At Boston University, students who pursue a BFA in costume design discover who they are, what they do well, and what they are capable of doing. They learn to be collaborative theatre artists and most importantly, learn to integrate design, production, and management skills with their own personal sensibility.

Training for design students includes a rigorous curriculum with costume production, theatre history, dramatic literature, and specific design courses, preparing students to work in the fields of theatre or film. With an average class size of eight students and a 5:1 student-to-instructor ratio, students receive one-on-one mentorship, working in state-of-the-art facilities and showcasing their work in theatrical productions throughout what we call BU’s Art District.

Program of Study

Before officially declaring a BFA Design & Production major, each first-year student entering the BU School of Theatre is admitted into the First Year Design & Production Core. The First Year Core experience establishes a base vocabulary that serves as the foundation for a student’s progression into their chosen BFA degree program. In addition, the First Year Core is designed to provide an appropriate context for faculty evaluation of each student’s strengths, interests, and potential for success in the upper years of training. At the end of the first year, each student will declare a BFA major; these decisions are reviewed and mentored by members of the School of Theatre faculty before a student is officially enrolled in their BFA program.

Training includes a rigorous curriculum, production opportunities, and collaboration with regional theatres. Costume design majors are regularly mentored by working professional faculty and advisors through their weekly seminars, hands-on, in-process production advising, and end-of-semester conferences. Examples of courses include costume construction, figure drawing, history of costume, intro to textiles, and fabric dyeing, among others.

Costume design students also participate in SOT’s annual Theatre Showcase that takes place in Boston or New York City. The event serves as a celebration of the graduating class and the group’s formal introduction to the professional theatre community. 

Situated within a large, top-tier research institution, students pursue coursework in the University Hub, the University’s general education program that is integrated into the undergraduate student experience. This provides students with the chance to dive into other topics, from other colleges and schools, to enhance their studies.

Opportunities

Costume design majors get to work in BU’s Joan & Edgar Booth Theatre and the College of Fine Arts (CFA) Production Center, a state-of-the-art multi-functional studio theatre and production facility with a full complement of support spaces and design labs for teaching and producing theatre.

Students are mentored by professional faculty members, whose work has been seen throughout the world, in regional theaters, on Broadway, and internationally. Costume design students have access to top theatres throughout the country for internships, summer stock, design, and production opportunities.

Networking through the School of Theatre’s onSET program, where guest artists come to BU and develop shows in our multitude of theatre spaces, giving our students more opportunities to work on a variety of shows. Personal design studio spaces are available for students, with inspirational sights nearby – museums and historical sites in Boston that can provide inspiration for costume research.

Study Abroad programs are also available at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), Academia Dell’Arte in Arezzo, Italy, or other programs through BU Study Abroad.

Faculty

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  Nancy Lynn Leary

  Assistant Professor, Costume Design

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  Susan E. Mickey

  Director of School of Theatre; Professor, Costume Design

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  Penney Pinette

  Costume Shop Manager; Lecturer, Costume Production

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  Denise Wallace-Spriggs

  Lecturer, Costume Crafts

Notable Graduates