California State University, Long Beach                                                  Policy Statement

                                                                                                                  06-01

                                                                                                                  June 2, 2006

MFA in Theatre Arts, Option in Dramatic Writing (code THEAMF04)

This new option was recommended by the Academic Senate on March 30, 2006
and approved by the President on April 12, 2006.

The MFA in Theatre Arts, Option in Dramatic Writing is offered by the Department of Theatre Arts, with primary support from the Department of Film and Electronic Arts, and additional support from the Department of Communication Studies and the Department of Comparative World Literature and Classics. The MFA in Theatre Arts is the terminal degree offering the professional training deemed necessary by the major Theatre Arts Schools in
the United States. The MFA in Theatre Arts, Option in Dramatic Writing prepares students for university and college teaching and for positions in the entertainment, media, and publishing industries. “Dramatic Writing” is defi ned as creative (fi ction and non-fi ction) writing for all forms and genres of collaborative and performance media. The MFA in
Theatre Arts, Option in Dramatic Writing culminates in a thesis writing project of publishable/producible quality.

Criteria for Admission to the Program:

1. Students applying for admission to the MFA program should have completed a bachelor's or master's degree in Theatre Arts from an accredited institution with a minimum 3.0 GPA in upper division theatre courses, meet university admission requirements, and submit evidence of creative ability and professional intent in Dramatic Writing.
2. When an undergraduate degree has been completed in a fi eld other than that named above, additional preparation may be required before the student can be considered for classifi ed status in the degree program. (Although the Graduate Advisor will consider each student’s academic background in determining what courses need to be taken,
the following are generally required: THEA 321and THEA 322 Theatre History, THEA 324I Theatre Today, and THEA 426 Dramatic Theory and Criticism.) Transferable credit allowable toward the MFA may not exceed 20 units. The Graduate Advisor must approve all transferred credit use in the MFA Program.
3. Admission to the program in Dramatic Writing requires interview and submission of portfolio of creative writing.
4. All students admitted into the MFA program will be admitted as conditionally classifi ed. In order to obtain fully classifi ed status, a committee from the Theatre Arts faculty must authorize continuation in the program after evaluating academic progress, individual skills development, and review of portfolio at the end of the student’s first full year of residence.

Advancement to Candidacy:

1. Attain fully classifi ed status;
2. Remove all undergraduate defi ciencies as determined by the departmental evaluation and the Dean of the College;
3. In consultation with the Graduate Advisor, submit a program for approval to the department chair and the Dean of the College.

Requirements for Completion

The MFA in Theatre Arts, Option in Dramatic Writing degree program is 60 units, normally requiring full-time residency. The program culminates in a major thesis writing project of publishable/producible quality. Course requirements are arranged according to the following structure:
Core A - Dramatic Writing (12 units): Take the following: FEA 604A, 604B, 604C, 604D
Core B - History, Theory, Criticism, Production, and Writing (27 units): Take the following: THEA 517, 518, 519, 523, 524, 696
Core B.1 - Four courses chosen from: THEA 374*, 375*, 380, 426*, 427*, 501, 505, 507, 550
Core C - Rhetorical Theory, Criticism, & Communication Studies (6 units): Take the following: COMM 633, 640
Core D - Comparative World Literature and Classics (6 units): Two courses chosen from: CWL 502, 503, 504, 505, 537, 538, 540, 545, 549 (topic dependent per advisement), 552, 561.
MFA Thesis (6 units): THEA 699
Elective Course (3 units): Additional university-wide graduate course determined by advisement.

EFFECTIVE: Fall 2006

Code: THEAMF04
College: 55
Career: GR
IPEDS (Major) ERSS: 10072
IPEDS (Degree) ERSD: 10072