School of Theatre Design & Production Core

Before officially declaring a BFA major, each first-year student entering the School of Theatre is admitted into a First Year Theatre Core curriculum, in either Design & Production or Performance.

The Freshman Core experience helps to establish a base vocabulary that will serve as the foundation for a student’s progression into his or her 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 freshman year, each student will declare a BFA major; these decisions are reviewed by members of the School of Theatre faculty before a student is officially enrolled in his or her BFA program.

By creating a base of artistic and technical skills, students begin to explore the breadth and depth of what it means to be a theatre artist in professional theatre today.

Design, Production & Management Core Curriculum

  • Dramatic Literature
  • Introduction to Design
  • Drawing and Painting
  • Drafting 1
  • Colloquium
  • Production
  • Theatre Ensemble
  • CFA First Year Experience
  • Writing Seminars
Two Introductory Crafts Courses:
  • Scenery Construction
  • Costume Construction
  • Lighting Crafts
  • Audio Fundamentals
  • Introduction to Stage Management
One Intro Methods/Drafting Course:
  • Drafting 2
  • Auto CAD 1
  • VectorWorks 1
  • Figure Drawing
Learn more on the BU Academic Bulletin

D&P Core – for students who matriculated prior to Fall 2023

D&P Core – for students matriculating in Fall 2023 or later

Major Selection

At the completion of the Design & Production Core, students enroll in one of the following (please note, the below links are to requirements for students who matriculated prior to Fall 2023. For Fall 2023 and later matriculants, please find details here):

Average Class Size

    12–19 (excluding Dramatic Literature, which is a lecture course of up to 75 students)

    Unique Opportunities

    • Design & Production Core provides the opportunity for individual students to develop the ability to work and think as an ensemble, providing a community-oriented foundation within each graduating class.
    • The core year allows freshmen to explore all facets of theatrical design, production, and management before committing to a specific area of study.