URTA is the University Resident Theatre Association. It is an organization that graduate theatre programs may belong to. It is not connected to Unifieds (which is for undergraduates), but is similar in that it allows interested graduate students to meet with multiple programs in one location…
Most of the URTA programs suggest that you apply through URTA and then audition, and THEN apply to the schools that call you back if they say they would like to consider you or make you an offer… although all schools vary, so check each school. Unlike Unifieds, at URTA YOU DO audition for many programs in the same room, and then there are callbacks.
There are also opportunities for Directors, Designers, Stage Managers, and Arts Managers to apply to participating schools through URTA. The process is slightly different than for actors, however. It is detailed on the website.
The handbook posted on the URTA site is pretty helpful: http://www.urta.com/NUAI/candinfo.html
As are the FAQs: http://www.urta.com/faqs.html
Many of the URTA schools provide some funding for graduate students in their programs. Some great schools to look at for graduate school.
Most MFA acting programs will not take any credits in transfer from other institutions. They accept a class of actors (basically creating a company), and that cohort will move through all training classes together over the course of 2 - 3 years (generally, depending on if it is a program that has summers off, or one that goes continuously).