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California Institute of the Arts

MFA: Sound Design

School of Theater

Image of a man holding a megaphone projected in black and white on a large screen as people dance in motion underneath

Augustine Machine, sound design: Clare Marie Nemanich.

Sound innovation for stage and screen

Classical theatrical training, innovative practices, and technologies both old and new converge in CalArts’ three-year MFA in Sound Design, a specialization within the Experience Design and Production (XDP) program. As a designer striving to expand your artistry, build a lifelong network of collaborators, and hone your critical thinking, you’ll be encouraged to stretch the boundaries of your practice as far as your energy and imagination allow—and maybe a bit beyond. 

Person dressed in dark pants and shirt with a gauzy skirt over them stands on a stage, holding a microphone, and glares sternly toward the right. A black mask is painted around their eyes.

The Bacchae, Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

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Audio for performance and more

MFA Producing

Attuned to the rapidly evolving field of sound design, CalArts’ MFA in Sound Design integrates aesthetic innovation with scientific advances and emerging audio tools to prepare you with the skills and experience necessary to push the boundaries and expand the definitions of the performance soundscape.

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As an MFA Sound Design student, you’ll progress through a curriculum rooted in classical theatrical training as you explore as you contribute to a vast array of projects in experimental performance, multimedia and interactive design, concert sound, performance art, animation, and live-action film and video. Along the way, you’ll gain a solid command of the sound design process, including developing a conceptual approach, executing drafting and paperwork, and mounting aesthetically sophisticated designs.The training is designed to develop both theoretical and practical skills, through coursework that includes creative listening, mixing and programming, music for themed entertainment, and strategic approaches to sound environments.

Student designers contribute to projects 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. In this, you’ll benefit from the School of Theater’s unique location within the nation’s only independent, accredited college that gathers the visual, performing, and literary arts under one roof. As a graduate student, you’ll become a member of this interdisciplinary community of artists—students and faculty alike—that will form the foundation of your lifelong creative network.

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. And as a graduate, you’ll emerge with the artistic and technical ability to adapt across all professional arenas of performance.

All MFA Sound Design 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 Sound 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

Sound Design is specialization in MFA Experience Design and Production program. 
The MFA requires three years of full-time study, emphasizing mastery of current sound technology, music editing, script analysis, collaboration, and innovative problem-solving, with coursework focused on both technical skills and creative approaches to sound design for theater, film, and television.

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

School of Theater courses

Faculty

Meet the faculty in Sound Design

Some of our alumni

  • Jamie McElhinney (MFA 03). Audio artist, sound designer, engineer; Head of Audio, Found Sound Nation.
  • Cricket S. Myers (MFA 03). Sound designer (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo); Drama Desk Award winner, Tony Award nominee.
  • Leon Rothenberg (MFA 02). Sound designer (The Nance); Tony Award winner

See more School of Theater alumni

What will you create?

Browse the portfolios of CalArts Sound Design students, whose work spans performance, concert sound, installation, film/video, and more.

People work with audio and video equipment on a stage, as other people dance. Smoke swirls around in the air.

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

CalArts Theater alums reunite for play’s premiere

After being developed in a workshop with the Ghost Road Company, John Guerra’s play The Dry Years premiered at the Broadwater in Los Angeles. The cast and creative team featured multiple CalArtians, including Cricket S. Myers (MFA 03) as sound designer.

8 actors stand on a sparse stage, all facing different directions

The Dry Years by John Guerra. Image courtesy of Ghost Road Company. 

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.