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Department of Theatre and Dance

MFA in Costume Design and Technology

Curriculum

Degree Requirements

At least 63 hours of graduate credit and residency at the University of South Carolina are required.  The MFA degree may be taken with an emphasis in acting, directing, costume design, scene design or lighting design. Each student’s program of courses will be determined by departmental guidelines with the agreement of the major advisor and will be formulated using three criteria: professional goals, past education and experience, and appropriate preparation for a thesis project and written comprehensive examination. All students in the program will complete a professional internship.

 

Other Requirements

  1. A thesis must be accepted by the MFA Advisory Committee and by the Graduate School;
  2. A comprehensive examination must be passed;
  3. All course work must be at the 500 level or above, and one-half of the course work (exclusive of thesis preparation) must be at the 700 level or above;
  4. A professional internship must be successfully completed.
     

Sample Program of Study

Costume design students normally take the following core courses:

THEA 756  •  ADVANCED COSTUME DESIGN  (3 credits)

THEA 599  •  ADVANCED STAGE MAKEUP  (3 credits)

THEA 782  •  PROFESSIONAL COSTUME DESIGN PRACTICES I (3 credits)

THEA 783  •  PROFESSIONAL COSTUME DESIGN PRACTICES II (3 credits)

THEA 721C  •  COSTUME DESIGN PRACTICUM I (3 credits)

THEA 721C  •  COSTUME DESIGN PRACTICUM II (3 credits)

THEA 721C  •  COSTUME DESIGN PRACTICUM III (3 credits)

THEA 790  •  PROFESSIONAL COSTUME DESIGN INTERNSHIP (3-9 credits)

All design students normally take: 

THEA 710  •  GRADUATE DESIGN STUDIO

THEA 760  •  TEXT ANALYSIS

THEA 550  •  HISTORY OF COSTUMES

 

Design students normally take 9 credits from among the following 3-credit courses:

THEA 530  •  PERIOD STYLES IN HAIR AND WIGS

THEA 556  •  SCENE DESIGN

THEA 588  •  LIGHTING DESIGN

THEA 567  •  DRAMATIC THEORY I

THEA 761  •  STUDIES IN THEATRE HISTORY

Design students normally take a total of 15 credits from among the following 3-credit courses:

THEA 552   •  COSTUME CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES I

THEA 752   •  COSTUME CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES II

THEA 796   •  COSTUME CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES III

THEA 797   •  COSTUME CRAFTS TECHNIQUES I

ARTS 532   •  ADVANCED LIFE DRAWING

ARTS 555   •  JEWELRY MAKING I

THEA 799 • THESIS PREPARATION


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