The Theatre School’s Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in costume design gives students the opportunity to explore and expand their artistic and visual expression while providing practical experience. Modeled after a professional designer’s process, the program allows students to visualize the world of plays through the garments and clothing the actors wear while collaborating with directors, dramaturgs, other designers and technicians, and our professional costume shop staff.
Students learn from a distinguished award-winning faculty of professional designers and artists, both in the classroom and through individual guidance and advising during production work. Students receive formal and informal feedback from faculty through portfolio presentations and exhibits of their work each year.
| Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|
| Liberal Studies Requirements | 52 |
| Major Requirements | 148 |
| Total hours required | 200 |
Learning Outcomes
Core Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Identify and describe the historical and theoretical significance of a range of theatrical artists, works and artistic approaches from antiquity to the present, encompassing a broad range of periods, cultures, and styles.
- Synthesize and apply elements of their education and training to the preparation, rehearsal, and presentation of theatrical productions with discipline, respect, and maturity.
- Identify and explain their theatrical work in the contest of the cultural and social impact of the arts
Program Specific Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Read and interpret theatrical text and apply research, imagination, and personalization to create a unique, insightful, and compelling design concept.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the history of clothing and fashion in the context of social and cultural development.
- Demonstrate and apply an understanding and application of garment fabrication skills.
Liberal Studies Requirements
Honors program requirements can be found in the individual Colleges & Schools section of the University Catalog. Select the appropriate college or school, followed by Undergraduate Academics and scroll down.
| First Year Program | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Quarter | ||
| LSP 110 or LSP 111 | DISCOVER CHICAGO or EXPLORE CHICAGO | 4 |
| Focal Point | ||
| Not Required | ||
| Writing | ||
| WRD 103 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC I 1 | 4 |
| WRD 104 | COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC II 1 | 4 |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| MAT 120 | QUANTITATIVE REASONING 2 | 4 |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Race, Power, and Resistance | ||
| LSP 200 | SEMINAR ON RACE, POWER, AND RESISTANCE | 4 |
| Junior Year | ||
| Experiential Learning | ||
| Not Required | ||
| Senior Year | ||
| Capstone | ||
| Not Required | ||
- 1
Students must earn a C- or better in this course.
- 2
Readiness for MAT 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to MAT 120. Students who complete MAT 120 and both a Computational Reasoning course and a Statistical Reasoning course in the Math and Computing Learning Domain take one less Learning Domain course. Students may not apply the course reduction to any Domain where only one course is required, and cannot be applied to the Scientific Inquiry Learning Domain. The MAT 120 requirement may be waived by passing a dedicated proficiency exam or it may be fulfilled by credit for advanced math coursework earned in-residence at DePaul (MAT 135, MAT 136, MAT 147, MAT 148, MAT 149, MAT 150, MAT 151, MAT 152 MAT 155, MAT 156, MAT 160, MAT 161, MAT 162 MAT 170, MAT 171, MAT 172, or equivalent) or earned externally either as transfer credit from another college/university or as test credit through AP, CLEP, IB, or International A and A/S Level exams. Calculus course(s) may be used to fulfill any of the three QR/MCD requirements.
Learning Domains
Arts and Literature (AL)
Historical Inquiry (HI)
- 1 Course Required
Math and Computing (MC)
- Not Required
Philosophical Inquiry (PI)
- 1 Course Required
Religious Dimensions (RD)
- 1 Course Required
Scientific Inquiry (SI)
- 1 Lab Course or 1 SWK Course Required
Social, Cultural, and Behavioral Inquiry (SCBI)
- Not Required
Other
- Choose 1 course from the above learning domains as an elective
Notes
Specified required courses within Liberal Studies may have grade minimums (e.g. C- or better). Please consult your advisor or your college and major requirements.
Courses offered in the student's primary major cannot be taken to fulfill LSP Domain requirements. If students double major, LSP Domain courses may double count for both LSP credit and the second major.
In meeting learning domain requirements, no more than one course that is outside the student’s major and is cross-listed with a course within the student’s major, can be applied to count for LSP domain credit. This policy does not apply to those who are pursuing a double major or earning BFA or BM degrees.
Quantitative Reasoning and Technological Literacy
Readiness for LSP 120 is determined by the math placement test taken online after admission. Students may need to take developmental coursework prior to LSP 120. The LSP 120 requirement may be waived by credit already earned for advanced math coursework or by passing a dedicated proficiency exam. Students who complete both LSP 120 and LSP 121 take one less Learning Domain course. Students may not apply the course reduction to any Domain where only one course is required, and if taken within the SI Domain, the reduction cannot be applied to the SI Lab or SWK requirement.
Major Requirements
Course Requirements
| Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR | ||
| DES 112 | DRAWING FOR DESIGNERS | 3 |
| DES 221 | COSTUME SKILLS WORKSHOP: 1A PULLING 1B ALTERATIONS | 4 |
| DES 286 | FIGURE DRAWING FOR THEATRE | 4 |
| TEC 200 | COSTUME TECHNOLOGY INTRODUCTION | 4 |
| TEC 254 | COSTUME CRAFTS:DYEING AND PAINTING | 4 |
| TEC 354 | COSTUME CONSTRUCTION I: INTRODUCTION | 4 |
| History of Dramatic Literature Sequence (Arts and Literature Requirement): | ||
| THE 204 | HISTORY OF DRAMATIC LITERATURE | 4 |
| THE 205 | HISTORY OF DRAMATIC LITERATURE | 4 |
| THE 206 | HISTORY OF DRAMATIC LITERATURE | 4 |
| Wig and Make-up Design & Technology Sequence: | ||
| DES 215 | WIG & MAKEUP DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 1 | 4 |
| DES 216 | WIG & MAKEUP DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY 1 | 4 |
| Principles of Design Sequence: | ||
| DES 141 | ELEMENTS OF DESIGN | 4 |
| DES 142 | PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN | 4 |
| DES 143 | SCRIPT ANALYSIS | 4 |
| Three Quarters of Theatre Crew | ||
| TEC 107 | THEATRE CREW (three quarters) | 6 |
| SECOND YEAR | ||
| DES 260 | GLOBAL HISTORY OF COSTUME, HAIR, AND MAKEUP | 4 |
| TEC 255 | COSTUME CRAFTS: GENERAL CRAFTS | 4 |
| Rendering for Designers Sequence: | ||
| DES 384 | RENDERING FOR DESIGNERS I | 3 |
| DES 386 | RENDERING FOR DESIGNERS III | 3 |
| Costume History Sequence: | ||
| DES 261 | GLOBAL HISTORY OF COSTUME, HAIR, AND MAKEUP | 4 |
| Costume Construction I Sequence: | ||
| TEC 355 | COSTUME CONSTRUCTION I: PATTERN DRAFTING | 4 |
| TEC 356 | COSTUME CONSTRUCTION I: DRAPING | 4 |
| Costume Design Sequence: | ||
| DES 244 | COSTUME DESIGN I | 4 |
| DES 245 | COSTUME DESIGN I | 4 |
| DES 246 | COSTUME DESIGN I | 4 |
| Production Practice I Sequence: | ||
| DES 271 | DESIGN PRODUCTION PRACTICE I | 3 |
| DES 272 | DESIGN PRODUCTION PRACTICE I | 3 |
| DES 273 | DESIGN PRODUCTION PRACTICE I | 3 |
| DES 360 | THEATRICAL COLLABORATION | 3 |
| THIRD YEAR | ||
| TEC 220 | TEXTILES FOR COSTUME PRODUCTION | 4 |
| Costume Design II Sequence: | ||
| DES 344 | COSTUME DESIGN II | 4 |
| DES 345 | COSTUME DESIGN II | 4 |
| Production Practice II Sequence: | ||
| Select two of the following: | 8 | |
| DESIGN PRODUCTION PRACTICE II | ||
| DESIGN PRODUCTION PRACTICE II | ||
| DESIGN PRODUCTION PRACTICE II | ||
| Costume Design Seminar (Repeatable twice) | ||
| DES 351 | COSTUME DESIGN SEMINAR | 2 |
| FOURTH YEAR | ||
| DES 486 | PORTFOLIO PREPARATION | 3 |
| Costume Design III Sequence: | ||
| DES 444 | COSTUME DESIGN III | 4 |
| DES 445 | COSTUME DESIGN III | 4 |
| DES 446 | COSTUME DESIGN III | 4 |
| Production Practice III | ||
| Select two of the following: | 10 | |
| DESIGN PRODUCTION PRACTICE III | ||
| DESIGN PRODUCTION PRACTICE III | ||
| DESIGN PRODUCTION PRACTICE III | ||
| DESIGN INTERNSHIP | ||
| Costume Design Seminar | ||
| DES 351 is repeated in the 4th year | 2 | |
Work on The Theatre School’s production season extends outside of the university’s academic calendar. Some production assignments may require participation up to two weeks before the beginning of fall quarter, during a portion of the winter break, or during spring break. Specific details pertaining to different programs, specific assignments, and options for students not able to participate outside of the university’s academic calendar are available in the Theatre School Student Handbook and the Theatre School website.