Design and Stage Management BFA Artistic Review Requirements

The Design and Stage Management BFA offers a foundational core of hands-on and critical-thinking courses, ensuring every student develops a versatile, well-rounded understanding of production. Students choose from one of four concentrations in the Spring of their Sophomore year: Costume Design, Lighting Design, Scenic Design, or Stage Management.

How to Apply

All applications to programs in the Emerson College Department of Performing Arts include the following three steps: submitting an Academic Application, submitting an Artistic Application in Acceptd, and completing an Artistic Review. These must be completed in the order listed below and each has a distinct timeline. Your application cannot be considered until all three steps have been completed.

Submit an Academic Application

Apply to Emerson College. You may only apply for Fall admission and you may only apply to one Emerson program. Select BFA Design and Stage Management as your major.

Within two to three business days after receiving your application, the Office of Undergraduate Admission will send you an email with the subject line “We’ve Received Your Application. Here’s What’s Next.” This email will contain your Emerson Admission ID Number, as well as your Username and PIN for the Emerson Application Portal.

You must submit your Emerson Admission ID Number as a part of your Artistic Application in Acceptd in the next step below. This connects the two applications so submitting the wrong ID will create processing delays. Although transcripts and recommendations are due by the application deadline, they are not a requirement for receiving an Emerson Admission ID Number.

As soon as you have your Emerson Admission ID Number you are ready to submit an Artistic Application and schedule an interview.

Submit an Artistic Application

  1. Log in or create an Acceptd account (if you already have an account do not create a new one), complete the form and upload the following:
    1. Resume & Headshot: a 1-page theatrical resume and headshot/selfie.
    2. Portfolio: Please upload a portfolio consisting of up to 20 creative or organizational samples that document either your work in the theatre or other creative pursuits that demonstrate your interests as a theatre-maker, such as:
      1. Theatrical designs
      2. Theatrical construction work
      3. Fashion design and construction
      4. Fashion hair and makeup
      5. Puppetry design and construction
      6. Partial production scripts that best highlight your stage management work (entire scripts are not necessary)
        1. Relevant stage or company management paperwork such as:
          Contact sheets
        2. Rehearsal and production schedules
        3. Scene breakdowns
        4. Rehearsal reports
        5. Property running sheets
        6. Cueing sheets
        7. Blocking notes
      7. Art Sketches
      8. Paintings
      9. Video or audio
      10. Photos of scale models, ceramics, or sculptures
      11. Jewelry designs
      12. Computer graphics
      13. Graphic designs
      14. Evidence of special engineering or mechanical skills
      15. Photography
  2. Pay the non-refundable Artistic Application fee of $30

Questions about Artistic Applications or Artistic Reviews? Email the Department of Performing Arts at pa_artisticreview@emerson.edu!

Schedule and Complete an Interview

Once you have submitted your Artistic Application, you must schedule your interview in Acceptd by going to Schedule > My Timeslots > Select Timeslot.

The Interview Day

Emerson offers virtual interviews conducted through Acceptd’s AuditionRoom platform. Interviews begin with a brief information session and Q&A with Performing Arts faculty and staff, followed by individually scheduled 30-minute interview time slots.