Academic Programs Catalog

College of Arts and Letters

Graduate Study

The Department of Theatre offers Master of Fine Arts degree program.  The program is designed to provide advanced work for persons preparing to teach or enter professional theatre.

Department of Theatre Requirements for the Master of Fine Arts Degree

Admission

Applicants must meet the general requirements for consideration for admission to master's and doctoral degree programs in the College of Arts and Letters referenced in the College statement.

In addition, an international applicant is required to have fulfilled the university's English language proficiency requirement as described in the Graduate Education sectionof this catalog in one of the following three ways:

  1. Have an total score of 580 (paper version) or 237 (computer version) or 92 (Internet version) or above on the Test of English as a Foreign Language with no subscore below 55 (paper version) or 21 (computer version) or 20 (Internet version) and have the approval of the English Language Center.
  2. Have an average score of 85 or higher on the Michigan English Language Assessment Battery with no subscore below 83 and have the approval of the English Language Center.
  3. Have an average score of 85 or higher on the English Language Center Test with no subscore below 83 and have the approval of the English Language Center.

Academic Standards

The student must:

  1. Maintain a grade–point average of 3.30 or higher in courses in the Department of Theatre.
  2. Accumulate no more than 6 credits with a grade below 3.0 in courses that are to be counted toward the degree.


 


Theatre - Master of Fine Arts

In addition to meeting the requirements of the university, of the College of Arts and Letters, and of the Department of Theatre, students must meet the requirements specified below.

Admission

When applying for admission to the Master of Fine Arts degree program in theatre, applicants must select a concentration in either acting or design. The audition and interview procedures for each concentration are as follows:

  1. Acting: Students applying for admission to the Master of Fine Arts degree program with a concentration in acting must audition for selected faculty at nationally designated venues in Chicago or New York City or on the Michigan State University campus. Students should contact the Head of Acting to schedule an on-campus audition. The acting curriculum is sequential and admissions occur every three years.
  2. Design: Students applying for admission to the Master of Fine Arts degree program with a concentration in design must present their design portfolios for review and be interviewed by the design faculty. Students should contact the Head of Design for an appointment.

To be admitted to the Master of Fine Arts degree program in Theatre on regular status, an applicant must have a bachelor’s degree in theatre or the equivalent of 30 credits in theatre studies from a recognized educational institution.

Guidance Committee

The student's guidance committee should be constituted by the end of the student's second semester of enrollment in the program.  The committee determines an appropriate program of study in consultation with the student.

For a student who elects the acting concentration, the committee must consist of two or more faculty members in the area of acting and one faculty member from outside the acting area.

For a student who selects the design concentration, the committee must consist of two faculty members in the area of design and one faculty member from outside the design area.

Requirements for the Master of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre

The program is available only under Plan B (without thesis).  A total of 60 credits is required for the degree.  The student's program of study must be approved by the student's guidance committee.  Students must complete one of the following concentrations:

Acting (60 credits):
(1) All of the following courses:
THR 801 Practicum: Acting 18
THR 804 Practicum: Voice 6
THR 805 Practicum: Movement 6
THR 830 Introduction to Graduate Studies 3
THR 831 Studies in Theatre History 3
THR 832 Comparative Drama and Criticism 3
THR 834 Professional Aspects 2
THR 841 Advanced Directing Practices 3
THR 870 Collaborative Studio in Theatre 3
THR 894 Special Projects in Theatre 6
Electives approved by the student’s guidance committee 7
Students must enroll in 1 credit increments for Theatre 894. Each credit is associated with one of six major performance projects. Students must participate in production activities during each semester of enrollment in the program.
Design (60 credits):
(1) All of the following courses (39 credits):
THR 811 Practicum: Production Design and Technology 9
THR 813 Period Resources and Research 3
THR 818 Design Studio 9
THR 830 Introduction to Graduate Studies 3
THR 831 Studies in Theatre History 3
THR 832 Comparative Drama and Criticism 3
THR 834 Professional Aspects 2
THR 870 Collaborative Studio in Theatre 3
THR 894 Special Projects in Theatre 4
Students must enroll in 1 credit increments for Theatre 894. Each 1 credit is associated with one of four required design projects. Students must participate in production activities during each semester of enrollment in the program.
(2) Three of the following courses (9 credits): 3
THR 411 Stage Lighting Design 3
THR 412 Stage Costume Design 3
THR 414 Stage Scene Design 3
THR 416 Audio and Visual Technology 3
THR 419 Digital Design for Live Performance
(3) One of the following courses (1 credit):
THR 819 Applied Design Studio 1
THR 819A Applied Design Studio: Scenery 1
THR 819B Applied Design Studio: Costume 1
THR 819C Applied Design Studio: Lighting 1
THR 819D Applied Design Studio: Sound 1
THR 819E Applied Design Studio: Media 1
(4) Electives approved by the student's guidance committee (11 credits)

Transfer Credits

Transfer credits must have been completed within the time limit for the degree.