Theatre, Ph.D.

(PTHTR)

(Specializations in Theatre History, Dramatic Literature, Theory, and Criticism)

The departmental-level academic course plan for each student will be developed in consultation with and approved by the student’s graduate advisory committee. The committee will include the student’s major advisor and at least two additional members of the graduate faculty such that the LSU Graduate School’s requirements for graduate committees are satisfied.

The curricular requirements include:

• Minimum of 81 credit hours past the BA (excluding a minimum of nine dissertation hours); MA or MFA can count for up to 30 hours.
• Nine to 12 credit hours in minor.
• Three credit hours outside of major and minor (7000) level.
• Three credit hours in non-Western theatre, art, or culture.
• Three credit hours in THTR 7900 Introduction to Graduate Study in Theatre (3) .
• Six credit hours in theory sequence (THTR 7924  and THTR 7925 ).
• 15 hours in literature and history (THTR 7901 , THTR 7902 , THTR 7903 , THTR 7904 , THTR 7912 , THTR 7913 , THTR 7914 )
• Three credit hours in THTR 7920 Seminar in Drama of the African Diaspora (3) .
• Three credit hours in a Women’s and Gender Studies course.
• Three credit hours in a pedagogy-focused course.
• Three credit hours of electives.
• Nine credit hours for dissertation (THTR 9000 ).
• Satisfy reading capability of foreign language.
• Successfully defend prospectus.

Annual Review

Every spring semester, students in the PhD program will submit yearly reports of their curricular, production, and scholarly work over the past year. PhD faculty will hold meetings reviewing student progress at the conclusion of each spring semester. Students will receive feedback regarding the evaluation of their progression through the program.

General exams:

Successful completion of general exams will involve three components:

1. Comprehensive written exams (two four-hour exams)
   1. First exam - primarily short answer (general breadth—content questions from the areas of Theater History/Practice, Dramatic Literature, and Theory/Criticism).
   2. Second exam - broader essays, three out of four (integrative—address important issues in Theater Studies through an integrated approach utilizing historical, critical, and literary analysis).
2. Professional competencies/portfolio
   1. Statement of teaching philosophy
   2. Book and/or performance review
   3. Bibliography for specialty area
   4. Essay revised for journal submission
   5. Updated professional C.V.
3. Prospectus writing and defense
   1. Specialty question (a written research project intended to prepare the student for the prospectus)
   2. Prospectus writing (completed under the supervision of the major advisor)
   3. Creation of dissertation committee
   4. Prospectus defense with dissertation committee

Final defense

A successful oral defense of dissertation before committee members and submission of the dissertation to the Graduate School is required.