Master of Fine Arts in Sound Design
Sound
is one of the fastest growing and progressive design
areas in theatre and the entertainment industries –
and UC Irvine is well poised to educate, guide and prepare
students for a successful career after graduation. The
program centers on finding the critical balance of theatrical
aesthetic/process, audio engineering, music, and professional
practice that is unique to each student. Combined with
comprehensive training in and exposure to the latest in
sound technology, the UCI sound design major will be ready
for traditional theatre and the digital future.
Only
two graduate students are accepted at each year level
with a maximum of six students in the program. The UCI
Sound Grad will design three to six fully supported productions
during their tenure and may also engage in a number
of smaller workshop, experimental productions, and design
for other areas within the Claire Trevor School of the
Arts and campus-wide. Those majors who desire to specialize
in musical theatre sound will work through a series of
three steps from Production Sound Engineer, to Assistant
Designer, and then on to Sound Designer.
History
In
the summer of 2005, the Drama Department was named a “Program
of Excellence” by the UC Irvine campus administration
(one of only five such departments so designated);
accompanying this honor was final approval of the
department’s
longstanding request to create an MFA program – with
two full-time faculty and fully-equipped audio design
and teaching studios - in the rapidly growing field of
theatrical sound design.
Faculty
Professor
Mike Hooker, head of Sound Design
Assistant Professor Vincent
Olivieri,
faculty in Sound Design
Both Hooker and Olivieri maintain active professional careers
outside of the University, but both also regard their work
at UC Irvine as their primary focus.
Application
To apply to the M.F.A. program in Sound Design a completed
application and $60.00 fee is required. All graduate applications
are submitted electronically and must be supported by appropriate
academic transcripts (2 original copies, per university/college
attended) and three letters of recommendation, which should
be mailed to the Drama Department separately.
For Sound Design applicants, the GRE exam is not required.
After we receive your M.F.A. application, $60.00 fee, and
portfolio, our design faculty will contact you, if you
meet their initial criteria, regarding the city and time
of your interview. If you move after you submit your application,
it is important that you notify our office with your new
address and phone number. The deadline for submitting your
application and fee is no later than two weeks prior to
the city/date that you desire for your interview. The deadline
for transcripts and recommendations is March 10th. Only
persons who have submitted applications and fees can be
assigned an interview time.
Please be sure to contact the Drama Office if you haven't
heard back from us within three weeks of submitting your
application.
The deadline for submission of all application materials
is March 10, 2008.
A Sound Design Faculty representative will be interviewing
both direct applicants and U/RTA applicants in Las Vegas,
NV on February 9, 2008.
Design & portfolio
reviews and interviews for direct applicants may also
take place on the UCI campus. Please contact the Drama
Office at 949-824-6614 or via email at drama@uci.edu if you need more information.
Design portfolio reviews and interviews for U/RTA (Las
Vegas) applicants may be scheduled via the web at http://www.urta.com,
by email at Info@urta.com, or by phone at 212-221-1130.
In addition, please look for our booth at the USITT Expo
in Houston, TX, March 18-22, 2008.
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