Curriculum & Courses
Randolph College > Academics > Graduate > MFA Theatre > Curriculum & Courses
Curriculum
The Master of Fine Arts in Theatre (MFA) is a two-year, low-residency, intensive degree in theatre: designed for working theater artists, educators, and leaders, as well as those who wish to become theater artists, educators, and leaders.
This terminal degree is designed to develop individual artistry and leadership through advanced, specialized training in acting, design, directing, and playwriting.
During the two years, students complete four semesters of one-on-one mentorship and classes.
They will also attend five residency sessions, one beginning each semester, as well as a final graduation residency at the end of the fourth semester. Summer sessions are two weeks long, and winter residency sessions are five days.
In addition to coursework, each student will work with one faculty mentor for the duration of each semester, creating theatre content appropriate to their specific goals as a theatre practitioner.
Requirements
Randolph College confers the Master of Fine Arts in Theatre degree. Requirements for the degrees are:
- A minimum of 60 credit hours of graduate MFA coursework must be completed.
- Students may transfer up to 15 credits from a traditional-residency MFA program.
- All requirements, including transfer courses, must be completed within a period of six calendar years.
- The student must earn a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (rounded) both for all courses taken for a grade and for all courses counted toward major requirements. Only one course with a grade of C+ or below will count toward degree requirements. Students may appeal to the Board of Review.
Required - Must be taken at least 4 times: (8 credit hours)
Students will receive credit for completing each required residency. Residencies take place twice during the academic year, in summer and winter.
These gatherings include lectures, discussions, panels, workshops, and performances.
Credit hours: 2
This course may be repeated for credit up to six times.
Required - A minimum of two of the following: (16 credit hours)
This mentorship introduces students to a graduate-level directorial acting process and product.
Students will create an individualized study plan for a semester of collaboration under the one-on-one guidance of a faculty mentor.
Each student will work toward the goal of creating a final performance project.
Projects will be focused on the unique interests and specialties specific to the student through the focus of performing on stage.
Credit hours: 8
This mentorship introduces students to a graduate-level design acting process and product.
Students will create an
individualized study plan for a semester of collaboration under the one-on-one guidance of a faculty mentor.
Design work will concentrate on areas such as costumes, scenery, lights, or properties. Students will be expected to create a complete theatrical design packet, which could be fully realized.
Projects will be focused on the unique interests and specialties specific to the student through the focus of designing for the stage.
Credit hours: 8
This mentorship introduces students to a graduate-level directorial theatrical process and product.
Students will create an individualized study plan for a semester of collaboration under the one-on-one guidance of a faculty mentor.
Each student will work toward the goal of creating a final directing project.
Projects will be focused on the unique interests and specialties specific to the student through the focus of directing for theatre.
Credit hours: 8
This mentorship introduces students to a graduate-level playwriting process and product.
Students will create an individualized study plan for a semester of collaboration under the one-on-one guidance of a faculty mentor. Each student will work toward the goal of creating a final playwriting project.
Projects/scripts will be focused on the unique interests and specialties specific to the student through the focus of playwriting for theatre.
Credit hours: 8
This second mentorship builds upon the student’s progress in the first graduate mentorship, deepening their understanding and experience of acting craft, process, and product.
As in the first mentorship, this semester continues with one-on-one guidance with a faculty mentor, culminating in a final performance project.
Acting Mentorship II adds the additional requirement of regular peer workshopping.
Credit hours: 8
This second mentorship builds upon the student’s progress in the first graduate mentorship, deepening their understanding and experience of design craft, process, and product.
As in the first mentorship, this semester continues with one-on-one guidance with a faculty mentor, culminating in a final design in the areas of costumes, scenery, lights, or properties.
Design Mentorship II adds the additional requirement of regular peer workshopping.
Credit hours: 8
This second mentorship builds upon the student’s progress in the first graduate mentorship, deepening their understanding and experience of directing craft, process, and product.
As in the first mentorship, this semester continues with one-on-one guidance from a faculty mentor, culminating in a final directing project.
Directing Mentorship II adds the additional requirement of regular peer workshopping.
Credit hours: 8
This second mentorship builds upon the student’s progress in the first graduate mentorship, deepening their understanding and experience of playwriting craft, process, and product.
As in the first mentorship, this semester continues with one-on-one guidance from a faculty mentor, culminating in a final playwriting project or script.
Playwriting Mentorship II adds the additional requirement of regular peer workshopping.
Credit hours: 8
Required (32 credit hours)
This course will examine traditional and classical theatre practices and theories, considering how they might be reimagined for modern audiences and artists.
This theoretical approach to the interpretation of dramatic texts and performances will focus on topics of gender, identity, race, and underrepresented communities.
Artists and theatre groups under consideration will be those whose work has focused on contemporary social conditions and the potential of performance to effect social change.
In addition to creative and critical writing, students will integrate theory and practice.
This course will primarily follow an asynchronous format, allowing students to follow coursework at their own pace.
Credit hours: 4
This course presents inclusion and diversity practices for the collaborative theatrical process.
Course content will strive to frame diversity and inclusion in terms of current workplace and cultural challenges.
Students will learn the importance of creating safe practices and effective community agreements.
During this class, students will seek to identify sources of inclusion and learn tools to improve cast/production team relationships for future artistic collaborations.
This course will primarily follow an asynchronous format, allowing students to follow coursework at their own pace.
Credit hours: 4
This course will examine the crucial role of non profit theatre organizations in the American arts sector.
The administration structure of nonprofits, grant writing, and the use of social media will be explored.
Special attention will be given to the process of creating and managing a new nonprofit theatre company.
This course will primarily follow an asynchronous format, allowing students to follow coursework at their own pace.
Credit hours: 4
This course will cover new script development, dramaturgy, and artistic collaboration.
Special focus will be placed on understanding the historical and cultural context of new plays, artistic communication, and community accessibility, as well as underrepresented topics, characters, and artists.
This class will explore new plays (developed since 2010), as well as the process of creating original work, including the practical issues involved with producing them.
Topics discussed will include world premieres, obtaining rights, collaborating with playwrights, and community involvement.
This course will primarily follow an asynchronous format, allowing students to follow coursework at their own pace.
Credit hours: 4
The third semester builds upon previous courses with regular peer workshopping and one-on-one mentorship.
This course will focus on community based work and projects, with the additional requirement that work must be presented to the public.
Coursework and projects will be chosen based on the needs of the student and their area(s) of specialty.
Credit hours: 8
The goal of the thesis mentorship semester is to prepare the student for their final thesis project.
Students will work with their faculty mentor to create a thesis performance or presentation to be presented in their final thesis graduation residency.
This performance or presentation, created to showcase the interests of the student and their area(s) of specialty, may include the participation of peers and/or guest artists.
Credit hours: 8
The last mentorship semester will conclude with a final residency, in which the student will perform or present their final thesis project for a public audience, including MFA students and faculty.
Credit hours: 4.
Total for the MFA Degree: 60 credit hours
Students are required to complete a minimum of 60 credits.
To complete the program, students must complete four semesters and five residencies.
In consultation with the faculty and approval of the program director, students may enroll in one or two additional semesters of acting, design, directing or thesis mentorship. Each additional semester must begin with a MFA Theatre Residency 6691.
Curriculum Notes and Samples
While the M.F.A. program curriculum is designed for students to regularly engage with learning and have experiences across the spectrum of theater artistry, the curriculum allows students to complete the program in four semesters in two different ways.
- Below, Sample A demonstrates how a student may elect to emphasize depth in a singular area by taking the Mentorship I & II courses in either Acting, Directing, or Design.
- Sample B demonstrates the path elected to emphasize two different areas, which would require a student to take Mentorship I in two different content areas.
Sample A - 2 Year Plan - Depth Emphasis
SEMESTER 1
- THTR 660X MFA Theatre Residency 2
- THTR 664X Theory & Criticism: Reinventing Classical Traditions for the Modern World 4
- THTR 660X Acting Mentorship I 8
SEMESTER 2
- THTR 660X MFA Theatre Residency 2
- THTR 664X Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Theatre 4
- THTR 664X Acting Mentorship II 8
SEMESTER 3
- THTR 660X MFA Theatre Residency 2
- THTR 664X Nonprofit Theatre for a Digital Age 4
- THTR 667X Theatre in the Community Mentorship III 8
SEMESTER 4
- THTR 660X MFA Theatre Residency 2
- THTR 664X New Play Development 4
- THTR 669X Thesis Mentorship 8
- THTR 669X Thesis Production Residency 4
Sample B - 2 Year Plan - Breadth Emphasis
- THTR 660X MFA Theatre Residency 2
- THTR 664X New Play Development 4
- THTR 660X Design Mentorship I 8
- THTR 660X MFA Theatre Residency 2
- THTR 664X Nonprofit Theatre for a Digital Age 4
- THTR 660X Directing Mentorship I 8
- THTR 660X MFA Theatre Residency 2
- THTR 664X Theory & Criticism: Reinventing Classical Traditions for the Modern World 4
- THTR 667X Theatre in the Community Mentorship III 8
- THTR 660X MFA Theatre Residency 2
- THTR 664X Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Theatre 4
- THTR 669X Thesis Mentorship 8
- THTR 669X Thesis Production Residency 4 credits
