Graduate Programs

The primary endeavor of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts is the creative act, and we are proud to be a jewel in the crown of the UC as its only named school of the arts within a top tier public research university that is a gold standard in its embrace of holistic admissions and inclusive excellence. 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., M.A., and Ph.D programs 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. 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

Application

Students must submit a graduate application through UC Irvine's Graduate Division office.  Applications are accepted for fall quarter admission only, and ordinarily must be completed by January 15.  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 supplemental application materials by the appropriate deadlines. 

Financial Aid

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.

The School of the Arts also offers the Leo Freedman Foundation Recruitment Fellowship, which is available to all MFA applicants. Preference will be given first to applicants from Orange County, and second to applicants from California. Information on this year’s call can be found here. 

Faculty Advisors

Upon admission to the program the student is assigned an advisor.  Students should discuss with their graduate faculty 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 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 images and/or other media samples. Images must include title of the work, size, year, medium, description, and duration of the work, if time-based. Normally, anyone who has earned an M.F.A. degree in Art from another institution will not be considered for admission into the program.

More detailed information on the application for M.F.A. Art

 

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. An audition in ballet and modern technique is required for admission and is held in winter quarter. At this audition, applicants also present a three minute work of their own choreography, which may be a solo performed by the applicant or a video of the applicant's choreography. Interviews with faculty are conducted following the audition, and applicants are given a short writing exercise.

More detailed information on the application for M.F.A. Dance 

 

M.F.A. in Drama, with emphasis in Acting, Directing, Design, Stage Management, or Music Direction

Applicants for admission to the M.F.A. degree program must meet the general requirements for admission to graduate study at UCI and hold a B.A., B.F.A., or higher degree.

Applicants must submit supplemental materials including biographical information and theatrical experience, 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 are also required.

More detailed information on the application for Acting

More detailed information on the application for Directing

More detailed information on the application for Management

More detailed information on the application for Design

More detailed information on the application for Music Direction

 

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 submit samples of their critical writing.

More detailed information on the application for Ph.D. Drama and Theatre

 

M.F.A. in Music with emphasis in Choral Conducting, Collaborative Piano, Guitar/Lute Performance, Instrumental Performance, Piano Performance, or Vocal Arts

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 February 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.

More detailed information on the application for M.F.A. Music

 

Ph.D. in Integrated Composition, Improvisation, and Technology (ICIT) and in History and Theory of Music

ICIT is an innovative program seeking to break down traditional limitations of academic programs, focusing on contemporary modes of creative music making and the critical discourses surrounding them. Applicants should already hold a Bachelors or Masters degree in a field related to one or more key areas in ICIT (composition, improvisation, and technology). Applicants are accepted for fall quarter admission only and must have their applications be completed by December 1st for the Music - ICIT PhD Program. 

The Ph.D. in History and Theory of Music is unique and combines both historical musicology and music theory and analysis to offer a Ph.D. program with a particular emphasis on music theory and analysis, critical theory, and the aesthetics and philosophy of music. The program rests on two central pillars: a sustained engagement with musical works that is underpinned by a thorough grounding in musical skills and literacy, and a strong focus on critical theory, which students learn to apply to musicological sub-disciplines such as music analysis and historical musicology.

More detailed information on the application for Ph.D. ICIT

More detailed information on the application for Ph.D. History and Theory of Music