Theatre (Costume Studies) (BA)
Learn to design and create costumes while exploring the history of dress through one of North America's most unique costume studies programs.
Why choose this program?
If you're passionate about costume, fashion history, theatre, or museum work, this program combines hands-on creation with historical research to prepare you for creative careers in performance and beyond.
ý's Theatre (Costume Studies) program is one of the few of its kind in North America and the only one in Atlantic Canada. You'll learn to design and construct costumes using historical and contemporary techniques while studying how clothing reflects identity, culture, class, and gender across time.
Through studio courses, workshops, theatre productions, and research projects, you'll develop technical skills in pattern drafting, tailoring, draping, costume construction, and design. You'll also build strong research, communication, and problem-solving skills that prepare you for careers in theatre, film, museums, and cultural organizations.
Careers
Graduates combine creative, technical, and research skills that prepare them for careers in theatre, film, television, museums, heritage organizations, and costume design.
The program prepares students for careers in costume design, construction, wardrobe, museums, and arts organizations. Graduates also develop the research skills needed for graduate studies in costume history, museum studies, conservation, and related fields.
What you will learn
Develop practical skills in costume design and construction while exploring the history of dress and its connection to culture, identity, theatre, and society. You'll learn through studio work, historical research, and collaborative productions.
Sample courses
- Introduction to Sewing Techniques
- Watching Performance on Stage and Screen
- Cave to Castle: Dress from Prehistory to 1450
- Contemporary Pattern Drafting
- Language of Design
- Costume Design
- Bustles to Boardroom: Modern Fashion from 1900
- Costume in Performance
- Contemporary Tailoring
- Historical Tailoring
- Historical Corsetry and Dressmaking
- Costume Technology
- Draping: The Sculpture of Dress
Students gain extensive hands-on experience by designing and creating costumes for Fountain School productions while working alongside faculty and guest artists.
In fourth year, you'll complete a major historical research project and present your work publicly during the annual Historical Dress Presentation, building both professional experience and a portfolio.
Get paid work experience
Dal Arts students can apply for the FASS Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Pilot Program, which offers a one-semester paid work term where you put what you learn in the classroom into practice, build career-ready skills and gain experience in the workplace.
Learn beyond the classroom
Arts students can take their learning beyond the classroom through the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences’ experiential learning program.
Participate in internships, community-based projects, research opportunities and career-focused experiences that help you apply what you learn, explore your interests and prepare for your future.
Customize your degree
Build your skills in costume design and production while exploring the history and art of dress. You’ll study topics such as costume history, historical dress, costume design, pattern drafting, tailoring, draping and costume technology.
As part of your Bachelor of Arts, you’ll also choose electives that let you explore other interests and connect your costume studies with subjects such as history, literature, museum studies and other Arts disciplines.
Costume History
Historical Dress
Costume Design
Pattern Drafting
Tailoring and Garment Construction
Costume Technology
Theatre Productions
Historical Dress Presentation
Studio Workshops
Portfolio Development
Honours Research Project
Bachelor of Arts Electives
Historical Research
Museum-Focused Learning
Admission requirements
Minimum admission requirements
To be considered for admission to this program, you must meet minimum academic criteria:
- Completion of secondary school (Grade 12)
- Achievement of the minimum average for your program of choice.
- Completion of Grade 12 English (or equivalent course).
Admission to many ý programs is competitive. This means that meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.
Program-specific admission requirements
- Minimum overall average: 70%
Academic English 12
Four additional academic Grade 12 subjects
Applications to the Honours program are considered by the Fountain School of Performing Arts during the winter term of a student's third year.
Supplemental information
Applicants to the Diploma in Costume Studies should include aLetter of Intentcontaining information pertaining to any prior experience in costume related activities and reflections on “Why Costume Studies?” (1-2 pages). Also include any available photographic images of costume work.
