Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the official source of information regarding our graduate degree requirements is the University Graduate School Bulletin.
Official requirements for our P.h.D. degrees can be found by clicking on the Bulletin below:
2019-20: Theatre, Drama, and Contemporary Dance University Graduate School Academic Bulletin
Because virtually all positions in theatre and drama which the student will seek upon completing the Ph.D. demand some practical theatre skills, doctoral students at Indiana University are encouraged to become proficient in at least one area of theatre production.
At least 30 of the required 90 semester hours must be in graduate courses numbered 500 or above. The total course work must be distributed between major and minor programs as described below. The student must have a minimum of six semesters of graduate study, at least two of which must be spent in consecutive residence at Indiana University.
The language requirement may be met in one of the following ways:
The option chosen must be appropriate to the student’s program and must be approved by the program committee. Special courses are offered by the language departments to aid those students who are deficient in languages. A student may not take the qualifying examinations until she or he has completed the language requirements.
To ensure that the student has an adequate overview of the field, the department has compiled a reading list required of all Ph.D. students. Before being admitted to the qualifying examinations, the student must pass an oral examination over each of the four sections of the reading list. Obviously, the list is selective, and it is quite likely that a student will have read many of the books and plays while completing prior B.A. and M.A. programs.
All Ph.D. students are expected to maintain a GPA or 3.2 or higher. To fall below this threshold will result in probation for one semester and removal from the program if not corrected within one semester. All appropriate grades are B or higher. To make a course or seminar grade that falls below a B may result in probation.
Student progress toward the Ph.D. is reviewed each semester by the director of graduate studies and by the HTL faculty at least once a year. Each doctoral student is expected to successfully complete at least one comprehensive examination in each of the first three years, and all four exams before the beginning of the fourth year of work.
A student will be denied further participation in the doctoral program if he or she twice fails any of the comprehensive reading list examinations or the qualifying examinations.
The student must successfully complete qualifying examinations before formal admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. Examinations in the minor field are rarely required, although any department may give such an examination if it wishes to do so. Qualifying examinations are normally taken upon the completion of formal course work and before the beginning of work on the dissertation.
The qualifying examination is expected to be completed and the designation of ABD granted before the conclusion of the fourth year of work. Failure to make appropriate progress in this examination process is also grounds for probation.
The candidate must demonstrate mastery of a specific topic by completing a dissertation. A final oral examination concerning the dissertation and appropriate related materials is also required. The dissertation must be submitted and accepted within five years following formal admission to candidacy.
Although every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, official information regarding degree requirements can be found on the University Graduate School web page.
The College of Arts