Ph.D. Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. in Theatre and Film is an academic degree, but students must demonstrate competence in at least one production area. To be admitted, a student will ordinarily be expected to have a Graduate Record Examination score of at least 600 (verbal), 500 (quantitative), and 4.5 (analytical writing). Students who took the GRE before the implementation of the analytical writing section (i.e. before October 2002) will be expected to have an analytical score of 600 or above. Applicants must also have a grade-point average of at least 3.2 for undergraduate and at least 3.5 for graduate work; and a master’s degree acceptable to the graduate faculty. Deficiencies in a student’s background may require make-up work.

Ph.D. Degree in Film/Media

(60 hours not including language proficiency). Please meet with your adviser or graduate director each semester to assess your progress.

Core Requirements (24 hours). Doctoral students must take a core of courses aimed at strengthening methodological, historical, and theoretical grounding. One course must be taken in non-Western/indigenous film; two graduate-level production courses are required, and two courses in TH&F 902 Film Seminar are mandatory.

Elective Requirements (9 hours). Elective courses focus on the academic study of history, international cinema, popular culture, and film criticism. Courses are selected with a graduate adviser to reflect the student’s special interest. The adviser may increase the number of hours depending on the student’s academic needs.

Production Requirements (6 hours). Production courses give students an understanding of the production process in making film, video, or animation pieces. Upon graduation, doctoral students will be able to perform as competent artisans as well as research scholars. Production courses are selected with a graduate adviser to reflect the student’s specific interest. The adviser may increase the number of hours depending on the student’s academic needs.

Secondary Field Requirements (9 hours). Students choose 9 hours at the graduate level from outside the department to assist them in writing the dissertation. Courses are related to the student’s proposed specialization. Examples include English, history, women’s studies, American studies, education, social welfare, etc.

Foreign Language or Other Research Skills Requirement. The student must demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language or competence for use as research skills in two foreign languages. For one of the languages under the second option, the student may substitute a research skill pertinent to the specialty (e.g., computer language, research methods, American Sign Language). Courses may be taken within or outside the department.

Comprehensive Examination. Two publishable papers are due at the time of the examination. The examination includes on-site written responses to questions in history, theory, production, literature/criticism, and the student’s specialization, followed by an oral examination.

Dissertation (18 hours). The finished dissertation must constitute a palpable contribution to knowledge in the candidate’s chosen field. Following its completion, an oral defense must be held no less than four weeks before the deadline for graduation. The committee consists of one chair, three departmental members, and an outside member.

Ph.D. in Film/Media Program of Study.

Core (24 hours)
TH&F 800 Introduction to Graduate Study in Theatre and Film .... 3
TH&F 801 Professional Development Seminar
(1 hour/three semesters) ................................................. 3
TH&F 862 Survey of Film and Media History ..................... 3
TH&F 863 Survey of Documentary and Experimental Film and Media ..................................................................... 3
TH&F 864 Classical Film and Media Theory ..................... 3
TH&F 865 Contemporary Film and Media Theory .............. 3
TH&F 902 Film Seminar in: (Special Topics) _____ ........... 3
One graduate-level non-Western/indigenous film course .... 3

Electives (9 hours chosen in consultation with the adviser)..9
TH&F 686 American Film Criticism (3)
TH&F 702 Graduate Seminar in: Film Studies (3)
TH&F 880 Development of American Popular Culture of the ___ (3)
TH&F 884 Development of African-American Images in Film (3)
TH&F 885 Latin American Film (3)
TH&F 886 Asian Film (3)
TH&F 902 Film Seminar in: (Special Topics) _____ (3)
TH&F 998 Investigation and Conference (3)
Other electives to be added from semester offerings at the graduate level.

Theatre studies courses of historical and methodological relevance to film students:
TH&F 529 Race and the American Theatre (3)
TH&F 917 Dramatic Theory I (3)
TH&F 918 Dramatic Theory II (3)
TH&F 702 Graduate Seminar in: (Visual Theatre, Theatre Historiography, Semiotics of Performance, etc.)

Production (6 hours) ..................................................... 6
TH&F 576 Animation (3)
TH&F 702 Graduate Seminar in: (Production) (3)
TH&F 773 Problems in Basic Screenwriting (3)
TH&F 775 Problems in Basic Video Production (3)
TH&F 776 Problems in Basic Film Production (3)
TH&F 873 Problems in Intermediate Screenwriting (3)
TH&F 875 Problems in Intermediate Video Production (3)
TH&F 876 Problems in Intermediate Film Production (3)
TH&F 895 Intensive Film Project Seminar (3)
TH&F 897 Practicum in Film (3)