NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – The University of Oklahoma has announced a new Master of Fine Arts in Drama, with a concentration in Directing, launching in Fall 2026. Applications are now open for the inaugural cohort, whose members are expected to complete the degree by Spring 2029.
Offered through the Peggy Dow Helmerich School of Drama in the Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts, the MFA program is designed to cultivate visionary theater directors with a strong foundation in storytelling, leadership and collaboration.
Seth Gordon, a professor in directing and theater management, will oversee the new program. Students will benefit from a blend of practical directing experience and rigorous academic coursework and which prepares them for careers in both professional and academic theater, he says.
“The MFA in Directing represents an exciting new chapter for the OU School of Drama,” Gordon said. “It not only enhances our academic offerings but also positions us to help the next generation of American theater directors ignite their careers.”
Graduate students will have access to production and play development resources, as well as access to targeted professional residencies.
While the primary focus is on theatrical directing, the program will also allow students to take courses in film directing and theater pedagogy.
Learn more or apply at https://www.ou.edu/finearts/drama.
The Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts at the University of Oklahoma produces more than 400 concerts, recitals, plays, musicals, operas and dance performances annually. Learn more at ou.edu/finearts.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
Nathan Goodman, Ph.D., has been named director of the Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC), effective immediately. Goodman, who has served as interim director since July 2025, has also been appointed an Associate Vice President for Research and Partnerships.
The Oklahoma Poison Center is reminding families that button batteries remain one of the most dangerous holiday hazards. Ingestion can cause severe internal burns, permanent injury or death. More than 3,400 people swallow button batteries each year, most of them children.
A team of University of Oklahoma materials scientists has done what many in the field thought impossible: magnetize quantum dots by “doping” them with manganese. The implications span everything from how we power our homes to how we build computers, scan for diseases, grow crops and illuminate our world.
