Application Requirements: To be considered for admission to the program, applicants must provide the following before the March 1 deadline:
Prerequisites: Applicants for the master of fine arts (M.F.A.) in dance degree program must have an undergraduate bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) or bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree in dance, or its equivalent, and five years of post-undergraduate professional experience in the dance field. Applicants with a bachelor's degree, or its equivalent, in an area other than dance, may be considered for the M.F.A. if they have significant professional dance experience; remedial coursework may be required.
December 1:
Rutgers University Graduate Application
$70 application fee; transcripts for all postsecondary institutions; personal statement; and three letters of recommendation.
1. Writing Sample: Include 5-10 double-spaced pages of academic writing, substantial critique, or essay on creative or other work, or other writing genres.
2. Choreography Sample: Include three selected creative works, limited to 12 minutes maximum. Include solo, small, and large group work, as possible. Samples will be uploaded in the "supplemental materials" of the application.
January 1: Mason Gross Application
1. Five business days after submitting the Rutgers Graduate Application, applicants will receive an invitation to complete the Mason Gross Supplemental Application. This application requires an additional $40 application fee.
2. Register for audition and interview. Audition dates, including recorded audition option, are displayed for selection.
3. Complete the M.F.A. supplemental questions within the application.
January/February/March: Audition/Review
4. Live auditions will include a ballet and modern dance class, plus a short improvisation section.
5. Live auditions are highly recommended. However, individuals living more than four hours distance from Rutgers may consider the recorded audition option. If you are approved to submit a recorded audition, you will be sent an email with instructions and a link for submitting your recordings. Recorded auditions should include the following:
a. Fifteen (15) total minutes of classical ballet and contemporary SOLO dance class, including short clips of selected barre, center, floor, and locomotor work, plus a SOLO world dance form, if appropriate; and
b. Three-to-five (3-5) minute sampling of SOLO improvisational work.
6. Interviews with the graduate program director are conducted immediately after the live audition.
(NOTE: Admission to the M.F.A. in dance is competitive; meeting the minimum requirements above does not guarantee admission.)
Graduate Programs in Dance 
