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California Institute of the Arts

MFA: Scene Design

School of Theater

A large theater stage with numerous performers and a musical ensemble

The Seven Deadly Sins. Scenic designer: Benny Pitt. 

Set the scene

CalArts’ three-year MFA in Scene Design—a specialization within the Experience Design and Production program—sets the stage for you to realize your creative visions as a theater artist. Our program focuses on developing the skills and knowledge you’ll need as a professional scene designer, combining intensive theoretical study with practical experience in live performance and interdisciplinary production as you build the foundation of a life-long professional network.

A large stage with purple lighting as two people center stage interact

A Dream Under a Southern Bough. Scenic designer: Yueyi Zhang.

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Form, theory, and expression beyond the visual background

MFA Scene Design

As visual artists who work in theater, scene designers at CalArts benefit from the Institute’s unique position as the only accredited arts college in the United States to gather the full spectrum of visual and performing arts under one roof.

Let’s connect

Collaborating with peers across the visual arts and performance programs in the Schools of Art, Dance, Music, and Film/Video; and working under the guidance of your faculty mentor and other world-class faculty and visiting artists, you’ll develop the skills, knowledge, and network needed to build a professional career.

Our faculty maintain active design practices in international, regional, and Broadway venues, providing their professional insight and expertise to MFA candidates who understand the designer’s multifaceted contribution to a project beyond providing a visual background. As you explore all aspects of designing for live performance as a collaborative process, the program affords special attention to the shaping of artistic vision, aesthetic sophistication, critical thinking, and craft.

Training within the specialization, each student is encouraged to find and shape a personal artistic vision through historical and current theory while discovering new forms, concepts, and means of expression. MFA scene designers also develop an aesthetic sophistication through studying across a range of disciplines (such as music composition, performance theory, directing, and semiotics). You’ll engage a wide variety of skill sets, including performance, model-making, drafting, painting, drawing, and new media.

As you participate in projects and workshops presented by the School of Theater and the CalArts Center for New Performance (CNP), you’ll be encouraged to seek collaborations with peers throughout the Institute.

All MFA Scene 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 Scene Design specialization, 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

Scene Design is a specialization within the Experience Design and Production (XDP) MFA program. 

The MFA requires three years of full-time study, with a focus on developing a personal artistic vision, aesthetic sophistication, interdisciplinary collaboration, and practical skills in design techniques, while allowing for a highly individualized curriculum shaped by faculty evaluation and the student’s goals.

MFA XDP Specialization in Scene Design academic requirements

Minors and 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 Scene Design 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

More School of Theater alumni

What will you create?

Student projects

Browse the portfolios of CalArts’ Scene Design students, whose work spans stage, screen, gallery, and beyond.

A small cardboard maquette of a kitchen or bar with two old-fashion-looking figures standing about. The exterior wall is a large, retro ad for Fanta soda.

Maquette by Jamie Hwang.

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