 24-hour period

STC also engages in service activities with a variety of local organizations like the food pantry, the senior citizen center and SESDAC, a center providing support for persons with disabilities. STC also hosts an annual awards party and dinner each spring.

STC meets weekly at 5:15 p.m. on Thursdays in the Arena Theatre. All students enrolled at USD, as well as faculty and staff, may attend. Email theatre@usd.edu with questions.

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Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA)

Join your fellow graduate and professional students at USD. We aim to build a sense of community between graduate and professional students. Build your resume, network with others and gain experience and the unique opportunity to represent the interests of graduate students to the greater campus and community.

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