Program Statistics
Visit Master's Program Statistics for statistics such as program admissions, enrollment, student demographics and more.
Directing
Degree Types: MFA
The Department of Theatre offers two distinctive MFA programs: the MFA in Stage Design and the MFA in Directing. Students wishing to consider doctoral study should examine the description of the Interdisciplinary PhD in Theatre and Drama. The MFA degrees in Stage Design and Directing are terminal degrees analogous to the PhD.
The MFA in Stage Design, including scenery, costume, and lighting design, focuses on the development of the artistic, design, theoretical, and communication skills necessary for significant careers in the theater. Students study in primary and secondary design areas according to their interests and career goals. In addition, design students participate in seminars to study text analysis, period research, and collaboration skills. The collaboration between designer and director is central to this study and results in produced and theoretical theater work.
The program leading to the MFA in Directing trains stage directors to possess strong practical knowledge of theater practice and to demonstrate an understanding of a range of storytelling styles and practices in the theater. The curriculum is designed to acquaint the student with a wide variety of literary and theatrical styles, text interpretation, working knowledge of stage design, and basic and advanced directing theory and practice. The director will work on collaboration techniques with designers in classroom and production activities. Assistantships with professional theaters in and out of Chicago provide additional training and professional connections. Understanding of the collaborative process involved in directing individual artistic skills toward a shared vision of a theatrical experience is of central importance in the curriculum.
The Department of Theater also offers a PhD Program in Theater and Drama.
Additional resources:
Program Contact
Contact David Kleineick
Program Assistant
(847) 491-3589
Degree Requirements
The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.
Master's
Total Units Required: 27
| Course | Title |
|---|---|
| THEATRE 402-0 | Graduate Colloquium |
| THEATRE 312-0 | Text Analysis |
| THEATRE 310-0 | Special Topics in Directing |
| THEATRE 313-0 | History of Directing |
| THEATRE 342-0 | Dramaturgy |
| THEATRE 420-1 & THEATRE 420-2 & THEATRE 420-3 | Collaboration: American Realism and Collaboration: Contemporary Drama and Collaboration: Shakespeare in the 21st Century |
| THEATRE 450-0 | Topics in Stage Design |
| THEATRE 451-1 & THEATRE 451-2 & THEATRE 451-3 | Seminar in Advanced Directing and Seminar in Advanced Directing and Seminar in Advanced Directing |
| THEATRE 546-0 | Seminar-Studies in Theatre |
| THEATRE 590-0 | Research |
| Electives chosen from available offerings in School of Communication, Bienen School of Music, and Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences (14 units) | |
Other MFA in Directing Degree Requirements
- Examinations: annual faculty evaluation
- Research/Projects: three project productions
- Master of Fine Arts Thesis: written thesis
- Other: oral defense of thesis