The Master of Fine Arts in Theatre (Design Subplan) is offered as a terminal degree for a graduate student preparing for a professional career as a scenic, costume, lighting, or media designer in the performing arts. In addition to focusing on a primary design discipline, a student may select a secondary area of emphasis. The rigorous three-year program supports students with dynamic coursework and active production activities. Each curriculum includes both distinct and shared coursework and students are encouraged to work outside their disciplines as well. Courses focus on producing extensive studio work, building skills in visual and verbal communication, conducting research and academic writing, understanding the history and breadth of our field, and successfully entering the profession. Students interested in teaching can access additional opportunities to lead undergraduate classes, making a graduate well suited for positions at the college level.
Costume design; costume history; design and production for new works; digital modeling and rendering; media devising; scenic design; scene painting; theatre architecture; theatrical media design.
The MFA program has close ties to the Advanced Computing Center for the Arts and Design (ACCAD), a collaborative think-space, distinguished by a transdisciplinary approach to research and teaching, functioning as an applied collaboratory for time-based digital media production. ACCAD features specialized and flexible studios for animation, motion capture, interactive design, media production, and mediated performance design.
In addition, the Department of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts is affiliated with the Wexner Center for the Arts, a contemporary arts center and educational program at Ohio State, with a wide range of local, national, and international presentations in the visual and performance arts, film, video, and architecture.
The applicant must meet the requirements for admission to the Graduate School of The Ohio State University, possess an undergraduate degree in theatre or related field, and demonstrate a potential for excellence in design through portfolio presentation and interview.
The Theatre Graduate Handbook contains the policies and procedures that govern graduate admissions, degree requirements, advising, the determination of satisfactory academic progress, the selection and evaluation of teaching associates, grievance procedures, and academic standards.
The MFA (Design Subplan) Advising Sheets contains the required coursework and other degree requirements, curricular timetable, and typical course offering patterns.
