| |  | | Theatre Arts | Link to a list of faculty for this program.
Contact Information—Department of Theatre Arts and Dance, University of Minnesota, 580 Rarig Center, 330 21st Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612-625-5029; fax 612-625-6334; theatre@umn.edu).
Along with the program-specific requirements listed below, please read the General
Information section of this catalog for Graduate School requirements that
apply to all major fields.
Curriculum—Theatre arts programs provide practical and theoretical education for the performer, artist, educator, scholar, and audience member. Training the historian, theorist, artist, and craftsperson is linked to and centered in the laboratory experience of live performance as well as in the academic classroom. The programs serve the dual roles of examining the various historical and contextual relationships of past and present theatre while educating audiences and theatre artisans/educators of tomorrow. The programs prepare students for careers in professional or academic theatre and related artistic fields.
Prerequisites for Admission—Students are admitted for fall semester only. The M.A./Ph.D. program and the M.F.A. design/technology program admit every year. Prerequisites for the initial screening phase of admission include a U.S. bachelor's degree or comparable foreign degree from a recognized college or university, a minimum of 18 undergraduate credits or the equivalent in theatre arts, and a 3.00 GPA. Applicants for the M.A./Ph.D. must submit scores from the GRE by February 1. International students' TOEFL scores must be submitted by January 15. A score of 550 (paper), 213 (computer), or 79 (Internet) is preferred.
The master's degree is a prerequisite for admission to the Ph.D. program. Students without a master's degree are admitted to the Ph.D. with the intention that the M.A. will be attained in route to the Ph.D. For admission to the M.A./Ph.D. or Ph.D. program, students must have a working knowledge/reading proficiency of at least one foreign language (or a sign language). A computer language will not satisfy this requirement.
Special Application Requirements—The application deadline for all degree programs is January 5. Applications received after that date will be considered only if there is an opening in the particular program. M.A./Ph.D. students wishing to have materials reviewed for the Graduate School fellowship (for support of first-year students) must have materials submitted by January 5. All programs require a current résumé, statement of purpose/intent, and three letters of recommendation to accompany the department application.
The M.F.A. design and technology program requires a portfolio review either through the Chicago U/RTA or by submitting materials to be received by February 1. The program also interviews by pre-arrangement during the annual USITT conference.
The M.A./Ph.D. program requires a submitted sample of research writing.
Key to test abbreviations (GRE, TOEFL, GMAT, MELAB).
 For an online application or for more information about Graduate School admissions, see the General Information section in this catalog, or visit the Graduate School Web site.
Courses—Refer to Theatre Arts (TH) and Dance (DNCE) in University Courses for courses pertaining to the program.
Use of 4xxx Courses—Inclusion of 4xxx theatre and dance courses on graduate degree program forms is subject to approval by the director of graduate studies. Such courses must be taught by a member of the graduate faculty. Students from other programs may include these courses with their own program's approval. |
M.A. Degree Requirements | | The M.A. degree emphasizes academic pursuits and is considered a prerequisite for the Ph.D. The areas of study for the M.A./Ph.D. are theatre historiography, design and technical production, and performances practices. Any of these may serve as a concentration of study, although the Ph.D. ordinarily focuses on the first. Candidates must complete coursework in both academic and performance areas.
For both Plan A and B, 30 credits are required from the following: three of the six sequence courses (8111-8116) plus 8102, totaling 12 credits; 3 credits from a course in performance conventions; 3 credits in independent seminar; 6 elective credits from inside or outside the department; 6 credits at the graduate level from outside the department (outside courses must be at least 3 credits each). For Plan A, 10 additional thesis credits (TH 8777) and an oral defense of the thesis are required. For Plan B, three papers are required.
Language Requirements—See the requirements for the Ph.D.
Final Exam—For Plan A, the final exam is written and oral. For Plan B, the final exam is written; an oral exam typically is not required, but one may be requested by the M.A. committee.
Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—A master's minor requires a minimum of 9 credits as approved by the director of graduate studies. | M.F.A. Degree Requirements | The three-year, performance-oriented M.F.A. degree offers two areas of specialization: directing, and design and technical production. For the M.F.A. in design and technology, all areas of design are studied to increase understanding in specialization areas, and technology is studied as an essential part of design. Students are expected to achieve proficiency in at least two areas of any combination of design and technology (scenery/properties, costuming, lighting, sound) and a level of expertise in at least one of these areas. Program faculty work with students to identify the final areas for the degree. The M.F.A. degree is considered a terminal degree in these areas of theatre arts.
The M.F.A. requires 60 graduate credits, although a particular program's requirements may exceed this minimum. The degree requires 6 credits of dramatic literature or theatre history, which may be fulfilled by TH 4177 and 4178; and a minimum of 6 credits from outside the department (at least 3 credits of which must be a University course that contributes substantially to the degree program). Each program requires a final performance practicum and written record of it. For specific program requirements, contact the director of graduate studies.
Language Requirements—None.
Final Exam—Students must take a final oral exam related to the final creative project and must submit a written record of the project and the research related to it. |
Ph.D. Degree Requirements | The Ph.D. certifies that a degree recipient has a knowledge and understanding of theatre historiography and practice as well as pedagogical and professional strategies for communicating and applying that knowledge. The areas of study for the M.A./Ph.D. are theatre historiography, design and technical production, and performance practices. Any of these may serve as a concentration of study, although the Ph.D. ordinarily focuses on the first. Candidates must complete coursework in both academic and performance areas.
The core curriculum, designed to help students finish the program within five years, consists of two parts: part I—coursework (three years); and part II—research and dissertation writing. The three years of coursework are tailored so that the first two years are structured, and the third year is more open, allowing students to pursue their individual areas of interest in depth. Students are required to successfully complete six required courses over the three-year sequence: three courses must be in specific areas of theatre historiography, to be chosen from six seminars (TH 8111-6 sequence); historiography (TH 8102); a course in performance conventions; and an independent seminar in which students refine and materialize their work. This seminar, which can take the form of an independent study, directed reading/production, or a regular course format designed by the student and the adviser, usually takes place at the beginning of the third year. Students must also take coursework in a supporting program or a minor (12 credits); and 24 thesis credits, for a minimum total of 54 credits beyond the B.A. Topics courses and seminars supplement the core curriculum. Students must demonstrate a research technique appropriate to the thesis. This could take the form of a foreign language or a discipline research methodology which might increase the total number of credits required for the degree.
Language Requirements—Ph.D. students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in at least one foreign language as certified by the adviser or program faculty in the language.
Minor Requirements for Students Majoring in Other Fields—A doctoral minor requires a minimum of 12 credits as approved by the director of graduate studies. |
Faculty | | For latest graduate faculty listings, see <www.grad.umn.edu/faculty_rosters/faculty.html>. Key to membership categories (abbreviations after faculty names).
Professor
C. Lance Brockman, M2
Michal Kobialka, SM
Associate Professor
Louis R. Bellamy, M2
Ananya Chatterjea, M2
Carl L. Flink, M2
Martin B. Gwinup, M2
Sonja Arsham Kuftinec, M2
Mathew J. LeFebvre, M2
Margaret L. Maddux, M2
Jean A. Montgomery, M2
Elizabeth H. Nash, M2
Joan A. Smith, M2
Assistant Professor
Michael Sommers, AM
Margaret L. Werry, M2
Education Specialist
Susan M. Binder, M
Brent "Mickey" Henry, M
Sherry L. Wagner-Henry, M | | | | | |
