The Master of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre Arts is the terminal degree offering the professional training deemed necessary by the major Theatre Arts Schools in the United States.
All students admitted to the MFA program are members of California Repertory Company and are subject to the operating procedures of the company. CalRep, the professional arm of the Theatre Arts Department, prepares and performs plays from the canon of international dramatic literature.
Transfer credit allowable toward the MFA may not exceed 20 units. The Graduate Advisor must approve all transferred credit use in the MFA Program.
1. Students applying for the MFA program must have completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Theatre Arts from an accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA in upper-division theatre courses, meet University admission requirements, and submit evidence of creative ability and professional intent in one of the following areas: Acting, Technical Theatre/Design, Theatre Management, Dramitic Writing;
2. When an undergraduate degree has been completed in a program having different requirements than those at CSULB or in some field other than Theatre Arts, additional preparation and time may be required before the student can be considered for classified status in the degree program. Units of credit from coursework in a graduate program may be acceptable after review by the faculty evaluation committee, and approval by the Dean;
3. Admission to the program in Acting requires audition and interview. Admission to the program in Technical Theatre/Design requires interview and/or submission of original work such as manuscripts, designs, renderings, slides, digital images, models and/or working drawings;
4. All students admitted into the MFA program will be admitted as conditionally classified. In order to obtain fully classified status, a committee from the Theatre Arts faculty must authorize continuation in the program after evaluating academic progress, individual skills development, and review of performance or portfolio at the end of the student's first full year of residence.
The MFA degree is a 60-unit degree requiring full time residency. Course requirements are arranged according to the following structure depending on the student’s choice of option.
The options share a common core of courses, which offer study in aesthetics, conceptualization, history, theory, literature, and research. The remainder of the courses offers students the opportunity further to develop artistic skills in their particular area of option. The program culminates in a major creative project and written project report.
The Acting option requires work in voice, movement, and process each semester. Process classes explore a wide range of acting styles. Ongoing performances in public presentations are required.
60 units: THEA 517 (4 units), 518 (4 units), 519 (4 units), 520A, 520B, 521A 521B, 522A, 522B, 523, 524, 530A, 530B, 531A, 531B, 532A, 532B, 564A, 564B, 565A, 565B, 566A, 566B, 696, 699 (3 units).
The Technical Theatre/Design option requires work in a variety of skills development that emphasizes the technological as well as the artistic aspects of design and execution. Continuous advancing assignments in productions for public performances are required.
Requirements
Concentration core classes: THEA 517 (4 units), 518 (4 units), 519 (4 units), 523, 524, 541, 544, 550, 552, 584 (2 units) 696, 699 (2 units).
Costume Concentration: 60 units: THEA 546A/B, 556A/B, 656A/B, 540, 554, 583, and 5 units of electives.
Electives, with advisor's approval, can be taken from the University at large. Recommended electives include courses from Theatre Arts, Art, Art History, Music, and Design.
Scenery Concentration: THEA 580A/B, 585A/B, 685A/B, 540, 545, 554 and 4 units of electives.
Electives, with advisor's approval, can be taken from the University at large. Recommended electives include courses from Theatre Arts, Art, Art History, Music, and Design.
Lighting Concentration: THEA 548A/B, 648A/B, 649A/B, 545, 555, and 7 units of electives.
Electives, with advisor's approval, can be taken from the University at large. Recommended electives include courses from Theatre Arts, Art, Art History, Music, and Design.
The option in Theatre Management requires work in a number of different areas including front of house, box office management, press relations, outreach, development, contracts, and fundraising. Successful completion of different assignments in each area is necessary for advancement in the program.
60 units to include: THEA 502, 503, 504, 507, 517 (4 units), 518 (4 units), 519 (4 units), 523,524, 550, 602 (6 units), 603, 696, 699 (3 units); MKTG 500; ACCT 500; and 6 units of electives. Electives with advisors approval may be taken from the University at large.
The MFA in Theatre Arts, Option in Dramatic Writing is offered by the Department of Theatre Arts, with primary support from the Department of Film and Electronic Arts, and additional support from the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Comparative World Literature and Classics. The MFA in Theatre Arts is the terminal degree offering the professional training deemed necessary by the major Theatre Arts Schools in the United States. The MFA in Theatre Arts, Option in Dramatic Writing prepares students for university and college teaching and for positions in the entertainment, media, and publishing industries. “Dramatic Writing” is defined as creative (fiction and non-fiction) writing for all forms and genres of collaborative and performance media. The MFA in Theatre Arts, Option in Dramatic Writing culminates in a thesis writing project of publishable/producible quality.
1. Students applying for admission to the MFA program should have completed a bachelor's or master's degree in Theatre Arts from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA in upper division theatre courses, meet university admission requirements, and submit evidence of creative ability and professional intent in Dramatic Writing.
2. When an undergraduate degree has been completed in a field other than that named above, additional preparation may be required before the student can be considered for classified status in the degree program. (Although the Graduate Advisor will consider each student’s academic background in determining what courses need to be taken, the following are generally required: THEA 321 and THEA 322 Theatre History, THEA 324I Theatre Today, and THEA 426 Dramatic Theory and Criticism.) Transferable credit allowable toward the MFA may not exceed 20 units. The Graduate Advisor must approve all transferred credit use in the MFA Program.
3. Admission to the program in Dramatic Writing requires interview and submission of portfolio of creative writing.
4. All students admitted into the MFA program will be admitted as conditionally classified. In order to obtain fully classified status, a committee from the Theatre Arts faculty must authorize continuation in the program after evaluating academic progress, individual skills development, and review of portfolio at the end of the student’s first full year of residence.
Requirements for Completion
The MFA in Theatre Arts, Option in Dramatic Writing degree program is 60 units, normally requiring full-time residency. The program culminates in a major thesis writing project of publishable/producible quality. Course requirements are arranged according to the following structure:
Core A - Dramatic Writing (12 units): Take the following: FEA 604A, 604B, 604C, 604D
Core B - (9 units): History, Theory, Criticism, Production and Writing. Required courses: THEA 523, 524, 696
Core B.1 - (12 units) chosen from: THEA 374*, 375*, 380, 426*, 427*, 507, 550, 599, 694
Core C - Rhetorical Theory, Criticism, and Communication Studies (6 units): Take the following: COMM 633, 640
Core D - Comparative World Literature and Classics (6 units): Two courses chosen from: CWL 502, 503, 504, 537, 538, 540, 545, 549 (topic dependent per advisement), 552, 561.
MFA Thesis (6 units): THEA 699
Elective Course (9 units): Elective Courses
