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California Institute of the Arts

MFA: Costume Design

School of Theater

Two women standing in a workspace surround by magazines and illustrations as they review a monitor screen featuring fashion styles

Craft and creation

CalArts’ three-year MFA in Costume Design—a specialization within the Experience Design and Production MFA program—is tailored for designers who are ready to make their mark on stage and screen through the evocative art of the costume. Our curriculum combines intensive theoretical study with practical experience in sewing and design techniques, enabling your artistic interests and vision to challenge and redefine your singular aesthetic. If you’re passionate about pushing the boundaries of your creative practice—and developing a lifelong network of creative collaborators—CalArts provides the ideal environment to transform your aspirations into reality.

A woman sitting on a stage holding three dolls as a man sits behind her

Herakles. Costume design by Ashley Kae Snyder.

  • #1 costume design school
  • 8:1 student-faculty ratio

    in the School of Theater

  • Top 20 colleges for performing arts

Storytelling through the voice of design, dress, and adornment

MFA Costume Design

Break with traditional notions of costume design and reshape the physical space of performers. CalArts’ MFA in Costume Design is grounded in the application of contemporary arts philosophies to the medium of design, and takes a global approach to exploring modes of dress and adornment, including the relationship between new media and the body through the lens of art, architecture, and science.

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The dynamic training emphasizes the designer’s analytical thinking and creative contribution to the process—not only as a designer, but also as a critical aesthetic voice in the collaborative development of any given project.  

The curriculum’s foundational studies cover the history of clothing, text analysis, construction, new technologies, management, and graphic skills. Coursework emphasizes analytical thinking and the costume designer’s creative contribution to the process—as a designer, yes, but also as a collaborator. As an MFA candidate, you’ll contribute to projects and workshops presented by the School of Theater and the CalArts Center for New Performance (CNP), and you’ll be encouraged to seek out collaborations with your peers throughout the Institute—including those working in film/video, dance, music, and art. The program’s location within a comprehensive institute of both visual and performing arts provides a unique opportunity to work with artists across metiers, invoking ideas, histories, and approaches from across the spectrum of the arts.

As you progress through the curriculum, your faculty and mentors will support your artistic journey as you develop your distinct, original, and personal voice, define your aesthetic, and produce a stand-out portfolio.

All MFA Costume Design students are required to pass a mid-residence and graduation review in order to complete the program and earn the degree.
 

Admission requirements

To be considered for the MFA Costume Design program, you must complete an application process and all program-specific requirements, including a self-recorded video introduction, an artist statement, a portfolio of your work, and an interview. Before applying, please familiarize yourself with the detailed application requirements and resources available to assist you in this important process.

View detailed admission requirements

Degree requirements

Costume Design is a specialization of the Experience Design and Production (XDP) MFA.

MFA XDP Costume Design academic requirements

Interdisciplinary opportunities

In addition to CalArts’ naturally collaborative atmosphere, the Institute provides several programs of study that can be pursued concurrently with a student’s chosen metier, such as a concentration in Arts Education or Integrated Media.

MFA concentrations

Courses you might take

What courses would you take as an MFA Costume Design student? Browse the courses offered in the School of Theater, one of the preeminent theater training grounds in the country.

School of Theater courses

Meet the faculty

At CalArts, faculty and students are collaborators, teaching, learning, and working together as members of our community of artists. 

Some of our alumni

More School of Theater alumni

Alumnx profile: X. Hill / Costume Design.

Dressing the Resistance

Faculty Interview

Camille Benda, head of CalArts’ Costume Design program, was moved to write a book on protest dress by “CalArts’ overall ethos of citizen artists—or, artists who are engaged in society and who help create the world around us and reflect [it] back at society,” she said. “I think I became inspired because I saw that the arts can really be a catalyst for social change, and it got me thinking about clothes. Dress is so close to us as human beings and tells so many stories that it was a perfect way to talk about activism and resistance.” 

Six women in dresses and ski masks, members of Pussy Riot, stand in a line in the snow in front of the Kremlin. One waves a purple flag and two play guitars as several make power gestures with their fists.

Pussy Riot from Dressing the Resistance.

Gallery

Want to learn more?

We got you. Our Admissions team is all about providing the information you need to decide if CalArts is right for you. We’re excited to connect with you for a tour of our legendary campus, a virtual info session, or at one of our admissions events across the country or around the world. Take the next step—we’re here to help.