Programs in Design and Production

The Programs in Design and Production offer professional training in the arts of scene, costume, lighting and sound design, as well as in technical direction and management. Specializations are available in producing, scene painting, and properties design and management. These multidisciplinary programs have strong connections to the CalArts Schools of Art, Dance, Film/Video and Music. Upper-division undergraduates and graduate students, in particular, are encouraged to take advantage of the resources available at those schools.

Curricula for the Programs in Design and Production consist of classroom studies and hands-on studio and production work. Faculty mentors help to guide the artistic and technical progress of every student through a sequence of increasingly challenging production assignments.

BFA students are required to complete a common set of foundation courses that cover aesthetics, theory, history, literature, graphics, technology and crafts. Upper-division undergraduates work with their mentors to create training programs tailored to each student’s individual needs and interests. BFA students may also obtain the permission of the faculty to explore a wide range of design and production skills and techniques instead of concentrating on a single specialty.

All MFA programs take three years to complete. The curriculum for each program is highly individualized, with the core requirements serving as a framework for further studies tailored to each student’s goals and ambitions.

Students in several of the Programs in Design and Production may also pursue additional specializations, or supplemental courses of study, in conjunction with their main curricula. Besides the Scene Design Specialization in Puppetry, which is open to both undergraduate and graduate applicants, the remaining specializations are available only to students applying to the appropriate MFA programs.

At the end of each academic year, the School of Theater invites theater professionals to view the portfolios of graduate students and exceptional undergraduates. In addition, graduating MFA design students are regularly invited to attend Ming Cho Lee’s annual “Clam Bake” portfolio review in New York. The school’s long-standing associations with the Los Angeles entertainment industry and the New York theater community provide internship opportunities and help to establish valuable contacts for employment after graduation. The Programs in Design and Production also have a working relationship with the USC School of Cinematic Arts.