I’m a rising senior who wants to study costume design for theater, but I’m struggling to find much information on nearby colleges that offer a specific costume design major. Lots and lots of schools with theater design programs that offer courses/concentrations in costume, but I’ve found it difficult to get much specific information on those courses. I don’t mind a more general theater education, in fact I would love that! But I want to make sure that I can get solid training and experience in costume design. Other than Emerson, which I’ve already fallen in love with, what are some (preferably New England-area) schools with good, comprehensive costume design programs I should look into?
Although not New England, check out Carnegie Mellon, SUNY Purchase and Shenandoah Conservatory.
Onstage Blog just posted their 2018 list of Top 25 Theatre Design/Tech programs. Maybe one of these has what you’re looking for?
Onstage has really come up in the last several years as a go to list for theatre schools. They just recently released an article that explains how they make their lists, and the process by which they vet the schools. The downside is that many schools with excellent programs get overlooked because there are so many out there.
A lot of parents and prospective students that I speak to at college fairs have not heard of our program at the University of Mary Washington, and we are trying to change that little by little, and build some awareness. Our school is not in New England, but I mention it because we have a surprising number of students from New England come to Mary Washington, so I believed it worth mentioning. We have a Theatre Major with costume design focus, offering opportunities to work with our faculty, but also with guest artists who come to work with us. You learn it all in our program, but you can focus heavily on any aspect of costume design.
Another consideration many students make while looking at schools is the overall school size, and depending on whether or not you want to be at a large school with thousands of other students, UMW has a student body of about 4,000 students, and the faculty to student ratio is small, affording you the ability to work closely with our faculty and to get some individualized attention. Good luck in your search!
Here’s a plug for #4 on the list, Mason Gross/Rutgers. My daughter is a third-year costume design student, and we have been thrilled with the depth and breadth of her education. I am happy to answer any questions, but also check out their website and social media: http://www.masongross.rutgers.edu/theater/programs-of-study/design-bfa-mfa/costume-design-bfa-mfa