Theater Graduate Program - PhD Program
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The PhD program in Theatre is designed for those who intend to be theatre scholars working in an academic environment. To complete the program, students must:
- Demonstrate proficiency in academic coursework, theatre production, and a foreign language;
- Pass a comprehensive exam after completing the academic coursework; and
- Prepare and successfully defend a dissertation.
The program is designed to be completed in three years for students entering with a Master's degree. Conventionally, the first and second years focus on coursework, while the third year is spent preparing for and taking the comprehensive examination and writing and defending the dissertation. While it is possible for a student entering the program to finish in three years, it is not uncommon for students to take 4-5 years to finish.
Academic Work
Thirty semester hours beyond the Master's degree are required at the 5000 level or above. Students typically carry 9 credits a semester. The 30 hours can and should include courses from related disciplines. Students may transfer a limited number of graduate credits into the program.
In addition to the 30 coursework credit hours, 30 dissertation credit hours are required.
The program is based upon a core of required courses which emphasize the interrelatedness of theory, history, and practice. The On-Stage Studies courses place dramatic texts in the context of contemporary performance. They are designed to pose questions like:
- How might this play work on the stage today?
- What problems does it present the contemporary director/dramaturg?
- How might one solve these problems?
- How have directors like Jonathan Miller, Ariane Mnouchkine, Peter Stein, etc. solved them?
The aim of the On-Stage Studies curriculum is to teach students to think as dramaturgs and directors, as well as theatre scholars.
Coursework
Required courses for the PhD are:
- THTR 5011 Theory and Criticism
- THTR 6009 Research Strategies and Techniques
and three of the following On-Stage Studies courses:
- THTR 6011 Classical and Neoclassical Drama
- THTR 6021 Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama
- THTR 6031 American Theatre and Drama
- THTR 6041 Modern European Drama
Theatre Production Opportunities
- THTR 5071 Advanced Directing
- THTR 5049 Problems in Theatre: Conceptualization
These courses help prepare PhD students for work as directors in theatre productions. Besides taking these courses, the student is strongly encouraged to serve as either a dramaturge or an assistant director on a departmental or Colorado Shakespeare Festival production. To be considered for directing University Theatre productions, students must have demonstrated proficiency in production courses (or have the equivalent background) and as dramaturges or assistant directors.
Foreign Language Requirement
Reading competency in a foreign language is an important skill for the theatre scholar. It allows the student to consider a dissertation topic beyond the limits of English-speaking theatre, thereby significantly broadening his/her research and publishing possibilities. A student must demonstrate reading proficiency of at least a second semester college course level in a foreign language before taking the comprehensive exam.
Dissertation
The PhD program culminates in the dissertation, a research document that makes a "significant and original" contribution to the field of theatre studies.
View the PhD Comprehensive Exam Requirements
PhD Comprehensive Exam Info 2009
Sample Course of PhD Studies
| |
credits |
|
| Fall 1 |
3 |
On-Stage Studies Course |
| 3 |
Theory & Criticism |
| 1 |
Research Strategies & Techniques |
| Spring 1 |
3 |
On-Stage Studies Course |
| 3 |
Theatre Graduate Course |
| 3 |
Theatre Graduate Course |
| Summer 1 (optional) |
|
Graduate Course (outside department) |
| |
Foreign Language Requirement (if needed) |
| Fall 2 |
3 |
On-Stage Studies Course |
| 3 |
Graduate Course |
| 3 |
Graduate Course |
| Spring 2 |
3 |
Theatre Graduate Course |
| 3 |
Graduate Course |
| 3-6 |
Coursework outside the department |
| Summer 2 (optional) |
3-6 |
Graduate Coursework (outside department) |
| |
Foreign Language Requirement (if needed) |
Please Note:
- Students are encouraged to involve themselves in theatre production, though such involvement is not required for the degree.
- All requirements for the PhD degree are to be completed within six years from commencement of coursework.
- Complete information on the University's rules, policies and procedures can be found in the University catalog and the Graduate School handbook.
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