MFA COSTUME DESIGN

The Master of Fine Arts degree in Costume Design aims to give extensive practical training to students who already have basic costume design skills. Students will be trained in aesthetics and costume design and research techniques, as well as theatre history and literature, as well as business skills required for survival in the professional theatre world. We also encourage students to take life-drawing classes in the Department of Art (located across the street), and to enroll in other basic courses in related fields of scenery, lighting and puppetry.

This program includes many production-design assignments at the CRT as well as on-the-job training with professional technicians in other areas of design, puppetry arts and production crafts. Most students in this program create the principal scenic design for as many as four fully mounted Studio Works and Main Stage CRT productions during their three years of residency. One Main Stage design during the third year will serve as the student's official MFA final project.

During the second semester of the second year of this MFA program, students have the option of studying abroad. The University of Connecticut has an active exchange program with the Bournemouth and Poole College of Arts and Design. It is an institution located on the picturesque Southern Coast of England in Dorset, and just a quick train ride from London. The College specializes in film and television design and production, among other more traditional costume arts and crafts.

Because all of our faculty designers (scenic, costume and lighting) work professionally in prestigious regional theatre venues as well as Off- and On-Broadway, graduate students often have the opportunity to assist in support work on their projects, gaining experience in a variety of venues and establishing invaluable contacts within the professional design world. The department also encourages graduate students (often with financial support) to attend and participate actively in such organizations as USITT and Young Designers' Forum as another bridge into the professional world.

Technological Requirements

All Design/Tech MFA students must have a laptop that meet the department's minimum requirements. Requirements can be seen here: [link]

Course of Study

A minimum of three years of full-term resident graduate study is required.

A minimum of 60 graduate credits is required.

All M.F.A. students follow The Graduate School's "Plan B" (no thesis), however a specially assigned "MFA Project" involving a Mainstage CRT production is required during the final year.

The following is a list of required and recommended Dramatic Arts courses you will take in order to complete your MFA in Costume Design:

DRAM 393----Studies in Theatre History
DRAM 330----Introduction to Graduate Stage Design
DRAM 313A--Advanced Costume Design (Film Design)
DRAM 313B--(Comic Exaggeration)
DRAM 313C--(Tragedy & Post Modernism)
DRAM 314A--Advanced Costume Design (Fantasy and Opera)
DRAM 314B--(Dance and Musicals)
DRAM 314C--(Performance Art)
DRAM 315A--(Studies in Costume Design (Color Theory/Light & Fabric)
DRAM 315B--(Dyeing and Fabric Modification)
DRAM 315C--(Rendering on the Computer)
DRAM 315D--(Costume Life Drawing)
DRAM 315E--(Advanced Make-up: Prosthetics & Wigs)
DRAM 315F--(Millinery Techniques)
DRAM 315G--(Flat Pattern Drafting)
DRAM 315H--(Draping Patterns)

DRAM 315I--(Tailoring Period Styles)
DRAM 301--Professional Practice (Unions, Taxes and the Trade)
DRAM 397--Investigation of Special Topics (History of Costume)
DRAM 359--Advanced Practicum (Wardrobe/Shop Management
DRAM 396--MFA Thesis Project

6 Credits of course work in a single related field chosen from the following:
DRAM 302/303--Advanced Scene Design I and II
DRAM 306/307--Advanced Lighting Design I and II
DRAM 278/247--Puppet Arts: Contents alternate among Masks, Puppet Paper, Shadow Theatre and Rod Puppets

Electives are available from various classes in Art History and Studio Art

DRAM xxx----One additional course in Theatre History, Literature, Criticism or Aesthetics to be determined by the student's committee.