The BFA Degree
We believe a professional is more educated and valued based on his or her first-hand knowledge and personal experience of all areas of theater design and production. Our philosophy has always been one of the actual 'experience of doing' with real production experience superseding the theoretical as much as possible. Students in this four-year program take studio and production courses in all areas in a combination of one quarter intros, full-year basic courses, and one or two year advanced sequences depending on talent and interest in a major area. Additionally, students study Theater History, Script Analysis, Dramatic Literature, English, World History, and History of Arts as well as other liberal arts and free electives. The balance between theater-related, academic, and free elective courses is established by NAST (National Association of Schools of Theater), which has accredited our programs.

For More Information:
http://www.uc.edu/programs/viewprog.asp?progid=777

The MFA Degree
All applicants must hold a bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent. Talented and qualified candidates will be accepted into a single area of specialization for either two or three years depending on the specific area, and on background and experience established by a portfolio and/or diagnostic review. Any acceptable deficiencies must be made up under the direction of the area faculty and may add to the time in residence. Generally the first year consists of course and studio work plus crew and assistant positions on major productions and selected design assignments of workshop productions. This provides an extensive orientation period to our practices, procedures, and protocols. For the second year (and third, when required) students move into major production design and department head positions. The most significant production is typically selected as the thesis production, which requires complete graphic and written documentation and committee defense plus full portfolio review. The MFA degree is recognized as both a professional and a terminal degree. Therefore we incorporate professional industry practices, standards, and the United Scenic Artists of America (USAA) union entrance requirements in establishing our educational criteria. The TD&P curriculum, projects, and production assignments emphasize the process as well as the art of each specialized area. The MFA degree, in being accepted as the professional terminal degree, qualifies the graduate for teaching, design, and production positions at the university level.