Proposal for Modifications to the MFA in Theatre (Theatre Design)
The department, its facilities, and faculty have experienced significant growth since the last
significant revision of the M.F.A. in Theatre (Theatre Design) in 1997. In 2001, the department
was fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre (N.A.S.T.) and joined the
prestigious University/Resident Theatre Association (U/R.T.A.) as a full member. Overall, the
department has experienced considerable growth in both size and quality and has essentially
outgrown the present curriculum. The proposed changes will update the program to allow
students to focus their efforts more productively.
(Note: The department will also submit a proposal to rename the degree from “Theatre” to
“Theatre Design” in the 2007-08 academic year, to more accurately reflect the way that the
M.F.A. degree program has evolved since its inception.)
Overview of Proposed Changes
The revisions to the degree fall into three categories:
1.) Re-distribution of credits in a revised curriculum component structure.
• Current curriculum components include “Core”; “Advanced Studies in the Primary Area and Supporting
Disciplines;” Foundations”; and “Advanced Study in the Secondary Area”; new curriculum components
include: “Core”; “Studio”; and “Electives”.
• The “Advanced Studies in the Primary Area and Supporting Disciplines” and the “Advanced Study in
the Secondary Area” have been combined under one title: “Studio”.
The current curriculum requires a candidate to pursue a primary and secondary study of two of
the three traditional areas of theatrical design (sets, costumes and lighting). Although this
approach is philosophically sound, it is also restrictive. Certain students are capable of mastering
equally two of those areas and others may wish to have one primary area of concentration and to
study the other two with less depth. Program advisors will now have more flexibility in tailoring
individual courses of study. This change is proposed in conjunction with a revision and re-design
of many of the current set, costume and lighting (“Studio”) design courses (see #2 below). It is
worth nothing that this new “Studio” structure will mirror the approach of several of our peer
aspirational programs such as Northwestern University, Penn State, N.Y.U, and Carnegie-Mellon
University.
• The “Foundations” and “…Supporting Disciplines” components of the curriculum as well as their
required lists of course choices have been eliminated in favor of a new expanded component titled
“Electives.”
For the past several years our central recruiting effort has been through the prestigious
University/Resident Theatre Association’s National Unified Auditions program. This prescreened interview process has given our program yearly access to several hundred highly skilled
graduates of prestigious undergraduate programs. In light of these developments and in
combination with increased resources for program advertisement and assistantship funding, the
program is now regularly attracting candidates with higher skill levels in art and craft. The
“Foundations” component of the curriculum was designed to help the candidate fill in “gaps” in
his or her undergraduate training, (particularly in the areas of technology and craft). Because we
are now regularly attracting better prepared and skilled candidates this curriculum component is
obsolete; however, if there exists a need for rudimentary level training in any area, it can be
addressed (by the program advisor) through the expanded course offerings in the new “Electives”
component.
•We have increased the number of required credits for THET 789: Masters Practicum from three credits
to a minimum of six / maximum of 12 credits.
M.F.A. candidates in the second and third years of study have additional opportunities for supervised
study in practical production venues, both at the University level (University Theatre, Maryland
Opera Studio, etc.) and in the field at numerous professional theatres in the Washington D.C. area.
Many of our students currently receive variable credit for this elective supervised work under THET
669-Independent Study. The increase in credit within the degree structure represents a desire on the
part of the MFA faculty to require this practical experience and formalize the course credit
appropriately under THET 789 Masters Practicum. (Students will complete one additional practicum
project while registered under THET 799: Master’s thesis research.)
• We have expanded the study of architecture, décor and costume history in the core.
THET 670: Period Style for The Theatre: Fashion and Décor (3 cr) a survey of historical trends in
architecture, décor and civil dress was considered too broad in scope for one three credit course. This
course has been re-designed and is now titled THET 670: History of Architecture and Décor (3 cr); an
existing course THET 465: History of Costume (3 cr) has been added as a requirement.
2.) New course offerings in the central “Studio” component of the degree and elimination of
courses considered obsolete.
Several of the existing design course descriptions and titles such as THET 672: Theory of Visual
Design in Scenery, or THET 678: Theory of Visual Design for the Performing Arts no longer
accurately reflect the course content or have become obsolete and have been eliminated.
The new approach to the studio component includes three new three-credit courses: THET 639, 649,
and 659 Design Studio in Scenery, Costumes, and Lighting, respectively. The courses, each
repeatable to twelve credits with changes in content, will give the program a consistent list of course
offerings, flexible enough in course content to allow the faculty to respond to opportunities presented
by the production program, guest artist and residencies, etc. and will regulate faculty teaching loads.
The current array of course offerings guarantees small class enrollments, creates administrative
difficulties, and does not accurately reflect the design faculty’s non-linear approach to design training.
This new approach will allow for larger classes, including second- and third-year costume, set, and
lighting design students. Because the art of theatrical design is collaborative by nature we have
instituted a new approach to THET 678: Production Design Studio. This course will be team taught
by several design faculty members and is designed to bring together all three areas of theatrical
design in one classroom.
3.) An expansion of the degree requirement: portfolio review
In 1996 we instituted a yearly portfolio review as a requirement for the degree. Each year, (as a
component of THET 788: Masters Tutorial (1cr.), students must pass a portfolio review conducted by
the design and production faculty. The annual portfolio review is now a day-long event, with a public
exhibition that attracts many area professional stage directors and designers. In order to provide
greater faculty oversight of portfolio development we have added two additional reviews in the
second and third year of study at the end of the fall semester.
,
/ Revised
Current
Curriculum
Section Tlties Content
Core
Credit
hours
THET 670: Period Style for the Theatre:
Fashlon/Decor
THET 606: Teaching Theatre
Credit
Hours
Curriculum
Sectlon Titles Content
3
Core
THET 670 Hlstory of Archltecture and
Decor
THET 465 History of Costume
THET 606: Teaching Theatre
1
I
3
3
@Totalrequlred credit hours In THET 788 Masters
Tutorlal (1 cr) has been Increased from 2 to 5 to
reflect addltlonal portfollo revlews each semester
except the student's flrst.
@Totalrequired credlt hours for THET 789
Master's Practlcum from 3 crs to mlnlmum of 6maxlmum of 12. One addltlonal practlcum
project wlll also be completed as the research
component of the master's thesis project.
THET 789 Master's Practlcum
3 credits
rptble. to
mln. of
6, max
of 12
-
mTHET 600 Introdudlon to Graduate Studies has
been replaced by a new course, THET 603
Introductlon to Theatre Design, which tailors
course projects speclflcally to M.F.A. students
THET 603 Intro to Theatre Design
THET 600: Introdudlon to Graduate
Study
3
3
THET 6XX: History /Theory Seminar
THET 6XX: History /Theory Seminar
2x3:6
-
3
THET 799: Master's Thesis Research
THET 799: Master's Thesls Research
6
6
30
THET 670 Perlod Style for The Theatre:Fashion
and Decor (3cr) has been replaced by a re-tltled
THET 670 Hlstory of Architecture and D k o r (3
cr) and THET465 Hlstory of Costume (3 cr).
5x1
2x 1
THET 789 Master's Practlcum
3
Changes
1
THET 788 Masters Tutorial
THET 788 Master's Tutorial
Total Credit Hours
,
A
Total Credit Hours
Page 1 of 3
30-36
@OneHlstory of Theatre seminar has been
replaced by the addition of THET 465: History of
costume.
Credit
hours
Content
I n conjunction with the program
Advanced
advisor, students will complete 12
Study in
Primary Area credits in primary design area and in
other disciplines within the College of
and
Arts and Humanities.
~~~~~~~l~~
Disciplines
AdvancedwlrlaDesian:
THET 471: Scene Deslgn 11; THET 669:
Professional
Practice;
THET
672:
Theory of Visual Design in Scene
Design; ARTH 6XX: Art History Elective
by area:
12
Revised
Curriculum
Section Titles Content
I n conjunction with the program
Studio
advisor students wlll complete a
minimum of 15, maximum of 18 credlts
from the following repeatable courses:
THET 649: Deslgn Studio in Costume
(3cr);
THET 639: Design Studio in Scenery
(3cr);
THET 659: Design Studio in Lighting
(3cr.);
THET 678: Production Design Studio
(3cr.)
Credit
Hours
15 min.
18 max.
Curriculum components formerly titled
"Advanced Study in Primary Area" and "Advanced
Study in Secondary Area" have been comblned
into one heading: "Studio". The "...Supporting
Discipline" coursework has been moved to the
new "Electives" component. The total amount of
credit hours in this section has been increased
from 12, to 15 minimum-18 maximum.
*The following courses have been eliminated:
THFT 672: Theory of Visual Design: Scenery;
THFT 675: Theory of Visual Design: Lighting;
THFT 681: Theory of Visual Design: Costume;
THFT 669: Prof. Practice In Lighting Deslgn;
THET 679: Professional Costume Design;
THFT 471: Set Deslgn 11;
THET 477: Lightlng Design I1
THET 678: Theory of Visual Design for the
Performing Arts
AdvancedwhLiahtina-
.
Changes
THET 477: Llghting Design 11; THET
499: Advanced Lightlng Technology;
THET 669: Professional Practlce; THFT
675:
Theory of Visual Design In
Llghting
Advancedw!nCostumeDeslan:
THET
499:
Advanced
Costume
Construction; THET 679: Professional
Costume Design; THET 681: Theory of
Visual Design in Costume; ARTH XXX:
Art History Elective
Advanced
Study in the
Secondary
Area
*These courses will be replaced with new
THFT 639: Design Studio in Scenery;
THFT 649: Design Studio in Costume;
THET 659: Design Studio in Lighting; and
*THET 678 Theory of Visual Design for the
Performing Arts has been re-titled as THFT 678:
Production Deslgn Studio
Choose 1 course from the following:
THET
499:
Advanced
Costume
Construction; THET 672: Theory of
Visual Design: Scenery; THET 675:
Theory of Visual Design: Lighting; THET
,-a,. I..--
n
^
"
-
Total Credit Hours
Total Credlt Hours
Page 2 of 3
15-18
Current
Curriculum
Sectlon Tltles Content
Foundatlons
Credlt
hours
Revised
Curriculum
Section Tltles Content
Electives
Choose five- 3 credit courses from the
following:
THET 377 Lightlng Design I ;
THET 4 7 1 Set Design I 1 ;
THET 473 Scene Paintlng;
THET 477: Lightlng Design 11;
THET 4 8 1 Costume Design;
THET 484 The Art of Theatrical Deslgn;
Credit
Hours
Changes
6-15
The "Foundatlons" and "Supporting Disclpllnes"
components have also been ellmlnated and their
content combined under a new component title:
With approval of advisor choose two
minlmum to tlve maxlmum- 3 credlt
courses (400 or 600 level) from any
department In the College of Arts and
The total credit hours in this component sedlon
has been reduced from 15 to 6 mlnlmum, 15
dvanced Lighting
expaned menu of courses to be chosen in
njundlon with the program advisor.
THET 678 Twentleth Century Costume
Page 3 of 3