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Doctorate (PhD) Program Overview
A. PURPOSE: The doctorate in theatre at
MU aims to provide knowledge and research skills necessary to launch
the successful student on a career of scholarly investigation of
theatre history, dramatic theory and criticism, performance studies,
playwriting and other modes of writing for performance (such as
adaptation and translation), dramaturgy, performance and theatre
pedagogy.
B. ADMISSION: The student must be accepted
for advisement by the department. Acceptance requires an MA or MFA
and a 3.0 GPA on the last 60 hours of the baccalaureate program.
The student must also submit transcripts of all undergraduate and
graduate work, the scores of the general examination of the Graduate
Record Examination, three letters of recommendation, a statement
of purpose, a scholarly writing sample, professional resume or portfolio
and creative (dramatic) writing samples if appropriate.
C. QUALIFYING EXAMINATION: During the first
semester of residence, the student completes a qualifying examination.
The Graduate Affairs Committee of the Department of Theatre evaluates
the examination and meets with the student to discuss the studentŐs
production experience, academic background, career goals and research
interests. Students with an MA from MU who performed with distinction
on the MasterŐs Final Examination are exempt. The adviser submits
the D-1 form, Qualifying Process/Confirmation of Adviser, reporting
on the departmental qualifying process.
D. ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Form D-2: Doctoral
Program Committee, asks the graduate dean to approve a committee
of five graduate faculty members to help the student plan and carry
out a program. One member of the Doctoral Program Committee must
come from outside the Department of Theatre.
E. PROGRAM PLANNING: As early as is practical,
usually in the studentŐs second semester on campus, the student
should meet with the Doctoral Program Committee to plan a doctoral
program. The student should prepare a trial plan in consultation
with the faculty adviser who serves as chair of the Doctoral Program
Committee and reports the approved plan of study to the graduate
dean on Form D-2: Doctoral Program of Study.
F. THEATRE DEPARTMENT COURSEWORK: Although
the Graduate School requires no specific number of hours of classwork,
the Department of Theatre typically requires students entering the
program with a master's degree to complete about 40 semester hours
of graduate level course work in the theatre department, including
three semester hours of Dissertation Research, devoted to writing
a dissertation prospectus.
PHD PROGRAM OF STUDY: REQUIRED CURRICULUM
3 hrs - Research methods
6 hrs - History/historiography
3 hrs - Theory/criticism
6 hrs - Performance studies/writing for performance.
6 hrs - Playwriting/dramatic literature
3 hrs - Advanced directing
3 hrs - Dissertation Research (Th 9090)
6-10 hrs - elective
A maximum of 6 hrs directed readings/problems is recommended
G. DOCTORAL MINOR:The department also requires
the student to complete a doctoral minor, a nine-semester-hour unified
area of study outside the Department of Theatre.
H. RESEARCH TOOL OPTIONS:
- Option One: Choose two blocks of courses. Complete with grades of B or better two blocks of course work of six hours each in graduate level courses taken outside of the department that must represent to the candidate's advisory committee a coherent unit of study. One or both blocks should provide a research tool for the candidate's dissertation.
- Option Two: Present evidence of translation ability in each of two foreign languages in one of the following ways: (a) by receiving an acceptable score on a GFSLT Humanities examination if the language is French, German or Spanish (Acceptable scores at this time are: French 570, German 560 and Spanish 540); (b) by receiving certification of competence from a qualified examiner if other languages are presented; (c) by showing on one's transcript a grade of B or better on a literature course at MU. (This course must require reading of works in the foreign language. The course may be taken during the doctoral program or within the five years prior to beginning the program.)
- Option Three: Demonstrate a high degree of fluency in one foreign language by individual examination conducted by the appropriate language department at MU.
- Option Four: Choose one language and one block of courses. (a) Demonstrate translation ability for one language as in Option One. (b) Complete with grades of B or better six semester hours in graduate courses taken outside of the department that represent a coherent unit of study, providing a research tool applicable to the candidate's dissertation research.
I. PARTICIPATION IN PRODUCTIONS: The doctoral
student is encouraged to participate in University Theatre and studio
theatre productions and may, in some cases, be required to do so.
Academic credit is available.
J. DISSERTATION PROPOSAL/PROSPECTUS:
- Before comprehensive exams may be scheduled, students will be required to complete a 5 page Dissertation Proposal, concisely but clearly expressing the purpose, justification, method and general organizational plan for the dissertation. A bibliography is also required. The theatre department faculty members on student's doctoral committee must approve this proposal. After successful completion of comprehensive exams, the student will expand the dissertation proposal into a Dissertation Prospectus - a more detailed and thorough description of the dissertation project. The prospectus should provide a clear statement of the purpose of the dissertation, describe the need for the knowledge the dissertation report will supply, outline the research questions and demonstrate the procedures by which the scholar will answer these questions. The candidate will present the prospectus to the Doctoral Program Committee and will be prepared to defend it. After successful defense of the full prospectus the doctoral student is considered “ABD” – “all but dissertation.”
K. COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION: After completing
the research tool option, a substantial amount of the course work
and after obtaining the approval of the 5 pp. proposal from the
Doctoral Program Committee, the student takes the comprehensive
examination.The comprehensive examination provides an opportunity
for the student to demonstrate a thorough grasp of the history and
principles of theatre. The examination provides the Doctoral Program
Committee with a window looking back upon the student's training
as well as a chance to estimate the studentŐs potential as a problem-solving
scholar of theatre. Readers of the examination look for more than
a reiteration of the content of standard sources of information
about dramatic art. The examinee should demonstrate an ability to
analyze problems and data, to formulate theses or points of view,
and to locate, evaluate and organize evidence to support a contentionŃthe
essential skills of scholarship. The comprehensive examination in
theatre allows candidates not only to tell what they know but also
to demonstrate what they can do with information. The examination
is given in two stages. Stage One consists of a written examination,
over the history of theatre, dramatic theory, criticism, writing
for performance, performance studies, and theatre pedagogy, and
an examination, usually written, consisting of one or two questions
posed by the outside member of the Doctoral Program Committee.The
examination is evaluated by the student's Doctoral Program Committee,
which decides whether or not the student should be advanced to the
oral examination. Stage Two is the oral examination administered
by the Doctoral Program Committee. This examination provides an
opportunity for the student to correct, amend, or defend assertions
made in the written examination, although the oral examination is
not bound by any limits established by the written examination.
Ordinarily of two hours duration, the oral is also an opportunity
for the student to demonstrate skill in oral explanation and argument.
D-3: The result of the comprehensive examination shall be marked
pass if all or all but one of the Doctoral Program Committee members
recommend a pass on the entire examination, both written and oral
sections. Should the examination be marked fail, the committee may
recommend that the candidate retake the examination after a minimum
period of 12 weeks. A report of the committee's decision, carrying
the signatures of all members of the committee, is sent to the Graduate
School and to the student no later than two weeks after the comprehensive
examination is terminated. If a failure is reported, the committee
also must include in the report an outline of the general weaknesses
or deficiencies of the student's work. The student and the committee
members are encouraged to work together to identify steps the student
might take to become fully prepared for the next examination. If
at any time the student believes that the advice given by the committee
is inadequate, the student may send a written request for clarification
to the committee. A copy of this request should be sent to the Graduate
School. The committee must respond to this request in writing within
two weeks with a copy to the Graduate School. Failure to pass two
comprehensive examinations automatically prevents candidacy for
the doctorate in theatre at MU.
L. COMPLETING THE DISSERTATION: The final
step is completion and approval of the doctoral dissertation. The
director of graduate studies can provide the student a copy of Guidelines
for Preparing Theses and Dissertations. Dissertations in the Department
of Theatre should be formatted according to the latest edition of
A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations,
ed. Kate L. Turabian. Form D-4, Report of the Doctoral Dissertation
Defense, indicates that the student has defended the dissertation
at an oral examination. No draft of the dissertation can be considered
a final draft until the adviser (First Reader)
has approved it. The final committee meeting cannot be scheduled
until all committee members have approved the dissertation;
therefore, a candidate should not expect to graduate in any given
semester unless all committee members can have at least 10 days to
read the dissertation before the last date for oral examination
as published by the Graduate School. Unanimous approval of the dissertation
by five committee members constitutes satisfactory completion of
this examination.
Next Section: Satisfactory
Progress Toward a Graduate Degree
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Published by: Department of Theatre, University
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Maintained by: Ken Logsdon, Coordinator of Advertising & Promotions.
Questions? Comments? Send e-mail to logsdonk@missouri.edu.
Last Update: July 5, 2007
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