The Master of Fine Arts degree in Scenic Design aims to give extensive practical training to students who already have basic scenic design skills. Students will be trained in aesthetics, design and research techniques, drafting (hand and CAD), perspective studies, model making, sketching, scene painting, theatre history/dramatic literature, Costume and Lighting Design as well as business skills required for survival in the professional theatre world.

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 three fully mounted Studio Works and Main Stage CRT productions during their three years of residency. One CRT production design during the third year will serve as the basis of the student's MFA project.

Because all of our faculty designers (scenic, costume and lighting) work professionally in prestigious regional theatre venues as well as Off- and On-Broadway, outstanding graduate students have the opportunity to assist in support work on these 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.

Course of Study for the MFA in Scenic Design

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 Scenic Design:

All of the Following Couses are Required:
DRAM 301--Studies in Scenic Design: Period Styles
DRAM 301--Studies in Scenic Design: Model Building
DRAM 301--Studies in Scenic Design: Professional Practice
DRAM 301--Studies in Scenic Design: Watercolor Media
DRAM 302--Advanced Scene Design: Single Set Plays
DRAM 302--Advanced Scene Design: Non Proscenium Spaces
DRAM 302--Advanced Scene Design: Art Direction for Film/TV
DRAM 303--Advanced Scene Design: Multi-Set Plays
DRAM 303--Advanced Scene Design II: Opera
DRAM 303--Advanced Scene Design II: The Broadway Musical
DRAM 304--Studies in Scene Design: Scene Painting
DRAM 305--Production Drafting
DRAM 330--Intro. Graduate Design: Theories of Stage Design
DRAM 392--Independent Study: Assistant Set Design
DRAM 392--Independent Study: Set Design for Mainstage or Studio Production
DRAM 393--Studies in Theatre History
DRAM xxx--One additional course in Theatre History, Literature, Criticism or Aesthetics. This may be waived on the basis of the student’s undergraduate transcript.
DRAM 395 Master’s Thesis Research (Documentation)
DRAM 396 MFA Project

Electives from the Following List to Equal a Minumum of 60 Total Credits
DRAM 308 Lighting Design (variety of topics)
DRAM 313 Costume Design (variety of topics)
DRAM 315 Studies in Costume Design: (various topics)
DRAM 321 Computer Application (PC CAD)
DRAM 351 Puppetry Arts (variety of topics)
DRAM 397 Investigation of Special Topics: History of Costume