Dan Fine joined the Department of Theatre Arts faculty in 2016. Working with students and faculty in the theatre arts and dance departments, Dan teaches two classes each semester, in addition to advising students on productions in the theatre arts and dance departments:

• Producing and Directing Digital Video
• Installations & Interactive Performance
• Performance, Art, & New Technologies
• Video for Performance
• Topics in Digital Performing Arts

In 2018, Dan co-authored the first how-to book for media designers entitled Digital Media, Projection Design and Technology for Theatrical Performance (Focal Press).

Learn more about Dan's work

Professors Daniel Fine, Paul Kalina, and Bryon Winn received a half million dollar grant to create a new motion capture and virtual reality studio with professional equipment and ability for virtual production. The studio is a laboratory for research and teaching where our faculty and students can work across disciplines to create theatre for the 21st century. These new technologies prepare our students for professional careers in the entertainment industry of the future and support our mission of innovation in the area of digital arts.

Learn More About Our Facilities

Throughout the three years in Iowa City, students have ample opportunities to hone their collaboration and communication skills and receive feedback on class work and design assignments with the expectation that they will build on each experience and continuously fine-tune their processes. Design students are also encouraged to work closely with their faculty during design assignments and can meet with faculty at any time to problem solve or to request feedback.

The goal of each student is to become an artist, an adventurer with enough courage to trust that the collaborative process will lead to an exciting destination. The focus of the design program is a balance of theory and practice. 

• Design assignments are an extension of coursework.
• You are expected to maintain high standards in and out of the classroom. 
• You are also expected to maintain high academic standards at all times and are never excused from class work in favor of design assignments.

While you may be given permission by design faculty to design department gallery productions or to design in the Department of Dance, this extra work must not take precedence over coursework.

Students who aspire to teach have opportunities for hands-on training with a variety of course work, seminars, and teaching assistantships. Each year, Iowa's Center for Teaching sponsors dozens of seminars to help graduate students gain skills and best practices for success in the classroom. The Center for Teaching also offers one-on-one mentoring in the development of an individualized teaching portfolio.

In February each year, students apply for teaching assistantships in the following year. Previous students have been awarded teaching assistantships in design, theater history, and comedy and society. Students may also have opportunities to teach individual sessions of costume design, lighting design, and scenic design courses. Those students who start application processes while still in school at University of Iowa will work with faculty to develop their curriculum vitae and application materials.

1. Entering the program

When you begin your studies, you will develop a plan of study in conjunction with your faculty advisor. A digital copy of the plan of study goes to the head of design and one copy should be sent to the director of graduate studies. The plan will be reviewed at the end of each semester and may be modified in consultation with the design faculty.

2. End of semester review

In order to pass from one semester to the next, you are required to:

• Present your work to the faculty for review in a semi-formal design presentation, following guidelines that will be provided in Design Seminar.
• You must maintain a 3.0 grade-point average and a B average or above in design courses each semester, although, you are expected to earn an A in all courses in your primary area of study.

3. Probation

The first year is regarded as a probationary period for all students admitted to MFA programs in theatre arts. The normal expectation is that, once you are accepted into the second year of the program, you will proceed to satisfactory completion of the degree. However, as part of each end-of semester review, you will receive written notice of good standing or a warning notice of possible termination in the program. You may be dismissed from the program at the end of any semester following a warning if good standing is not reinstated.

4. Comprehensive examination

University of Iowa requires that MFA candidates pass a comprehensive examination (comps) of the subject matter and skills in their area of study. At the end of the fourth semester, the MFA Theatre Design candidate undergoes a formal presentation of their portfolio to the members of the design faculty and the candidate’s thesis committee. The evaluation of this presentation determines the probability of completing their degree, thereby passing comps. Candidates cannot start their third year of training until they pass comps.

5. Thesis

In the design program the thesis is considered to be the body of work a student has completed in their residence at the university. The thesis has two parts: a searchable digital portfolio that is housed in the Iowa Research Online, and a summary document (pdf). This work is documented by the student as a list of realized productions (including production venue, date, director etc.), with supporting visual images.

The format of this document must comply with the guidelines as outlined in the Thesis Manual of the Graduate College. The thesis defense, normally scheduled during the spring of a candidate's third year, is a formal portfolio presentation of the work cited in the written document. Students may earn three hours of credit in the third year for meeting the thesis requirement. These hours are part of the 82-hour program maximum.

The design program encourages all majors with interests in theatre design to consider study abroad opportunities and to apply for the Erik Ulfers/Margaret Hall scholarship. For consideration, graduate students in the design program must:

• Participate in an approved study abroad program or an academically significant internship experience abroad that is at least six weeks in length
• Be in the second year of the program and in good academic standing
• Have discussed with and presented your proposed activities in writing to the design faculty and have the approval of the committee

Applications

Completed applications consist of:

1. A reference letter from a faculty member outside of the design program
2. A statement of purpose essay
3. A print-out of your grade report from MyUI
4. A short reference email from a faculty member in the design program
5. The application form from the internship program and a Study Abroad Conditions of Participation form if relevant

Annual Application Deadline: Jan. 15 or by special request