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California Institute of the Arts

MFA: Producing

School of Theater

A mostly dark stage filled with performers. In front of it, people work at tables filled with production technology. The words “Augustine Machine” are projected on a screen behind the stage.

Behind the scenes of Augustine Machine, 2022. Rachel Scandling, producer.

Champions of the original and outstanding

Specifically designed for those with an eye for recognizing and championing original and significant works, CalArts’ three-year MFA in Producing—a curricular track within the Scene Design specialization of the Experience Design and Production (XDP) program—combines intensive theoretical study with practical stage experience. As a creative producer with highly developed aesthetics, you’ll take your craft to the next level as you collaborate on projects and workshops presented by the School of Theater and the CalArts Center for New Performance (CNP), and throughout CalArts’ six schools of visual, performing, and literary arts. 

A group of performers on stage posing in front of a camera as their image is projected behind them

Closed Tomorrow workshop with artists-in-residence Chen Wu-Kang and Sun Ruey-Horng, 2024.

  • Best performing arts programs

    Backstage magazine

  • 8:1 student-faculty ratio
  • Top 20 colleges for performing arts

    2025 Niche rankings

Experimentation meets rigorous skill-building

MFA Producing

CalArts’ commitment to exploration and experimentation runs deep in the School of Theater and throughout the Institute. As a graduate student in Producing, you’ll be immersed in a community of artists—students, faculty, and visiting artists—working across disciplines and media. 

Let’s connect

The MFA Producing curriculum engages a variety of aesthetic and practical approaches to challenge and expand your awareness of the infinite possibilities of art-making and the creative process as a producer. At the same time, you’ll have rigorous training in the necessary practical skills—such as budgeting, marketing, and grant writing—to prepare you for a range of creative careers in theater. As an emerging producer, you’ll hone your ability to be self-reliant and ready to reinvent yourself and your tactics as new situations arise. In an ever-changing industry, these skills and flexibility are invaluable.

Placing as much emphasis on aesthetics and theory as on practical business applications and processes, the MFA’s core curriculum features seminars in areas such as textual and performance analysis, intellectual property, cultural policy, and audience engagement. Students work on projects, performances, and workshops presented by the School of Theater and the CalArts Center for New Performance (CNP), and your mentor and other faculty will encourage you to seek collaborations with your peers throughout the Institute.

The curriculum, training, and hands-on production experience work together to help you find a distinct, original, and personal voice, define your unique aesthetic, and build an outstanding portfolio.

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

Interested in this program?

View our step-by-step application guide to learn more.  

Start your application

Admission requirements

To be considered for the MFA Producing track, you must complete an application 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.

Application requirements

Degree requirements

Producing is a curricular track in the MFA specialization in Stage Management in the Experience Design and Production program.  

The MFA requires three years of full-time study, emphasizing leadership development; practical skills in areas such as budgeting, marketing, and contracts; and creative problem-solving. The specialization fosters an evolved personal aesthetic and provides hands-on experience in producing through internships, thesis projects, and collaborative productions.

MFA XDP Producing 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 Producing student? Browse the courses offered in the School of Theater, one of the preeminent theater training grounds in the US.

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

  • Chad Bauman (MFA 03): Managing director, Milwaukee Repertory Theater
  • Meredith Lynsey Schade (MFA 05): Producer (The Inheritance, Hadestown, Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike); two-time Tony Award winner
  • Miranda Wright (MFA 09): Executive director and producer, Center for the Arts and Kayenta; Center Theatre Group Richard A. Sherwood Award winner
  • Mauricio Lomelin (MFA 10): Project manager, Disney Live Entertainment
  • Qadriyyah “Q” Shamsid-Deen (MFA 10): Creative executive, Higher Ground Productions (American Factory, Becoming)

More School of Theater alumni

What will you create?

Student projects

Browse the portfolios of CalArts Producing students, whose work spans the range of performance environments.

A shadowy room, in black and white, with a bright green four-legged, headless, dog-size creature in the lower left corner. A headless figure, stuffed like a doll, sits in a bed in the opposite corner.

Alexa Orovitz (MFA 24), Midnight Meows.

Industry interaction

Every spring, CalArts invites industry professionals to campus to meet our students at the School of Theater’s Experience Design and Production Portfolio Review. CalArts artists, designers, and technicians from all of our XDP specializations present exciting and interactive portfolios of their work in live performance, film, interactive media, experience design, and themed entertainment.

CalArts’ main gallery, shown from the balcony, filled with student projects, including drawings, costumes, and more.

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.