Program Requirements
General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 60
Required Courses:
In Year 1, foundation coursework is taken. In Year 2, thesis project teams are formed and collaboration begins. In Year 3, the thesis projects are completed, presented, and showcased for industry.
All students enrolled in a cohort of the Musical Theater Collaboration M.F.A. program take the following core courses together:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||
| American Musical Theater | ||
| Musical Theater Practicum I | ||
| Musical Theater Practicum II | ||
| Script and Score Analysis | ||
| Year 2 | ||
| Dramaturgy | ||
| Adaptation | ||
| Musical Theater Practicum III | ||
| Musical Theater Practicum IV | ||
| Year 3 | ||
| Rehearsal/Performance | ||
| The Business of the Business in Theater | ||
| Research | ||
| Thesis | ||
The balance of coursework annually is taken by students in their respective areas of concentration:
Composer and Composer/Lyricist (C/CL) Concentration
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||
| Composition | ||
| Lyric Seminar I | ||
| Lyric Seminar II | ||
| Vocal Arranging | ||
| Year 2 | ||
| Special Topics in Music | ||
| Composition | ||
| Lyrics/Book Seminar I 1 | ||
| Lyrics/Book Seminar II 1 | ||
| Year 3 | ||
| Music Direction for the Musical Theater Stage | ||
| 1 | Students in the Composer and Composer/Lyricist (C/CL) and in the Playwright and Book Writer (P/BW) concentrations take this course together. |
Director and Director/Choreographer (D/DC) Concentration
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||
| Directing Practicum I | ||
| Directing Practicum II | ||
| Costume Design II | ||
| Scene Design II | ||
| Year 2 | ||
| History of Decor | ||
| Projects in Directing I | ||
| Directing Practicum III | ||
| Directing Practicum IV | ||
| Year 3 | ||
| Directing for the Musical Stage 1 | ||
| History of Fashion | ||
| Projects in Directing II | ||
| 1 | Students in the Director and Director/Choreographer (D/DC) and in the Playwright and Book Writer (P/BW) concentrations take this course together. |
Playwright and Book Writer (P/BW) Concentration
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||
| Playwriting I | ||
| Playwriting II | ||
| Projects in Playwriting | ||
| Year 2 | ||
| Playwriting III | ||
| Playwriting IV | ||
| Lyrics/Book Seminar I 1 | ||
| Lyrics/Book Seminar II 1 | ||
| Year 3 | ||
| Directing for the Musical Stage 2 | ||
| Teaching Playwriting | ||
| Projects in Playwriting | ||
| 1 | Students in the Composer and Composer/Lyricist (C/CL) and in the Playwright and Book Writer (P/BW) concentrations take this course together. |
| 2 | Students in the Director and Director/Choreographer (D/DC) and in the Playwright and Book Writer (P/BW) concentrations take this course together. |
Culminating Events:
Thesis Project:
The cohort creates a complete new musical culminating in a fully rehearsed workshop production. It is written by M.F.A. candidate composers and composer/lyricists, as well as playwrights and book writers, and directed by M.F.A. candidate directors and director/choreographers.
Showcase:
An industry showcase of students’ selected work is presented in New York City to an invited roster of industry and field professionals. Funded in part by the George and Joy Abbott Center for Musical Theater at Temple University, the showcase consists of a short concert-style presentation featuring selected performed excerpts from the candidates’ body of original work.