Graduate Degrees in Theater Arts

The Master of Arts and the Master of Science in Theater Arts consist of forty-five graduate credit hours planned after admission in consultation with the departmental graduate advisor, Dr. Richard Wattenberg. Twelve of the forty-five graduate credits may be taken in courses outside the department, if specifically related to a student's course of study and approved in advance by the departmental graduate adviser.

The Master of Arts degree is recommended for students who want to focus their graduate study on research and scholarship in the history, literature, and criticism of the theater and who may also plan to continue their graduate work in a doctoral program in theater. The Master of Arts student must demonstrate competence in the use of a second foreign language and will typically complete the degree program with a thesis, playwriting, or two-paper project.

The Master of Science degree is suggested for students who wish to focus more intensively on performance and production areas in preparation for a career in the professional theater and/or further degree work in a Master of Fine Arts theater program. The Master of Science student must demonstrate expertise in the skills pertaining to either advanced theater performance or design and will typically complete the degree program with a project in performance, design, production, or playwriting, or a two-paper project.

The MA/MS in Interdisciplinary Studies is under review and not currently admimtting students. The Interdisciplinary Studies program is a 45-graduate credit program designed to provide highly motivated students the opportunity to develop, with an advising committee, an approved individualized, interdisciplinary program for graduate study, in which courses in the humanities, sciences, social sciences, and the professional schools are combined to create a cohesive program not otherwise available on campus. Such a program will involve a minimum of two and a maximum of three academic disciplines.

Master of Arts/Master of Science in Theater Arts

 MA/MS Interdisciplinary Studies

(Above: Hedda Gabler directed by Glenn Gauer)

 Graduate Program Mission Statement 

The Department of Theater Arts is committed to providing training for students seeking professional careers, pursuing interdisciplinary studies in the arts, training to be secondary educators, and preparing to enter terminal degree programs. The Master of Arts degree prepares students who want to focus their graduate study on research and scholarship in the history, literature, and criticism of the theater and who may also plan to continue graduate work in a doctoral program in theater. The Master of Science degree prepares students who wish to focus more intensively on performance and production areas in preparation for a career in the profession and/or further work towards a Master of Fine Arts degree.