Honors in Design

The Honors in Design Program provides the opportunity for Drama majors to concentrate on the study and practice of scenery, costume, lighting, or sound design. Honors in Design students study basic and advanced design techniques, participate in classes with graduate design students, serve as an assistant designer to graduate students or faculty designers, and possibly design a production at UCI.

Eligibility requirements are:

  1. At least one year in good standing at UCI as a Drama major
  2. Completion of Drama 50 A, B, C, D for Scenic or Costume designers, or completion of 50 C, D and two of 50 A, B or F for Sound and Lighting Designers
  3. Completion of at least two courses selected from Drama 50E, upper-division studio courses (Drama 150–162, 167–169, 171, or 179) or graduate-level design courses, including at least one from the design area in which the student is applying for honors
  4. Possess and maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.2, with a GPA of 3.4 or higher in all design and production technique courses
  5. Completion of four out of eight units of Drama 101 (Theatre Production)
  6. Completion of the eligibility form

Admission to the Honors in Design Program is competitive.  Students may be admitted as early as the winter quarter of their sophomore year but no later than the fall quarter of their senior year. Upon completion of eligibility requirements, the student will schedule an informal portfolio review with a member of the design faculty appropriate to the student's specialty area(s).

If the faculty mentor determines that the student is a good candidate for the Honors in Design Program, the mentor will present the student’s portfolio to the Design Faculty.  The Design Faculty, led by the Head of Design, will then decide if the student shall be admitted to the Honors in Design Program.

Honors in Design students receive:

  1. The "Honors in Design" notation on their official transcript.
  2. An assistant designer assignment with a graduate student or faculty designer.
  3. Special consideration to design a budgeted and technically supported production.
  4. Honors in Design students may also receive nomination and recommendation for national University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA) interviews.

Honors candidates are expected to maintain their GPA at eligibility levels. They will meet with their faculty mentor at the beginning of every quarter to evaluate their progress and with the Head of Design to check that all grade and course requirements are being satisfied.  Should a student, having been previously admitted to the Honors in Design Program, develop an ineligibility, the Design Faculty will meet to evaluate the situation; the student may lose their Honors in Design status and have to re-apply to the Program.

For more information, refer to the Drama section of the UCIrvine General Catalogue or contact Professor Michael Hooker, Head of Design in Drama, at mhooker@uci.edu.