The John Wells Directing Program undergraduate curriculum focuses on the practice, theory, and discipline of directing for those pursuing a career in theatre, film, or television.

The broad scope of the directing curriculum encourages the students interaction with all theatrical disciplines. In addition to core directing classes, students will develop visual sophistication and a broader understanding of how design elements combine in practical production situations.

Stage management skills are also studied and practiced. Theatre history, criticism, playwriting, play development, and theatre management classes introduce students to the wide range of knowledge necessary for directing. Classes include scene work with actors, video and television production, new media, and ensemble creation. Students expand their knowledge by taking several electives and pursuing a minor outside the School of Drama.

My time at Carnegie Mellon was rigorous and challenging and prepared me well for the demands of a freelance directing career. CMU is a place for serious people who love theater, who are willing to work tirelessly to achieve their goals. CMU trains you, prepares you, orients you and then sets you out into the world with the tools necessary to create your own path and make your mark. -- Leigh Silverman (BFA 1996), freelance Broadway and regional theatre director

"My undergraduate directing training at CMU afforded me skills and knowledge that have proven invaluable as a professional theater maker, and have been applicable to every artistic endeavor I've taken on, regardless of the medium. Directing graduates walk away with four years of conservatory training coupled with liberal arts studies from a world class institution, making them uniquely suited to enter and succeed in the professional arena." -Zach Morris (BFA 1999), Bessie Award-winning director, choreographer, and Co-Artistic Director of Third Rail Projects