MFA in Design for Stage and Film - Scenic Design in New York United States | New York University

The Stage and Film Design Department at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts brings together a vibrant collective of theater and film creatives. Our three-year MFA program cultivates the next wave of theatrical and cinematic designers who, following in the footsteps of our esteemed faculty and graduates, will significantly influence the arts through their innovative designs.
Through a structured sequence of studio courses, each graduate student evolves as a designer throughout the Master of Fine Arts curriculum. While specializing in one or two core design areas—scenery, film, costumes, or lighting—students are also urged to explore complementary disciplines. Though technical theater classes and art courses provide essential skills, the program prioritizes the creative design journey. In studio sessions, students delve deeply into textual analysis, character development, musical influences, historical contexts, and psychological dimensions of their projects, pushing them to express their artistic vision in groundbreaking ways. Some of the most dynamic collaborations emerge when scenic designers team up with lighting and costume specialists alongside directors during coursework. The program fosters director-designer partnerships by including Columbia University directing students in upper-level design classes. Additionally, Tisch filmmakers and designers collaborate on shared projects under the guidance of leading contemporary film production designers.