Technical Design and Production

January

Applicants submit a one-page statement of purpose, resume, and one letter of recommendation through the online application portal. See below for details on each. No portfolio is needed at this time. The application deadline is January 2, 2026.

Since 2019, the GRE is no longer required and will not be considered if submitted as part of the application.

The application fee is $50. To request a fee waiver for the application, please download and submit an Application Fee Waiver Form. All fee waiver applications must be completed, signed/notarized, and an original copy received by the Admissions Office ten (10) business days prior to your program deadline. For the Technical Internship program, the deadline for submitting an Application Fee Waiver Form is December 22.

Submitted applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. A select group of candidates will be scheduled to interview with the faculty of TD&P via Zoom throughout December and January 2026. All candidates selected for the Zoom interview round will be notified no later than Friday, January 9, 2026.

After the round of Zoom interviews, a select group of finalists will be invited to travel to New Haven to interview on campus. Candidates will be notified in late January whether they have been invited to the final round.

February/March

On-campus interviews will be scheduled during February and March. Ahead of their on-campus interviews, finalists will need to submit an additional letter of recommendation, their transcript, and a portfolio via the online application portal. These additional materials will be due by February 23. The on-site interview usually includes meetings with several faculty and staff members, a tour of David Geffen School of Drama's campus, opportunities to meet current students, observe class, see a performance if available, and a portfolio review.

For any applicants wishing to apply for financial aid, the application is due by February 15, 2026: Please refer to Financial Aid Policy and Procedures.

If you are invited to interview in January, it will be via the Zoom platform. Once your interview time is determined, you will receive a Zoom link by email. If you are invited to an on-campus interview in February or March in New Haven, the David Geffen School of Drama will fund or reimburse a portion of your travel expenses, including mileage, meals, air travel, hotel, train, or taxi/rideshare. Exact reimbursement limits will be conveyed to you during interview coordination. For international applicants, best efforts will be made to reimburse most of these expenses but due to some laws and policies, full reimbursement may not be possible. Alternate arrangements for on-campus interviews, including via Zoom, can be made for international applicants, or for applicants who are unable to travel during the on-campus interview period.

Statement of Purpose

In one page*, the statement of purpose should describe your career goal(s) and cite specific aspects of how our mission, curriculum, and professional work assignments can help you at this juncture in your career. Essentially, why Yale and why now? The statement of purpose is due January 2.

*12 point font, double-spaced.

Resume

In one to two pages, the resume should include your professional or academic experience, education, and relevant skills. Brief descriptions of each role listed, including responsibilities and scope, are recommended. The faculty are also happy to give resume feedback before you apply. The resume is due January 2. 

Letters of Recommendation

As a part of the January 2 deadline, we require applicants to have one reference letter via the online application portal. Applicants will be asked to submit contact information for the letter writer, who will receive a link to submit the reference on the applicant’s behalf. If you are invited to interview in New Haven in March, you will be asked to supply one additional reference letter by February 23, via the same process as above. All references will be sent a link to follow and instructed to write a letter asking for their "appraisal of the applicant on the basis of their past performance in a professional and/or academic setting, your perception of their talent, experience, potential for a career in theatre, commitment to their craft, and how the applicant can benefit from a concentrated or intensive training program."

Transcript

If you are invited to interview in New Haven in March, you will need to supply a transcript from any prior undergraduate educational experience, even if you didn’t graduate. A transcript is proof of education. It has a detailed record of all the subjects you have studied with your scores in the form of marks or grades given by the institution of study. The transcript will be due February 23 via the online application portal.

Portfolio

Portfolios may include but are not limited to the following:

Costume Technology Internship

Renderings or costume sketches, photographs or slides of produced costumes, millinery, accessories, demonstrations of patterning, tailoring skills, figure-drawing, work in watercolors, acrylic, ink, etc.

Electrics Internship

System design draftings, photos, examples of any creative work. Please also include any documentation supporting your project planning, budgeting, and organizational skills. Examples of this can include material breakouts for purchasing and labor assignments.

Projections Internship

Projection system draftings, photos, or any other supporting documentation. Examples of any creative and/or design or video work. Please also include any documentation supporting your project planning, budgeting, and organizational skills.

Properties Internship

Sketchbooks, drafting, prop drawings, examples of your painting, scene painting, renderings or designs, woodworking skills or construction, metalworking, mold making, sculpture, soft good skills: sewing or upholstery, as well as items you have built: furniture, masks, puppets, costumes, craft pieces, and examples of craftsmanship.

Scene Painting Internship

Examples of scenic art work (done as an individual or part of a team), production shots of your work, sketchbooks, drawings, paintings, renderings, sculpture,
designs, paint elevations, draftings, and other non-theatrical work.

Carpentry Internship

Drafting plates, technical drawings, production photographs, and close-up construction detail photographs (in‐progress or finished work) to show examples of the quality of your personal craftsmanship.

Sound Engineering Internship

Sound system draftings, photos, or any other supporting documentation. Examples of any creative and/or recording work. Please also include any documentation supporting your project planning, budgeting, and organizational skills.

International Students

The TD&P program, like the rest of David Geffen School of Drama, gladly welcomes International students into the program each year. To be eligible, the application materials you submit must be in English, and you must demonstrate proficiency in English during your interview. If English is not your first language, we require the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT, under the following guidelines:

• Must be taken by February 16, 2026
• IELTS scores are accepted
• School code: 3988

If you are invited to interview in New Haven in March, alternate arrangements for on-campus interviews, including via Zoom, can be made for international applicants who are unable to travel during the on-campus period.

We welcome interested applicants to reach out for an informal conversation at any point with the chair, one of the other faculty, or a current student. You can be thinking of applying this year or in the future. The faculty are also happy to give resume feedback before you apply. You are welcome to visit the campus at any time for a tour, observe classes, and have lunch or coffee with a student.

Upcoming Information Sessions

• Resume Reviews are scheduled anytime throughout the year. Please email Rachel Zwick to schedule.
• DGSD Visitor’s Day - October 24, 2025, New Haven, CT
• TD&P Virtual Open House - November 1, 2025, 10:00am EST
• Technical Intern Virtual Open House - November 22, 2025, 1:00pm EST
• USITT Annual Conference, Long Beach - March 18–21, 2026

Please email Shaminda Amarakoon, Jen McClure or Rachel Zwick to get more information or to schedule a chat. For additional information, we suggest visiting the FAQs.