Curriculum Summary
The CSULA MFA in Television, Film and Theatre will offer three formal options:
Option l: Acting: Students in this option have the opportunity to perform in numerous venues prior to completing their degree. The Acting Option includes classes and workshops in performance theory, performance history, theories of acting for the stage, television and film; as well as courses designed to inform students of current industry practices and procedures.
Option 2: Production: The option includes classes, and practicum in all related media through all stages of production. Students in the Production Option benefit from visiting guest artists, from the Film/Television production and Theatre faculty who continue to work in their professions, and from regularly scheduled screenings, speakers, demos, events, or staged productions.
Option 3: Writing: Students in this option have the opportunity to write across television, film, and stage. In collaboration with students in the Acting and Production Options, students in the Writing option will engage the full scope of television, film and stage production as relates to the art and craft of writing. Also in collaboration with students in the Acting and Production Options, students in the Writing Option have the opportunity to see their works produced in theatrical/television/film format.
Option Requirements: The graduate program consists of a total of 67 units, with a minimum of 21 units in core courses and at least 44 units in one of the three options. Students must meet the requirements of the designated option. Graduate advisors must be consulted regarding specific option requirements.
The MFA in Television Film and Theatre has the following objectives:
• To establish and foster a unique, interdisciplinary approach to production, acting and writing;
• To prepare students for careers in production, acting and writing by emphasizing technical proficiency and creative artistry within and across television, film and theatre;
• To provide students in acting, production and writing career options with the intellectual and historical backgrounds central to their development as media artists and scholars;
• To provide the technical and academic expertise essential to prepare future professionals and faculty in this terminal degree program;
• To provide CSULA’s uniquely diverse student body with opportunities for advanced coursework in production, acting and writing.
Admission:
I . Admission to the graduate program at California State University, Los Angeles requires:
a. Completion of a four-year college course of study and an acceptable baccalaureate from an institution accredited by a regional accrediting association, or completion of an equivalent academic preparation as determined by the appropriate campus authorities.
b. Good academic standing at the last college or university attended.
c. Attainment of a grade point average of at least 2.5 (A=4.0) in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units attempted.
2. Admission to the MFA program jointly sponsored by the Department of Television, Film & Media Studies and the Department of Theatre Arts and Dance further requires:
a. A 3.0 grade point average in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units is preferred for unconditional acceptance with an articulated plan of study submitted for consideration along with a department-based application form.
b. Submission of a portfolio of creative work and performance programs which may include production stills/film/video clips, stage plays, screenplays or television scripts.
c. A statement of the applicant’s academic and professional objectives in the MFA.
d. Two letters of recommendation on the applicant’s potential for success.
e. Transcripts from all institutions of higher education or professional schools attended.
f. Interviews will be required of all candidates.
g. Students applying for the Performance Option will be required to audition using two contrasting monologues - four minutes in length.
3. Advancement
In order to advance in the program the student must maintain continuing student status, successfully complete all courses with a B or better in courses attempted, with an overall sustained GPA of at least 3.0 in all semesters, pass the GWAR, have no outstanding Incompletes, and complete an advancement evaluation review. Only students who are advanced are eligible to enroll in courses and thesis units. Students must successfully pass an annual review at the end of years one and two of their program. The Advancement Committee will evaluate the quality of the student’s progress based on grades, the feedback of faculty, evidence of the student’s on-going work, and involvement in the program.
The TVFT program is a highly competitive degree program. The review process is structured to assist the student in monitoring their development in the M.F.A. program and outlines progress towards the degree while ensuring the highest academic and professional program standards. Students are expected to maintain superior grades, create highly artistic material, and engage in the program with enthusiasm, professionalism, and an
appropriately courteous and collaborative nature towards their colleagues, faculty, and staff.
TVFT M.F.A. Review Procedures
Progression towards graduation in The TVFT M.F.A. program requires the student’s academic record and professional development to be reviewed by committee at posted intervals.
The review intervals are:
1. admission (GS-1)
2. acceptance to the program (GS-2)
3. first year review (Advancement to Candidacy, GS-10)
4. second year review (approval for Thesis Committee, GS-12)
5. third year review (approval for graduation)
A member of the TVFT graduate faculty may also, by letter, request the review of a student by the Advancement Committee at any time in the student’s progress towards the degree when supported by extraordinary circumstances. At the conclusion of each level of review the faculty, by committee letter, will invite the student to continue in the program or notify the student they are no longer eligible to continue towards earning the M.F.A. degree. Students who do not receive an invitation to continue can no longer register for TVFT courses or graduate with a TVFT M.F.A. degree. Students who do not graduate in year three will be reviewed for an invitation to continue.
Requirements for the Degree
(67 units)
A total of 67 units are required, with a minimum of 21 units of core courses including at least 50 units in 5000-level courses. All students are required to complete a culmination project (TVFT 5990). Consultation with a graduate advisor is required for development and approval of a graduate program, which includes the following:
Required Core Courses (21 units)
Project Requirements (3 units)
All students are required to complete:
Required Courses (35 units)
Acting Electives (8 units)
Electives should be chosen in consultation with an advisor from available 4000 or 5000-level courses. Students are also encouraged to take elective courses in the other options. Graduate Teaching Assistant recipients must take COMM 4910, TA 5100, or other recommended teaching preparation course.
Production Option (43 units)
Required Courses (35 units)
Production Electives (8 units)
Electives should be chosen in consultation with an advisor from available 4000 or 5000-level courses. Students are also encouraged to take elective courses in the other options. Graduate Teaching Assistant recipients must take COMM 4910, TA 5100, or other recommended teaching preparation course.
Required Courses (40 units)
Writing Electives (3 units)
Electives should be chosen in consultation with an advisor from available 4000 or 5000-level courses. Students are also encouraged to take elective courses in the other options. Graduate Teaching Assistant recipients must take COMM 4910, TA 5100, or other recommended teaching preparation course.
MFA Culmination Project
MFA students are required to complete TVFT 5990, the MFA Culmination Project.
The MFA Culmination Project consists of a Project and Project Report. Each Culminating Project must be approved by a Culminating Project Committee (hereafter referred to as the “Project Committee”). A Project Committee shall include, as a minimum, a Thesis Committee Chair and two other members of the faculty.
The Chair of the committee must be TVFT faculty. The other two members of the committee may be TVFT faculty from other departments within CSULA, part-time faculty, or professionals in the field.
Acting:
The M.F.A. Acting Culminating Project is a produced showcase of roles, a staged one-person show, a multi- episode webcast, half-hour or hour television program, or a significant lead role in a production or film produced in the final year of the candidate’s program. The project work must be presented publicly in a venue and format to be determined in consultation with the student’s Project Committee.
Production:
The M.F.A. Production Culminating Project is a short film project, an original multi-episode Webseries, half-hour or hour television program, or a stage play produced in the final year of the candidate’s program. The project work must be presented publicly in a venue and format to be determined in consultation with the student’s Project Committee.
Writing:
The M.F.A. Writing Culminating Project is a play, an original half-hour or one-hour television script, or a feature film script written in the final year of the candidate’s program.
General Parameters:
1. PLEASE NOTE: students need to adhere to the three sets of deadlines: 1) project deadlines specific to option, 2) project report deadlines, and 3) deadlines imposed by the University Library.
2. Collaborative Culminating Projects are encouraged among colleagues within the cohorts.
3. Culminating projects cannot consist of projects written or performed previous to the student’s enrollment within the CSULA TVFT program.
4. The student’s Project Committee must approve any projects that intend to fall outside of the parameters listed above.
Project Report:
Each Culminating Project will be accompanied by a project report (minimum 25 pages) submitted to the student’s Project Committee and, ultimately, to the library. See the TVFT Guidebook section on Project Report for further details. It is recommended that students attend a thesis preparation workshop provided by the University Library: http://www.calstatela.edu/library/workshops/thesis.htm and that they consult the “Guide to Preparation of Masters Theses and Project Reports” http://www.calstatela.edu/library/guides/thesbk.htm specific information regarding requirements for Project Reports established by the University.
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