Future Students - Graduate Programs

The primary endeavor of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts is the creative act. Research activities are pursued both as an end in themselves and as a source that can inform both performance and the studio experience. The intellectual activity of theoretical, literary, and historical courses complements the practical work in studio workshops and performance. The aim of the M.F.A. programs in Dance, Drama, Music, and Studio Art is, thus, to produce artists literate in both traditional and digital media who are responsive to intellectual stimuli, disciplined, and capable of integrating existing knowledge into creative projects. The UCI-UCSD joint doctoral program in Drama and Theatre provides opportunity for significant crossover research and teaching between the two campuses in a wide range of areas in drama and the theatre. It is the strong belief of the UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts that intellectual integrity and creative excellence cannot exist without each other. Admission to the Program Students must submit a graduate application through UC Irvine's Graduate Division office: http://www.grad.uci.edu/prospective/. Applications are accepted for fall quarter admission only, and ordinarily must be completed by January 15 for the Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre, the M.F.A. in Dance, and the M.F.A. in Music, and the M.F.A. in Studio Art. The number of graduate students that can be admitted to the Claire Trevor School of the Arts is limited. Applicants are advised to arrange for auditions, interviews, and the submission of portfolios, compositions, and dossiers by the appropriate deadlines. Students applying for scholarships and fellowships should do so by January 15, and are also encouraged to apply for financial assistance through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. The Claire Trevor School of the Arts has a modest number of teaching assistantships available in all areas, and all candidates are automatically reviewed for teaching assistantship positions; the School informs successful candidates by June 1 for the following academic year. Upon admission to the program the student is assigned an advisor. Students should discuss with their advisor the scope of undergraduate preparation to determine any areas which may need strengthening if full benefit from graduate study is to be derived. Degrees M.F.A. in Dance Applicants for admission to the M.F.A. degree program must meet the general requirements for admission to graduate study and hold a B.A. or B.F.A. in Dance or the equivalent. Candidates must meet the minimum requirements for the B.A. degree in Dance at UCI. A paper of 500 words or more on a dance subject and proposals for three choreographic works that could be completed in the graduate program must be submitted. An audition in ballet and modern technique is required for admission and is held in winter quarter. At this audition, applicants must also present a prepared five-minute choreographed piece, which can be a solo performed by the applicant and/or a videotape of the applicant's choreography. Interviews with faculty are conducted following the audition, and applicants are given a short writing exercise. M.F.A. in Drama, with emphasis in Acting, Directing, Design or Stage Management Applicants for admission to the M.F.A. degree program must meet the general requirements for admission to graduate study and hold a B.A., B.F.A., or higher degree. Applicants must submit dossiers of biographical information and theatrical experience, together with photographs, essays, reviews, production books, and portfolios, as appropriate. Normally an audition is required for all applicants who intend to follow the curriculum in Acting. UCI coordinates its auditions with the University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA), and conducts auditions, both for U/RTA finalists and UCI applicants, in New York, Chicago, and Irvine during February. Interviews for applicants in Directing and in Design and Stage Management also are required. Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre Students with a B.A. (minimum GPA of 3.5), M.A., or M.F.A. degree in Drama and Theatre are eligible for admission to the doctoral program. Students with training in literature (or another area in the humanities) will also be considered, provided they can demonstrate a background in drama or theatre. Experience in one of the creative activities of theatre (acting, directing, playwriting, design, dramaturgy) enhances a student's chances of admission. All applicants are required to take the Graduate Record Examination and to submit samples of their critical writing. M.F.A. in Music with emphasis in Choral Conducting, Collaborative Piano, Guitar/Lute Performance, Instrumental Performance, Piano Performance, Vocal Arts, Integrated Composition, Improvisation and Technology (ICIT) Applications for admission to the M.F.A. in Music degree program should be submitted by March 1 for the following fall quarter. Applicants must meet the general requirements for admission to graduate study and hold a B.A. in Music, or B.Mus., or the equivalent. Applicants should have completed the equivalent of two years of study in a foreign language. Applicants must also submit a substantial sample of their writing, preferably on a musical subject (analytical, theoretical, historical); this requirement may be fulfilled by the submission of an undergraduate term paper. All applicants for programs in performance must audition for members of the Music faculty by March 1. In special cases, a recently recorded demonstration of performance may be accepted. Applicants for programs in composition must submit scores and tapes of their works. All applicants for admission must demonstrate competence in basic musical skills: sight-singing, written and keyboard harmony, dictation, and minimal facility at the keyboard (including sight-reading). In some cases, students who do not demonstrate appropriate proficiency in some area may be considered for admission. If admitted, these students will be required to make up any deficiency by the end of the first year of residency. All applicants who are admitted will be given a placement examination prior to the beginning of their studies. M.F.A. in Studio Art Applicants for admission to the degree program must meet the general requirements for admission to graduate study, have completed one year of twentieth-century art history (students who have not completed this will be required to do so as part of their graduate studies), and submit by January 15 a portfolio of their creative work of a maximum of 20 slides, on a #80 Kodak Carousel tray, of their most recent work, or videotape (VHS; no more than five minutes, cued up). A short incisive statement about the work is required. Normally, anyone who has earned an M.F.A. degree in Studio Art from another institution will not be considered for admission into the program.