Welcome to the Claire Trevor School of the Arts!

Explore   •   Create   •   Innovate

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts has proven itself to be a national leader in training emerging artists and performers since its establishment in 1965.  It was originally known as the University of California, Irvine’s School of Fine Arts, but with its expansion of programs and focus over the years, it evolved into the School of the Arts.  In 2000, the School was named in honor of Academy Award-winning actress Claire Trevor and her involvement with the School and its students.

Humphrey Bogart (L), Claire Trevor and Lauren Bacall (R) rehearsing a scene from Key Largo,
the film for which Ms. Trevor won an Academy Award.

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts is a national leader in training future generations of entertainers and technicians who will go on to electrify audiences in theatres, galleries and concert halls -- as well as in entertainment and technology-related venues throughout the world.

The School delivers a superb developmental experience, combining superlative artistic training with a top-ranked liberal arts education.  It is home to the departments of Dance, Drama, Music and Studio Art, in addition to a program in Arts and Humanities.  Undergraduate and graduate degree courses include extensive studio, workshop and performance experiences; theoretical and historical studies; and arts and technology practices. Our Drama Department has the only Ph.D. program in the country, run jointly with UC San Diego, and ranked in the Top 10 in the U.S. 

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts provides excellent facilities to support artistic development and after-class life, including four theatres, a concert hall, three art galleries, the Beall Center for Art + Technology, electronic music studios, cutting edge costume, lighting, and scenic design studios, a stage production shop, digital arts labs, and a video production studio.  We are one of the only university campuses in the area to boast a Performance Capture Studio and a fully equipped Meyer Sound Lab.

Our School of the Arts students regularly participate in choirs, instrumental ensembles, drama productions, dance performances and art exhibitions.  Qualified students from other academic areas are also eligible to participate in many of these activities and are, in fact, encouraged to do so.