Graduate Degree Programs
PhD in Theatre: Theatre for Youth
The PhD concentration in Theatre for Youth is designed to give you a broad knowledge of theatre, as well as special research, production and teaching skills in Theatre for Youth.
Each Theatre for Youth PhD student follows a course of study including required and elective classes to prepare for exams and to demonstrate general literacy in theatre history, criticism and literature as well as in-depth understandings and research perspectives in theatre and drama with and for young people. You may take courses in directing, acting, design, playwriting, theatre history and theatre theory and criticism. Tutorial courses with major professors are encouraged, as is graduate study in other departments offering courses in research methods, educational theory, critical theory and arts education.
Application and Admission
You must meet all admission requirements of the Graduate College. In addition, the School of Theatre and Film requires:
- Acceptable scores on the GRE and on the Test of English as a Foreign Language or equivalent (where applicable)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Current résumé
- Scholarly writing sample
- Statement of purpose
Application Deadline
The application and test score deadline is Jan. 15. After that date, admission is subject to space availability.
Program of Study
A total of 60 semester hours after completing the master's degree is required. The concentration in Theatre for Youth requires a core of 30 hours, distributed over the following courses:
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Additionally, 24 hours in research and dissertation preparation; and six hours of research methodology, approved by the supervisory committee; or successful examination in a foreign language approved by the committee.
In meeting these requirements, you may, with the advice of the supervisory committee, select theatre courses in areas such as theatre education, directing, acting, design, playwriting, theatre history and theatre theory/criticism, in addition to tutorial courses. You may also take courses outside the School of Theatre and Film in areas such as critical and cultural studies, area studies, languages and literatures, educational theory and methodology, aesthetic theory, the arts and arts education, and children's literature. You are encouraged to be involved in on- and off-campus productions, teaching and research. All activities are selected to help you meet the goals of the program and develop the capability of becoming a leader in the field.
Preliminary Reviews
Reviews of a student's performance in courses and development of research skills, artistic skills and teaching competencies are conducted by the supervisory committee at the end of each semester.
Comprehensive Examinations
These examinations are composed of written and oral components centering on theatre history, literature and criticism; Theatre for Youth and theatre education; and the research area. See PhD Theatre for Youth Handbook for details.
Dissertation Requirements
A dissertation based on original research work of high quality, demonstrating proficiency in the student's special field, is required. (See doctoral dissertations.)
Financial Assistance
University scholarships, fellowships, grants and other forms of financial assistance are available. See financing graduate studies, assistantships and associateships for more information. The School of Theatre and film grants graduate assistantships. Information concerning graduate assistantships is available through the graduate secretary in the school.
Research Activity
The School of Theatre and Film's doctoral concentration in Theatre for Youth provides unique opportunities for you to advance your knowledge in your respective fields. Recent PhD dissertations completed in Theatre for Youth include the following:
I am the Author of My Life: Asian American Girls Writing Creative Revolutionary Mystories about Culture, Conflict, and Identity by Phyllis Wong, 2008
Colonizing the Imaginary: Children's Embodiment of Cultural Narratives by Andrew Rees Chappell, 2008
Where the West Stays Young: Child Re-enactors in Contemporary Wild West Shows by Jamie Romine, 2007
Regarding the Representation of Race in Classical Performance Literature for Children, or, the Case of 'Little Black Sambo' by Jodi Van Der Horn-Gibson, 2005
The Phenomenology of Youth Circus Training at Fern Street Circus by Doyle W. Ott, 2005
Drama and Moral Education: The Plays of Maria Edgeworth (1767-1849) by Gregory C. Gurley, 2005
Breaking Down Barriers, Building Dreams: Using Theatre for Social Change to Explore the Concept of Identity with Latina Adolescents by Christina Marin, 2005
Shaking Up Identity: Using Theatre of the Oppressed Techniques to Examine Cultural Identity and the Importance of Shakespeare in a Secondary School by Caitlein Ryan-Whitehead, 2005
Intergenerational Theatre and the Child: Documentation of the Influences and Effects of Participation by Jennifer Kulik, 2004
Energy Matters: An Investigation of Drama Pedagogy in the Science Classroom by Megan Alrutz, 2004
A Cultural Interrogation of the Film, The Wiz by Sharron T. Greaves, 2003
Constructing Community: Youth Arts and Drama Federal Funding Policy and Social Services by Lori L, Hager, 2003
Borderlands Children's Theatre: The Roles and Representations of Mexican-American Children in Chicana/o Drama for Young Audiences by Cecilia Josephine Aragón, 2003
An Interpretive Study of the Play Production Process at an Urban Southwest High School by Barbara Jo Maier, 2003
Additional information about the Theatre for Youth Program
PhD Theatre for Youth Handbook
Theatre for Youth Newsletter