通过一系列精心策划的工作室课程，每个学生可以在为期三年的美术硕士课程中分别作为设计师发展。预计学生应专注于一个或两个主要的设计领域-布景，电影，服装或照明-并鼓励他们也参加其他学科的课程。戏剧技术方面的艺术课程和课程对于设计专业的学生来说是重要的工具，但该课程的重点显然是设计过程。在课堂上，鼓励学生深入探索其作品的文字，人物，音乐，历史和心理要素，并受到挑战，以新颖和富于想象力的方式运用其创造力。课程涉及理论和实践培训，强调文本分析，概念开发，与其他设计师的合作以及技术知识。
The Department of Design for Stage and Film at NYUTisch School of the Arts is a diverse community of theater and film artists. Our 3 year MFA (Graduate) program educates future generations of theater and film designers who, like our faculty and alumni before them, will have a profound impact on the arts through their design workThrough a series of carefully orchestrated studio courses, each student is allowed to develop individually as a designer over the course of the three-year Master of Fine Arts program. Students are expected to focus on one or two primary areas of design—set, film, costume, or lighting–and are encouraged to take classes in the other disciplines as well.Art courses and classes in technical aspects of theatre are important tools for the design student but the program's emphasis is clearly on the design process. In the classroom students are encouraged to explore, in depth, the text, character, music, history, and psychological elements of their work and are challenged to apply their creativity in new and imaginative ways.Often the most exciting work is created when set designers work together in class with lighting and costume designers and directors. The designerdirector relationship is nurtured by the participation of Columbia University directing students in advanced design classes. Tisch School of the Arts filmmakers and designers work together in the classroom on joint projects under the tutelage of some of today's top film production designers.Classes involve theoretical and practical training emphasizing text analysis, concept development, collaboration with other designers, and technical knowledge.