Production and Design

This page is for all first-year applicants applying to the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Theatre with an emphasis in production and design or those interested in the Theatre Design and Production minor. Current Pepperdine students who wish to apply should contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office.

For more information, please contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office at 310.506.4111, or via email at fineartsrecruit@pepperdine.edu.

Application Requirements for Production and Design

All students applying for the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in production and design, or for the minor in theatre design and production, must complete the following:

The application for Seaver College
The Fine Arts supplemental application
A live interview, either in-person or via Zoom

Transfer applicants are strongly encouraged to review Pepperdine’s transfer policies and to contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@pepperdine.edu with further questions.

Supplemental Application Requirements for Production and Design

You will receive access to your Application Portal after submitting your CommonApp. If you selected a Fine Arts major in your CommonApp, your Portal will include the Fine Arts Application Form. Those interested in pursuing a theatre design and production minor will need to reach out to the Fine Arts Recruitment Office to have the Fine Arts Application Form added to their Application Portal. Once you have submitted the Fine Arts Application Form, you will be able to submit your supplementary materials, including your portfolio.

All students applying for the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in production and design must submit the following as part of their supplemental Fine Arts application:

Design/Art Portfolio
- Please review portfolio requirements below
Theatre Resume
Two Fine Arts Letters of Recommendations

Those applying for the theatre design and production minor do NOT need to submit Fine Arts letters of recommendation. All other submission requirements apply.

Production and Design Portfolio Requirements

For designers, your portfolio should include:

Examples of your past design/production work for the stage.
At least 3 examples of your sketching, drawing, painting.
Production photographs highlighting your work.
Detailed photos of any props, costumes, scenery that you designed, built, or assisted on.
A written statement about design answering the question “what is the basis of design for the stage?”

For stage managers, your portfolio should include:

Examples of your past stage management production work for the stage.
Calling script examples.
Examples of production paperwork.

Application Deadlines

All required materials must be submitted by the listed deadline. Any application not completed by the listed deadline may be removed from consideration. For all current application deadlines, please visit this page.

Applicants experiencing hardship or extenuating circumstances due to natural disaster or public health concerns in their local area that may affect their ability to satisfy application requirements may contact the Fine Arts Recruitment Office at fineartsrecruitment@pepperdine.edu to explore possible accommodations. Though we cannot guarantee that accommodations/exceptions will be possible, applicants are encouraged to contact the Recruitment Office as soon as possible to allow the maximum amount of time to consider alternative options.

Virtual Portfolio Guidelines

By the application deadline, all applicants pursuing a production and design emphasis must upload their portfolio materials through the Pepperdine Application Portal. Please read the following instructions carefully in preparation for your recorded materials.

Be sure to review your entire portfolio for quality and completion before submitting! Applications that are incomplete will not be processed.

You may submit your portfolio as a single file, or as multiple files. Acceptable formats include, but are not limited to, PDFs, PowerPoints, and websites.

In-Person Interview Instructions

All students applying for the Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with an emphasis in production and design, or for the theatre design and production minor, must participate in an interview, either virtually or in-person. Those participating in an in-person interview can expect the following.

Arrive at least 15 minutes prior to your interview time in order to check in.

Please prepare to present your theatre portfolio. All portfolio requirements for the live audition are the same as for the recorded video audition. You may include additional pieces that were not included in your initial submission.

After the portfolio presentation, each applicant for the theatre program will participate in a brief interview with the theatre faculty.

Zoom Interview Instructions

If you are unable to participate in an in-person interview, you have the option to interview via Zoom. Applicants who interview virtually will be treated equitably to those who interview in-person. Those participating in a virtual interview should observe the following instructions.

Log into the Zoom meeting 15 minutes prior to your interview time in order to check in. You will be kept in a waiting room, and a Fine Arts staff member will communicate with you via Zoom chat. If you need to communicate with Fine Arts staff, please call 310.506.4111.