2005 Department of Theatre production of ‘Jane Eyre: The Musical’, directed by faculty member Scot Reese and designed by MFA students Tanna Peters (scenery), Kristina Lucka (costumes), and Justin Thomas (lighting)
The M.F.A. degree is a pre-professional, terminal degree that emphasizes the development of particular production related skills. The three-year MFA degree offers superior students advanced training and opportunities in costume, lighting, or scene design. Maryland offers students not only coursework and studio time, but opportunities to realize their designs on the main stage and in the department's various spaces in our 130 million dollar Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. The program prepares the student to enter the professional theatre and entertainment fields. MFA students in design work with an award-winning faculty of professional designers and have opportunities to intern at the more than 75 professional theatres in the Washington/Baltimore corridor. See our Season Archives for photographs of MFA design work.
Evaluation
Student designers must present and pass three formal design portfolio reviews, at the conclusion of their second, fourth, and sixths semesters in the program. In addition, portfolio interviews take place at the end of the first, third, and fifth semesters. Design portfolios include studio projects as well as fully realized academic and professional scenic, costume, or lighting designs. The fourth semester portfolio review will include an evaluation of a pre-thesis design project (usually a fully realized design, but may include independent study design projects). The pre-thesis design project, in preparation for the thesis, will include a written component. Successful completion of the portfolio reviews will result in the assignment of the thesis project.
Portfolios
Successful completion of the portfolio review will result in the assignment of pre-thesis (after the first year) and thesis (after the second year) projects. Upon completion of each portfolio review, the candidate will receive a formal letter indicating a grade of pass, conditional pass, or fail. In the event of a conditional pass or fail, the faculty may require the candidate to complete additional projects or coursework.
First year portfolio should include:
Second year portfolio should include:
Thesis
For their thesis, M.F.A. design students create and realize a scenery, costume, or lighting design for a major production. Each student must meet all deadlines for that production and the design and execution must be acceptable to all members of her/his thesis committee. The written component of the thesis includes all relevant visual material, including research images, drawings, renderings, and production photographs.
Opportunities for students
M.F.A students typically design three or four productions in our main season during their three years in residence. The first year of study includes several assistant design assignments. We plan our productions at least one semester in advance; therefore, there is a good possibility that students will be designing their first main season production in the spring semester of the first year. We produce five main season shows and approximately five student produced productions per academic year. M.F.A. students also have the opportunity to work with our award-winning faculty on professional projects within the Washington metropolitan theatre community, as well as work in regional theatres, off-Broadway and Broadway.
Curriculum
Core Course Requirements:
THET 603: Intro to Theatre Design (3 credits)
THET 606: Teaching Theatre (1 credit)
THET 465: History of Costume (3 credits)
THET 670: History of Architecture and Decor (3 credits)
THET 6XX: History/Theory Seminar (3 credits)
THET 788: Masters Tutorial (1 credit, repeated 5 times)
THET 789: Masters Practicum (3 credits, repeatable to minimum of 6, maximum of 12)
THET 799: Masters Thesis (6 credits)
Studio:
In conjunction with the program advisor, students will complete a minimum of 15, maximum of 18 credits from the following repeatable courses:
THET 649: Design Studio in Costume (3 credits)
THET 639: Design Studio in Scenery (3 credits)
THET 659: Design Studio in Lighting (3 credits)
THET 678: Production Design Studio (3 credits)
Electives:
With approval of advisor, students choose two minimum to five maximum 3-credit courses (400 or 600 level) from any department in the College of Arts and Humanities.
Curriculum Totals:
Core 30-36 credits
Studio 15-18 credits
Electives 6-15 credits
Total 60 credits
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-1625
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