Shanghai Theatre Academy is a public university in Shanghai, People's Republic of China dedicated to dramatic art education. Its predecessor was Shanghai Municipal Experimental Theatre School cofounded by the famous educator Gu Yuxiu (顾毓琇). Its alumni include actresses Pan Hong, Li Bingbing, Fan Bingbing, Dilraba Dilmurat and Zhang Yuqi, and actors Tong Dawei and Lu Yi.

Overview:

STA’s bilingual (Chinese and English) MA program in Intercultural Communication Studies recruits excellent students with a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from top international and Chinese universities. This two-year English-taught program includes the required first-year full-time residency and an optional second-year residency for project-based internships. All students in residency are sponsored by STA with scholarships (tuition, accommodation, and stipend). After the first year, when the course work is completed, students can choose where to live and intern when they write their MA theses. The duration of the study for the MA degree could be extended to a maximum of four years. MA theses can be written in Chinese or English. Previous knowledge of Chinese is preferred, but not a MUST for this program.

STA is one of the most renowned art institutions in China, bases in Shanghai, a vibrant cosmopolitan city. Established in 1945, STA trains professionals in dramatic arts, traditional Chinese opera, film, television, and dance. The seven-year-old Intercultural Communication Studies Program has a small cohort of students from all over the world. Students can develop skills and experiences in intercultural communications for flexible application in a variety of careers.

MA Thesis

The MA thesis is the culmination of the student’s two-year study. It will start with a thesis proposal developed in consultation with professors, chosen at the end of Semester I, and will be examined by a group of three professors at the end of Semester II. After the acceptance of her/his proposal, the student will spend the next year, or more if needed, to write the thesis, while consulting with the MA advisor in person or electronically. Once completed, the thesis will be defended before a group of five professors. After a successful defense, the student will then be granted an MA degree at the next commencement ceremonies.

The curriculum requires 36 credits, including 18 from the mandatory courses exploring the following topics:

Performance Studies
Chinese History and Culture
Intercultural Theatre: From Classical Greece to the Present
Traditional and Modern Chinese Arts and Performance in Global Perspectives
Engaging Culture: Practice and Research Between Field and Performance
Modern Chinese Society and Politics through Film
Sino-US Film Relations: A Cross-Cultural Perspective
Case Studies on Intercultural Communication, a Lecture Series

The remaining 18 credits are from elective courses, including:

3-4 in Chinese language courses (mandatory if Chinese is not proficient enough);
4-6 in studio courses (Chinese opera acting, Taiqi, filmmaking, body Architect Method, dance, etc);
4 in project courses (faculty advised production & other practical projects);

6 credits are for writing the MA thesis under the advisor’s supervision. These can be taken after the first year.

Shanghai Theatre Academy (STA) is a comprehensive university of performing arts, with a focus on theatre training and studies and a history of almost 70 years. Co-sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of China and the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government, and reporting to the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, STA is one of the best art institutions of higher education in China. After decades of development, STA has grown from a single discipline school into an outstanding comprehensive university of performing arts in China.

Campus and Departments

There are three STA campuses located on Huashan Road, Lianhua Road, and Hongqiao Road, respectively. In STA there are four departments (Department of Acting, Department of Stage Design, Department of Directing, and Department of Dramatic Literature), and four colleges (College of Chinese Opera, College of Dance, College of Television Arts, and College of Creativity Studies). Besides, there are two key national professional pre-college schools affiliated to STA: the Chinese Opera School and the Dance School. There are also College of Continuing Education, the Training Center, and an affiliated High School of Arts.

Specialties

The Academy provides undergraduate programs in 37 specialties under three main categories of literature, management and education, covering 12 majors of Acting, Directing, Theatre/TV/Film Design, Art Design, Playwriting and Screenwriting, Broadcasting and TV Hosting, TV & Film Programming and Directing, Choreography, Public Administration, Arts Education, Media Creativity, and Composition and Theories. STA has six master’s degree programs in Theatre Studies, Broadcasting and TV Studies, Arts Studies, Dance Studies, Cinema Studies, and Painting Studies, one doctorate degree program in Theatre Studies with 8 research areas, and one post-doctoral research center in Arts Studies.

Key Disciplines

At STA, Theatre Studies is rated as a state-level key discipline, and Broadcasting and TV Studies as a key discipline in Shanghai. In recent years, the majors of Stage Design, Dramatic Literature and TV & Film Programming and Directing have grown into state-level majors, and many courses have been listed as municipal-level key courses. In addition, STA has set up several national experimental studios of creative training, laboratories co-funded by the central and local governments, and a key laboratory in Shanghai.

Academics

STA has about 2000 undergraduate students, 500 master and PhD students, and 1000 students in the two professional pre-college schools. On the campus there are tow professional theatres – the Academy Theatre and the Duanjun Theatre – for all kinds of educational practices and formal performances. The New Space and the two Black Box studios are used for the free experimental performances of modern drama. In addition, there are also two performing studios for comprehensive rehearsing, and two studios for the educational practices of film and TV, which can satisfy all kinds of needs for education, research and students’ performance. The three campuses all have their own specialized classroom buildings, multifunctional comprehensive classroom buildings, and information centers. The digital teaching and management platforms can connect different campus. Our students also enjoy the good living conditions offered by the students’ dormitory, the dining halls, the gymnasium and all kinds of sports facilities.

International Exchange

Shanghai Theatre Academy has conducted academic exchange and cooperation programs with nearly 30 countries and regions all over the world. It has also set up a mutually beneficial cooperative relationship with many universities, including St. Petersburg State Academic Institute of Theatrical Arts, Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Yale School of Drama, Japan Mysashino Art University, Rome Arts University in Italy, Bologna Painting School in Italy, Birmingham Institute of Art and Design in the UK, and School of Creative Media in the City University of Hong Kong. STA faculty and students have visited those world-famous universities and conducted many activities, including exchange performances and short-term study programs. We have visited many different countries and regions, including Singapore, Japan, England, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Australia, USA, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Belgium, Romania, Mexico, and Hang Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. Students from more than 50 countries and regions have come to Shanghai Theatre Academy for educational and research programs. STA is devoted to building high-level international exchange programs, such as the Theatre School Directors Forum, International Experimental Theatre Festival, and the Asian-Pacific Bureau for Theatre Schools of UNESCO Chair - International Theatre Institute. Through these programs, STA has expanded the international vision of its faculty members and students, while its international reputation grows.

You will need to book the accommodation after you have been accepted.

You can choose to live on campus or off campus in private accommodation.

• Make a booking online after you have been accepted (in this case please let us know your choice when you apply).
• Register when you arrive - its not possible to reserve a room before arriving. You can arrive a few days before and book it