Catalogue 2005-06

• The Schools
• USC School of Theatre
  • General Information
  • Degree Requirements
    • Bachelor of Arts
    • Bachelor of Fine Arts
    • Minor Programs
    • Master of Fine Arts
  • Courses of Instruction

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Degree Requirements

Master of Fine Arts

The Master of Fine Arts in theatre allows the choice of an area of emphasis in theatre performance studies including acting, directing, dramatic writing or theatrical design.

Forty-eight units of study at the 400- or 500-level are required for acting, directing and design emphases and 64 units for dramatic writing. Regardless of the emphasis, at least two-thirds of the units must be at the 500 level or higher. In design, instead of a conventional thesis, the M.F.A. student completes a final project in the area of design and defends it orally before the design faculty. A grade point average of 3.0 must be achieved in all graduate work taken in the School of Theatre. Graduate candidates whose undergraduate degrees are in disciplines other than theatre may be required to satisfy undergraduate prerequisites in theatre as determined by School of Theatre faculty.

Curricula for the Master of Fine Arts Degree

Directing Emphasis		Units
THTR 520ab	Advanced Acting	8
THTR 525	Seminar in Contemporary Theatre	4
THTR 528	Seminar in Dramatic Analysis	4
THTR 555	Directing Fundamentals	2
THTR 556ab	Directing	4
THTR 558ab	Design for Directors	4
THTR 567a	Studies in Playwriting	4
THTR 591	Seminar in Producing Theatre	4
THTR 593	M.F.A. Project	4
	Electives by advisement	10
		48

Theatrical Design Emphasis		Units
Two courses from:
THTR 550a	Seminar in Scene Design	3
THTR 552a	Seminar in Costume Design	3
THTR 553a	Seminar in Lighting Design	3
Two continuing courses from:
THTR 550b	Seminar in Scene Design	3
THTR 552b	Seminar in Costume Design	3
THTR 553b	Seminar in Lighting Design	3
One remaining course from:
THTR 550a	Seminar in Scene Design	3
THTR 552a	Seminar in Costume Design	3
THTR 553a	Seminar in Lighting Design	3
And all of the following:
THTR 407ab	Drawing and Rendering for the Theatre	2-2
THTR 435	Advanced Theatrical Drafting	3
THTR 493ab	Periods and Styles	2-2
THTR 593	M.F.A. Project	4
Two seminars, one of which must be
THTR 528	Seminar in Dramatic Analysis (4)	8
400- or 500-level electives by advisement, 5 units of which must be at the 500 level		10
		48

Dramatic writing emphasis		Units
CTWR 513	Writing the Short Script	2
CTWR 514ab	Basic Dramatic Screenwriting	2-2
THTR 501	Poetry and Prose into Drama	4
THTR 513	Seminar in History of the Theatre	4
THTR 525	Seminar in Contemporary Theatre	4
THTR 528	Seminar in Dramatic Analysis	4
THTR 535	Seminar in Aesthetics of the Theatre	4
THTR 555	Directing Fundamentals	2
THTR 567ab	Studies in Playwriting	4-4
THTR 575*	Creative Production Projects	4
THTR 593	M.F.A. Project	4
THTR 595ab	Graduate Playwrights' Workshop	4-4
One of the following courses
CTCS 502	History of the Inter- national Cinema After World War II	2
CTCS 503	Survey History of the American Sound Film	2
CTWR 434	Comedy Writing	2
CTWR 435	Writing for Film and Television Genres	2
CTWR 516	Advanced Motion Picture Script Analysis	2 or 4
CTWR 520	Advanced Scene Writing Workshop, or	2
CTWR 521	Seminar in Writing Drama for Television	4
Electives**		8-10
		64