Explore MA & PhD in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies

The UCSB doctoral program in theater and dance provides highly individualized teaching and mentorship for strongly motivated scholars who wish to look beyond the limits of what the page and stage currently do. Students whose aspirations do not conform to conventional categories, who pursue interdisciplinary, paradigm-shifting research, while seeking to establish a solid foundation in the undergraduate teaching curriculum of theater, dance and performance studies, will find an excellent preparatory program at UCSB.

Requirements for Ph.D. in the Department of Theater and Dance:

• Foreign Language Requirement: All doctoral students must demonstrate reading knowledge competency in a second language. For those writing a dissertation on a non-English subject, demonstrated oral and written proficiency in the relevant language(s) is required.
• Teaching Requirements: All doctoral students are required to serve as Teaching Assistants/Associates for a minimum of 2 years or 6 quarters.
• Units Requirement: All doctoral students are required to complete 36 seminar units
• Doctoral Qualifying Examinations: All doctoral students must pass both the written and oral components of the doctoral qualifying examinations in order to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. Degree.
• Dissertation: All doctoral candidates must complete an original dissertation.

The MA/Ph.D. program is intended for students with only a BA who show outstanding potential for doctoral-level study. All MA/Ph.D. students complete the Master of Arts Degree in their first 2 years before advancing to doctoral studies, which is by invitation only. They will then take an additional year of courses before advancing to candidacy. A course of study designed with special rigor for exceptional students, the MA/Ph.D. program combines the requirements for both the M.A. and the Ph.D. programs. Consultation with the Graduate Advisor and/or the Graduate Program Assistant should take place frequently so that the student is on track to fulfill each and every requirement.

Requirements for MA./Ph.D. in the Department of Theater and Dance:

• Foreign Language Requirement: All M.A./Ph.D. students must demonstrate reading knowledge competency in a second language. For those writing a dissertation on a non-English subject, demonstrated oral and written proficiency in the relevant language(s) is required.
• Teaching Requirements: All M.A./Ph.D. students are required to serve as Teaching Assistants/Associates for a minimum of 2 years or 6 quarters.
• Units Requirement: All M.A./Ph.D. students are required to complete 56 seminar units (24 for the M.A. and 32 for the Ph.D.)
• M.A./PH.D. Exam: All M.A./Ph.D. student must pass a written diagnostic exam taken at the beginning of the winter quarter of the second year that is used to determine whether the student should continue work toward the doctoral degree, or terminate their studies with a Master's Degree.
• Doctoral Qualifying Examinations: All M.A./Ph.D. students must pass both the written and oral components of the doctoral qualifying examinations in order to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. Degree.
• Dissertation: All doctoral candidates must complete an original dissertation.

The Master of Arts in Theater, Dance and Performance Studies at UCSB is a two-year program which is designed to assist graduate students in discovering the particular field in which they wish to qualify professionally. Some students proceed from the M.A. program to MFA or PhD programs, while others use the M.A. to support their career in the arts or to supplement their teaching credentials in schools and community colleges. The M.A. program requires a balance of academic courses in literature, history, and theory as well as practical courses, all culminating in a thesis project. Applicants with a BA only (or equivalent) who feel sure that Ph.D. study is in their future and who have competitive qualifications are urged to apply for the M.A./Ph.D..

Requirements for M.A. in the Department of Theater and Dance:

• Units Requirement: A total of 48.0 units are required for the M.A. degree; at least 24 of these must be taken in graduate seminars and 16 units must be related to the practical study of theater
• M.A. Thesis: Some theses involve practical work (directing, design, playwriting, etc.), while others involve academic research. All theses involve a written component.
• M.A. Examination: All M.A. Degree candidates must pass a two-hour oral examination upon completion of their course work and thesis.

In designing their program of study at UCSB, Ph.D. students may opt to pursue a Doctoral Emphasis in either the Feminist Studies Department or Medieval Studies Program in order to reinforce their area of study within the discipline. Such emphases are “official,” meaning that your Ph.D. transcript  will reflect the fact that you have qualified in that Emphasis.

The Doctoral Emphasis in Feminist Studies

The Interdisciplinary Emphasis in Feminist Studies is open to graduate students who are interested in feminist pedagogy, feminist theory, and topics relevant to the study of women, gender, and/or sexuality. For more information, please visit the website: http://www.femst.ucsb.edu/graduate/doctoral-emphasis

The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Emphasis in European Medieval Studies

The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Emphasis in Medieval Studies is designed primarily for Ph.D. candidates specializing in European and Mediterranean cultures (roughly 500-1500 A.D.), although students focusing on other medieval cultures may also participate if they fulfill the requirements. For more information, please visit the website: https://medievalstudies.ucsb.edu/graduate-program/

The Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Emphasis in Global Studies

The Global Emphasis allows students to design a course of study focused on international and transnational issues, processes, and flows. For more information, please visit the website: http://www.global.ucsb.edu/phd/emphasis