Graduate Students

The Claire Trevor School of the Arts offers graduate degree programs in Art, Dance, Drama, and Music. 

Degree check lists for each program are in PDF format below. These degree requirements are pulled from the UCI Catalogue and reflect the 2025-2026 academic year. Degree checklists from previous years.

Current Arts Grads: You will follow the curriculum based on the year you first entered UCI. Ex: If you started your program in Fall 2024, you will be following the 2024-2025 catalogue year. If you want to change your year, please notify your Grad Faculty Advisor and the Grad Program Coordinator.

Degrees

M.F.A. in Art

• Art

M.F.A. in Dance

• Dance

M.F.A. in Drama

• Acting
• Design
• Directing
• Music Direction
• Stage Management

Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre 

(joint program with UCSD)

• Drama and Theatre

M.F.A. in Music

• Choral Conducting
• Collaborative Piano
• Guitar/Lute Performance
• Instrumental Performance
• Piano Performance
• Vocal Arts

Ph.D. in Music

• History and Theory of Music
• Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT)

Previous Years

• 2024-2025
• 2023-2024
• 2022-2023
• 2021-2022
• 2020-2021
• 2019-2020
• 2018-2019
• 2017-2018

Advancement to Candidacy

Advancement-to-candidacy signifies that the student has completed their coursework and other requirements and is ready to move forward to the dissertation phase for doctoral students or the thesis/comprehensive exam phase for master’s students. University policy requires students to advance to candidacy at least one quarter before they can earn the degree. Master's students will receive advancement to candidacy paperwork from the graduate student coordinator during the beginning of Winter quarter in their final year of the program. Doctoral students will work with their faculty advisor and thesis committee chair to advance to candidacy.

For Advancement resources, visit our Grad Advancement Resources page.