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California Institute of the Arts

MFA: Technical Direction

School of Theater

Person wearing a hard hat and strapped into a harness hangs in the air in an indoor theatrical space as another person, standing on the floor, directs them.

Technical Direction class with School of Theater faculty Michael Darling.

Turn ideas into reality

Abstract ideas, drawings, and conversations become tangible worlds in CalArts’ three-year MFA in Technical Direction—a specialization within the Experience Design and Production (XDP) program. Through a combination of intensive theoretical study and practical, hands-on experience, you’ll develop your artistic interests, challenge your perceptions, and hone your skills, preparing you to realize your singular aesthetic and become an innovative force in theater, as well as immersive environments, film/video, art, and many other creative avenues.

Seen from a distance in a theater, a group of performers on stage faces a nook featuring a sculpture of an angel

El Misterio.

  • Best performing arts programs
  • 8:1 student-faculty ratio

    in the School of Theater

  • Top 20 colleges for performing arts

Lead the evolution

MFA Technical Direction

Designed for students seeking advanced instruction spanning the practical, technical, and artistic, CalArts’ Technical Direction MFA curriculum includes instruction across a mix of traditional skills, from early stage production to emerging and sometimes yet-to-be commercially available technologies.

Let’s connect

As a technical director you’ll join a profession that is by nature changing and evolving, in which you’ll lead a collaborative team of designers, technicians, and craftspeople to bring ideas into reality. You’ll also benefit from opportunities to collaborate with artists, designers, performers, musicians, writers, dancers, and others at the only accredited arts college in the United States that gathers the full range of visual and performing arts under one roof. This unique experience allows you to learn a wide range of skills and to develop a diverse portfolio of projects using traditional, new, and emerging technologies.

The program is based on four basic principles— fabrication, communication, management, and artistic awareness—with an emphasis on technical design and management. These principles are integral to every production experience and all métier coursework, which spans skills including welding and statistical engineering, the stagecraft of illusion, AutoCAD, and interpretive strategies.

As an MFA student, you’ll collaborate on projects and workshops presented by the School of Theater and the CalArts Center for New Performance (CNP), and your mentor and faculty will encourage you to seek collaborations with the community of artists you’ll develop throughout the Institute.

All MFA Technical Direction 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 Technical Direction 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

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

The MFA requires three years of full-time study, with a personalized curriculum based on individual goals and faculty evaluations, emphasizing interdisciplinary art-making, technical direction, and collaborative processes through core and elective courses in advanced stagecraft, technical design, and performance critique.

MFA in Technical Direction 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 Technical Direction 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. 

Notable School of Theater alumni

Tonys, Obies, and Ovation Awards aren’t the only things distinguishing our alumni—it’s the way they’re collectively changing their industries through their creative practice. 

Meet our alumni

What will you create?

Student projects

Browse the portfolios of some of our recent Technical Direction students, whose work spans collaborative design, fabrication, and technical management.

A person stands on a dark stage, the whole stage is covered with a projection of diagonal white lines. Some text in the background reads, “Trajectory of the C…”

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.