MFA in Production Management

Our Master of Fine Arts in Production Management program provides developing theatre professionals with the opportunity to cultivate their artistic identities while refining and enhancing their craft.

Our program seeks to:

  • Enhance artistic expression, communication, and production skills through hands-on, mentored production experience within a wide range of production opportunities and classroom instruction.
  • Explore creative collaborations with directors, actors, designers, and playwrights.
  • Create new forms of theatrical expression for the next generation.

MFA Production Management students are being prepared for substantive careers as theatre artists. Training includes a rigorous curriculum, production opportunities, and collaboration with professionals through our Professional Theatre Initiative. Students are mentored by working professional faculty and advisors.

Financial aid is available to some students in the form of scholarships, living stipends, and teaching assistantships. Admission is highly selective, with the School of Theatre admitting one to three students each year into the Production Management program.

Curriculum Highlights

  • In-depth classroom instruction in artistic, practical, and skills applications of production for the art of theatre.
  • Production opportunities in multiple venues and multiple genres.
  • Preparation and execution of a thesis that represents the culminating of three years of study.
  • Opportunity to work on productions with companies through our Professional Theatre Initiative (PTI).
  • A “theatre management” option is available that joins the MFA Production Management curricula with a graduate certificate program in Arts Administration at Boston University’s Metropolitan College.

Learning Outcomes

  • Demonstrate a high level of technical and interpretive Production Management skills sufficient to obtain professional positions in the performing arts.
  • Demonstrate spoken and written critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills.
  • Demonstrate an ability to enrich creative storytelling and take artistic risks.
  • Demonstrate an awareness and ability to engage with diverse communities as a theatre artist.

Program of Study

(minimum of 60.5 credits)

First Year 1st 2nd
CFA TH 599 Matinee 0 0
CFA TH 553 & 554 Colloquium 1 1
CFA TH 697 & 698 Production^ 2+ 2+
CFA TH 653 & 654 Master Class 2 2
CFA TH 695 & 696 Production Management Studio 1 & 2 3 3
Design elective* 1 1
Production elective* 1 1
Management elective* 3 3
CFA TH 596 Directed Study: Stage Management 1+
PDP ER 101 CPR & Basic First Aid .5
Total credits (minimum) 13.5± 14±
Second Year
CFA TH 599 Matinee 0 0
CFA TH 553 & 554 Colloquium 1 1
CFA TH 797 & 798 Production^ 2+ 2+
CFA TH 795 & 796 Production Management Studio 3 & 4 3 3
CFA TH 594 Theatre Management 2
Design elective* 1 1
Production elective* 2 1
Management elective* 3 3
Total credits (minimum) 12± 13±
Third Year
Option 1:
CFA TH 591 Internship
Option 2:
Approved elective(s)
4
CFA TH 599 Matinee 0
CFA TH 898 Production 1
CFA TH 950 Grad project 3
Total credits (minimum) 4 4

^ Production classes are variable credit, depending on the artistic assignment. Production assignments are made by the faculty based on individual student assessment and can be viewed in three stages of the production process:

  • Pre-production: The preparatory work before the rehearsal and build process begins.
  • Production: The rehearsal and build process through opening performance.
  • Performance: The run of the production in front of an audience.

Typically, credits will be awarded as follows:

  • Participation in one stage of the production process = 1 credit
  • Participation in two stages of the production process = 2 credits
  • Participation in three stages of the production process = 3 credits

Credits listed are the fewest a student can earn in a given semester.

* Students select Design, Management, and Production electives in consultation with the student’s faculty mentor. Courses from which a student may select include but are not limited to:

Design

  • CFA TH 571 Media Design 1
  • CFA TH 572 Media Design 2
  • CFA TH 586 Color Interaction
  • CFA TH 651 Introduction to Design 1
  • CFA TH 652 Introduction to Design 2
  • CFA TH 663 Scene Design Studio 1
  • CFA TH 664 Scene Design Studio 2
  • CFA TH 675 Costume Design Studio 1
  • CFA TH 676 Costume Design Studio 2
  • CFA TH 683 Lighting Design Studio 1
  • CFA TH 684 Lighting Design Studio 2
  • CFA TH 687 Sound Design Studio 1
  • CFA TH 688 Sound Design Studio 2
  • CFA TH 763 Scene Design Studio 3
  • CFA TH 764 Scene Design Studio 4
  • CFA TH 775 Costume Design Studio 3
  • CFA TH 776 Costume Design Studio 4
  • CFA TH 783 Lighting Design Studio 3
  • CFA TH 784 Lighting Design Studio 4
  • CFA TH 785 Light and Movement

Management

  • MET AD 642 Project Management
  • MET AD 649 Agile Project Management
  • MET AD 725 Negotiations and Organizational Conflict Resolution
  • MET AD 733 Leadership in Management
  • MET AR 550 Raising Funds and Grant Writing for Nonprofits
  • MET AR 690 The Art World
  • MET AR 720 Marketing and Audience Development for the Arts
  • MET AR 750 Financial Management for Nonprofits
  • MET AR 766 Arts & the Community
  • MET AR 771 Managing Performing Arts Organizations
  • MET AR 774 Managing Visual Arts Organizations
  • MET AR 778 Legal Issues in Arts Administrations
  • MET AR 779 Public Art Program Administration
  • STH TS 806 Introduction to Mediation Theory and Practice

Production

  • CFA TH 573 Media Production 1
  • CFA TH 574 Media Production 2
  • CFA TH 660 Theatrical AutoCAD 1
  • CFA TH 662 Vectorworks 1
  • CFA TH 665 Scene Painting 1
  • CFA TH 666 Scene Painting 2
  • CFA TH 669 Technical Production Studio 1
  • CFA TH 670 Technical Production Studio 2
  • CFA TH 671 Theatrical Welding 1
  • CFA TH 672 Theatrical Welding 2
  • CFA TH 679 Costume Production Studio 1
  • CFA TH 680 Costume Production Studio 2
  • CFA TH 682 Introduction to Textiles
  • CFA TH 689 Production Audio 1
  • CFA TH 690 Production Audio 2
  • CFA TH 759 Theatrical AutoCAD 2
  • CFA TH 761 Vectorworks 2
  • CFA TH 765 Scene Painting 3
  • CFA TH 766 Scene Painting 4
  • CFA TH 769 Technical Production Studio 3
  • CFA TH 770 Technical Production Studio 4
  • CFA TH 779 Costume Production Studio 3
  • CFA TH 780 Costume Production Studio 4
  • CFA TH 781 Fabric Dyeing 1
  • CFA TH 782 Fabric Dyeing 2
  • CFA TH 789 Systems Design 1
  • CFA TH 790 Systems Design 2
  • CFA TH 859 Photoshop
  • CFA TH 860 Photoshop
  • CFA TH 881 Millinery 1
  • CFA TH 882 Millinery 2

Students electing to take courses to fulfill their Design, Management, and Production electives that are not listed above require the approval of their faculty mentor.

± Total credits per semester vary according to the courses selected. Credits listed are the fewest a student could earn. All MFA Production Management students must earn at least 60.5 credits to graduate.

‡ This program requires completion of a minimum of 60.5 credits in continuous, sequential semesters, and generally takes three years to complete. Any student who does not complete their Thesis/Graduate Project (CFA TH 950) in the intended semester will need to register for CFA TH 950 in the next sequential semester, paying all appropriate tuition and fees. It is expected that no more than two additional years of registration will be needed to complete the project. All requirements for the MFA must be completed within five years of matriculation.