Train as a professional actor, immerse yourself in dramatic literature and theatre history, and gain a wealth of hands-on experience behind the scenes, on stage, and on camera.
UTM's Theatre and Drama Studies program offers a unique combination of conservatory training and an in-depth academic education. Our graduates perform on all of Canada's major stages, in film, TV, and video games; they run major theatre companies and have become prominent playwrights and directors. Others have gone on to successful careers in education, the law, healthcare, and marketing.
- Train with working industry professionals
- Perform under the guidance of nationally recognized directors
- Study with internationally acclaimed researchers and scholars
- Build professional and creative connections across Canada
Degree: BA (Hons)
Duration: 4 years
Class Size: c. 25
2026/2027 Program Changes
Starting with the 2026/27 intake of first-year students, TDS is becoming a program offered entirely at UTM.
The TDS Curriculum
TDS trains and educates unusually well-rounded theatre makers. Here you can find out in detail what makes our program distinctive and what the four years or training and study in TDS comprise, including details about performance opportunities.
Our Season
Every year, we stage two studio productions starring our third-year class and a season of four fully designed shows starring our graduating class. All shows are directed by professional directors. Learn about our 2025/26 season here!
Meet Our Grads
TDS graduates work in all major theatres across Canada, as actors, directors, playwrights, and producers; they also regularly star in films and TV shows. Here you can learn more about some of their careers and explore directories of recent alums.
Train in state-of-the art facilities
Our theatres and rehearsal spaces are equipped with the latest technologies and are designed to support our students' training as fully as possible. The lighting system in both of our theatres has recently been completely refurbished: we now use LED lights exclusively. TDS students have exclusive use of four spacious rehearsal halls with sprung floors and learn the ropes of theatre production in wardrobe, carpentry, and props workshops using the latest tools, including multiple 3D printers.
Study with leading researchers and artists
Courses in TDS are taught by highly respected scholars of theatre and performance, whose research is published and discussed internationally. Training in TDS is provided by professionals with active careers in theatre and screen acting. We maintain strong relationships with major theatre companies in Toronto and with the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, where we offer summer courses and internship opportunities.
Be part of a vibrant community
TDS is a small and intensive program which allows for frequent interactions between instructors and students and offers endless opportunities for collaboration between students. But it is also part of the enormously rich environment of Canada's largest research university. Our students have access to one of the world's best library systems, which includes an inexhaustibly rich collection of books and resources about theatre and performance.
"My time at UTM has been nothing short of magical. This degree has allowed me to train in acting and production, while also enjoying the academic rigour of dramatic literature, theory, and history courses. [...] I’ve had the opportunity to study theatre practices on-site at the Shaw Festival, and write, direct, produce, and perform in my own plays and musicals."
Jasmine Jenkinson, HBA '25
"My TDS training is the very foundation of who I am as an artist. My ability to read and decipher literature, sides, and scenes every 24-48 hours for an entirely new world with entirely new characters is a direct result of the robust education and training I received. When directors and casting directors see where I trained, they understand it is shorthand for excellence."
Muhaddisah (HBA '21)
Come see us!
Witness the work our students do — and explore the campus at the same time!
Ready to apply?
Join us at U of T Mississauga! The recommended early application date for 2026 is November 7. Applications close on January 15, 2026.
Alumni in the news
Soulpepper Theatre Announces Appointment of Paolo Santalucia as Next Artistic Director
July 24, 2025
TDS grad Paolo Santalucia (2011), who has also directed The Witch of Edmonton and Tartuffe for us, was recently appointed as the new Artistic Director of Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre, one of Canada's leading theatre companies.
TDS grads at the 2025 Dora Awards
July 1, 2025
Jewell Bowry (TDS 2023, pictured) won a Dora as part of the ensemble of FLEX (Crow's/Obsidian 2024). Muhaddisah (TDS 2021) starred in two nominated productions, Trident Moon (Crow's/NAC 2025) and The Tempest: A Witch in Algiers (Shakespeare in the Ruff, 2024); the latter won Best New Play. The Dora Awards ceremony was produced by Victor Pokinko (TDS 2014).
Immersive dance show takes audience on an adventure into blindness
Aug. 14, 2025
A feature about 2009 TDS grad Devon Healey's pathbreaking recent show, produced by TDS grad Laura McCallum (2015) at one of Toronto's most high-profile indie theatre companies, Outside the March, with the National Ballet. The show was co-directed by TDS grad Nathan Bitton (2009).
UTM alumna mines rural roots in new comedy series
June 10, 2025
A feature about the comedy series Cows Come Home, which Lindsey Middleton (2013) recently wrote, co-produced, and starred in.
May 11, 2025
Students from the 2025 graduating class formed a collective to remount this production (directed by Anita La Selva for our 2024/25 season) in Toronto, where it received warm reviews and sold out its run at VideoCabaret.
TDS alum nominated for ACTRA Outstanding Performance Award
April 11, 2025
Daniel Gravelle (TDS 2020) was nominated for his performance in the feature film We Forgot to Break Up.
UTM alumna and playwright premieres latest work at Stratford Festival
Aug. 8, 2024
An article about dramatist Andrea Scott's (1996) recent play Get That Hope, which premiered at the 2024 Stratford Festival.
Playwright David Yee wins 2023 Siminovitch Prize
March 21, 2024
A feature about David Yee (2000) winning Canada's most prestigious prize for theatre artists.
Meet our Alumni: Media Appearances
Here and Now Toronto: John Wamsley (TDS 2017) on Canadian Stage's production of 1939
Interview with Sophia Fabiilli (TDS 2010) & Zoe Sweet (TDS 2003) | WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories
