Yale, Carnegie,
Purchase, Florida State,
Cal Arts. There are more. That being said... GO WORK for a few years before you go to grad school. .........There are hundreds upon hundreds of MFA's out there with experience in automation and rigging who are not working. There are also hundreds of guys working in that exact field who have never walked into a classroom after they left high school.
Kyle,
Right On!! Well said. In answer to the OP's question, there are hundreds of really good programs out there but which one is right for you depends on ......... wait for it....... Ta-Da! ......YOU!
Now, MacScottishPlay. Which school is right?? Well, it's like a good marriage, no one partner is right for everyone, you have to be compatible, have the same goals for the relationship and work on the same budget to reach that goal. School "A" might have a larger or more nationally "Known" faculty but the "personality" and fit doesn't work. School "B" might well have an equally talented and skilled faculty, but without the rep. One school might have a wider variety of performance venues to
gain a better variety of learning experiences. One might have a better interaction with other disciplines, especially in terms of engineering or computer science for example.
So the bottom
line here is you have to do your homework and really find out what the nuts and bolts of the programs are. Getting out into the working world a
bit will help you to meet people with information and experiences both good and bad, about various schools and programs. It will also give you some time to sort out the information and seek more, while you are not harried, hurried or rushed to make a decision. The time will also give you a chance to see if a degree is the right path for you. For example, in your geographical region, maybe you could get a job at Texas Scenic. Starting at the bottom of the ladder of course, but they do great rigging and do a lot of their own automation and control. Just a thought.
I got my masters and for me, it was the right choice. I got to work with some wonderful and very talented people, not all of whom were in the technical field. For instance I was fortunate enough to study under the late Oscar Brockett, a true giant among
Theatre scholars. Among other things, he taught me that I didn't hate to write, I just hated to write about things that held absolutely no interest for me. He taught me the true value of through research on a project and just how much I could learn from the history of my profession and of the world at large and how they tied together. I got to work with Frank Silberstein, who taught technical
theatre with such a passion that it was impossible not to become infected with that passion. An illness which I have yet to be cured of. Even better was the fact that I had the opportunity to become friends with these men beyond the degree,l and remain so to this day. To quote the TV commercial, "Priceless!" . To be sure, there were faculty that I was on less cordial terms with, and did not particularly like, but that is to be expected, just like the bad habit your spouse has, but you love them anyway.
Anyway, if you're still reading, I hope I didn't bore you to death and that maybe this discourse helps a little. Good luck in whatever path you choose.