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Theatre and Performance Studies

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Office of Graduate Admissions
Bendetson Hall
Medford, MA 02155
(617) 627-3395
gradadmissions@tufts.edu

Please note that the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies will not be accepting applications to the Theatre and Performance Studies PhD program for the Fall 2021 term. The department has decided to concentrate its resources on current graduate students whose progress in the program has been impacted by the pandemic. Supporting our students as scholars, educators, artists, and colleagues is our top priority.

We look forward to resuming admissions in 2021 for the Fall 2022 entrance term. In the meantime, please feel free to contact Interim Director of Graduate Studies Kareem Khubchandani with any questions about the program.

M.A./Ph.D., Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance Studies

Our graduate program trains scholar-artists to develop projects in theatre history, performance studies, critical theory, and textual analysis in various theatrical traditions, performance cultures, and global contexts. Enrollment is small in order to provide individual attention to the scholarly, pedagogical, and artistic projects that shape the student experience at Tufts. Additionally, the department offers a robust suite of professional development opportunities and graduates are prepared for a wide variety of careers. 
 
Gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, and class function as primary subjects of scholarly and performative inquiry for many projects undertaken by faculty and students alike. We believe that people of color, individuals living with disability, transgender populations and first-generation students produce new ways of looking and knowing and we welcome students from underrepresented communities.
 
 

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Ph.D in Theatre and Performance Studies Learning Objectives
  • Acquire and share a thorough body of knowledge of theatre, dance, and performance studies, inclusive of relevant contextual material.
  • Conceptualize, organize, and implement research to generate new knowledge and its applications.
  • Successfully adjust a research plan or a methodology in light of unforeseen problems or epiphanies.
  • Make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, sometimes requiring new methods.
  • Generate original research or other advanced scholarship of a quality to satisfy peer review and to merit publication.
  • Produce cultural critics who are equipped to appraise, question, and challenge received opinion and cultural assumptions.
  • Undertake pure and applied research at an advanced level; contribute to the development of academic or professional skills, techniques, tools, practices, ideas, theories,
  • Design, teach, and assess courses that are mindful of diverse pedagogies and learning approaches, as well as student identities and experiences.
  • Make salient oral presentations to groups of various sizes and backgrounds.
  • Obtain experience in performance practices and techniques.
  • Develop professional development skills and resources that are recognized and valued in job markets beyond the classroom.

Faculty

Heather S. Nathans
Professor and Chair
Ph.D. , Tufts University
Theatre History, Dramatic Literature and Criticism, Directing
Kareem Khubchandani
Kareem Khubchandani
Mellon Bridge Assistant Professor and Interim Director of Graduate Studies
Ph.D. , Northwestern University
Dance studies, queer nightlife, South Asian diaspora, global queer politics, performance ethnography, critical race studies, and drag
Barbara Wallace Grossman
Professor
Ph.D. , Tufts University
Theatre History, Dramatic Literature and Criticism, Directing, Voice and Speech
Lilian Mengesha, Fletcher Foundation Assistant Professor
Lilian Mengesha
Fletcher Foundation Assistant Professor
Ph.D. , Brown University
Race and Performance Studies
Noe Montez
Noe Montez
Associate Professor
Ph.D. , Indiana University
Theatre History, Dramatic Literature and Criticism, Directing

Application Deadline


Fall: December 15

Application Requirements:
 

> Application Fee
> Resume/CV
> Personal Statement

- Try to address such questions as, “Why this particular program?” , “What sort of questions has your research turned up so far?” , “What sparks your interest in fields other than Drama and Theatre?” . The statement should be no more than 1000 words 

> GRE no longer required 
> Official TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test, if applicable 
> Transcripts 
> Three Letters of Recommendation 
> Writing Sample 

- A writing sample which reflects a scholarly discussion of a topic in or related to theater (e.g., part of a Master's thesis, a term paper, a research article)

For questions about this program, including scholarships and assistantships, please contact Kareem Khubchandani, Mellon Bridge Assistant Professor and Interim Director of Graduate Studies. 

Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Aidekman Arts Center
40 Talbot Avenue
Medford, MA 02155
Phone: 617.627.3524
Fax: 617.627.3803
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