Costume Design: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Students in this program develop the creative and technical expertise needed to design and implement costumes for theatrical and performance productions. The curriculum emphasizes both artistic vision and collaborative production practices, preparing graduates to contribute meaningfully to live performance environments.

• Costume Design: Focuses on translating character, narrative, and directorial intent into visual costume concepts through conceptual sketches and creative problem-solving.
• Script Analysis: Involves interpreting dramatic texts to identify character development, thematic elements, and contextual cues that inform costume decisions.
• Theory and Criticism: Explores foundational principles of performance art and fashion theory, enabling students to evaluate costume work within broader cultural and historical frameworks.
• Period Styles: Trains students in the accurate representation of historical fashion, including silhouettes, fabrics, and social context across different eras.
• History of Costume: Provides a comprehensive survey of costume evolution from antiquity to the modern era, with emphasis on cultural and societal influences on dress.
• Stage Makeup: Covers techniques for transforming appearance under stage lighting, including character aging, injury effects, and stylized facial design.
• Rendering: Develops skills in visual communication through drawing, digital illustration, and color theory to present costume concepts with clarity and precision.
• Costume Construction: Offers hands-on training in sewing, pattern-making, fabric selection, and tailoring to bring design concepts to life using theatrical materials and methods.