The MFA program in Costume Design is intended to prepare students for entry into careers in educational or professional theatre and the performing arts.<br><br>Emphasis is on the development of a collaborative process that will serve the student throughout his or her career, accomplished through a balanced training program of classes and work on realized productions.<br><br>Students are selected for admission on the basis of resumes, interviews, and portfolio reviews. A visit to Purdue is recommended, to allow the student the opportunity to interact with current students and the faculty and staff.<br><br>Based on the principle that a good designer is well educated in many areas, Costume Design students take courses in script analysis, theory and criticism, period styles, stage makeup, rendering, costume crafts, and costume design. Emphasis in the costume design classes is on the development of an aesthetic response to a script and the ability to successfully collaborate as part of a design team. The MFA program at Purdue subscribes to the idea that a strong design best rests on a foundation of technical knowledge, and that the study of technology is enriched by an understanding of design.