MA and PhD academic requirements for our graduate program can be found at Faculty of Graduate Studies—Program Requirements.
MA in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
Normally completed in three terms, the Master of Arts MA in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies requires completion of one of the following pathways:
| Pathways to Degree | Overview of Requirements |
|---|---|
| Coursework | 24 credits of coursework* |
| Major Research Paper (MRP) | 18 credits of coursework* + MRP** |
| Research-Creation Major Research Paper | 18 credits of coursework* + creation-based performance work + MRP*** |
| Thesis | 12 credits of coursework* + Thesis**** |
*All students are required to successfully complete the following as part of the coursework requirements:
- Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Colloquium (THST 5052, 0.0)
- Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Professional Placement (THST 5051, 3.0)
- An approved Research Methodology course of at least 3.0 credits
- An approved Canadian Course with "theatre", "dance", or "performance" in its title of at least 3.0 credits
- An approved Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies course of at least 3.0 credits.
- Six (6) to 12 additional credits chosen from graduate-level Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies courses or approved graduate-level cognate courses.
Courses that can be used to fulfil the research methodology, Canadian theatre, and sub-fields requirements can be found in the 'Courses' section of the website.
The remaining coursework requirements can be met through the successful completion of graduate-level Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (THST) courses or approved cognate courses.
** The Major Research Paper (MRP) option requires 18 credits of coursework plus a research paper of approximately 40-50 pages that involves original research and writing on an approved topic.
*** The Research-Creation Project option requires 18 credits of coursework plus a Research-Creation Project, which includes a creation-based performance work accompanied by a support paper of approximately 25 pages. The performance work could include a public or recorded performance (theatre, performance art, installation, etc.); the development of a significant piece of performance-based writing, design, or composition; or a public or recorded demonstration of a performance-based method. The support paper must offer a critical analysis of the research-creation project and be situated within relevant scholarship.
**** The Thesis option requires 12 credits of coursework plus a piece of original research and a thesis of approximately 100-120 pages on an approved topic that, in its research and analysis, demonstrates independence, originality, and a thorough understanding of the area of investigation.
Students are required to attend a weekly non-credit colloquium (THST 5052) during the first two (i.e., Fall [FA] and Winter [WI]) terms of study. Students meet with the Graduate Program Director to discuss research approaches, pedagogical strategies, and various aspects of professional development. In the winter semester, guest visitors will offer mini-lectures on key issues in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. In addition to equipping students with the skills they need to succeed in grad school, the Colloquium serves as an important venue for creating a sense of intellectual community among new students in the graduate program.
Students are evaluated on a pass/fail basis.
As part of our commitment toward ensuring that all of our students have some applied, professionally–oriented work experience, students are required to set up a working placement of at least 75 hours through the completion of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Professional Placement (THST 5051, 3.0). Ideally, this work should be connected to one of the student's fields of specialization and/or research interests. The placement must be under the guidance of an approved mentor, on or off–campus. Should students be unable to set up a professional placement on their own, an advisor will work with students to find a suitable program.
The course grade (pass/fail) is determined by the faculty supervisor in consultation with the on-site supervisor. The average number of working hours for a three-credit placement is 75-100 hours.
Many of these placements lead to continuing work for our students. They also help to connect York with local, national, and international theatre communities. Here is a brief sampling of some of the companies and organizations with which students have conducted professional placements:
- 2boys.tv
- AfriCan Theatre Ensemble
- Alt.theatre magazine
- Aluna Theatre
- Augmented Reality Lab
- Berlinklusion (Berlin)
- Big Brother Canada
- Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
- Cahoots Theatre Company
- Canada Council
- Canadian Theatre Review
- Canadian Stage
- Clod Ensemble (UK)
- Common Boots Theatre
- Cornerstone Goat Howl Theatre
- Downward Dog Yoga Centre
- El Centro Juan Pablo II (Nicaragua)
- Erin Gee
- Factory Theatre
- FADO Performance Art Centre
- Fixt Point
- Fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company
- Harbourfront Centre World Stage
- Hudson Bay Company
- La Pocha Nostra (US)
- Libido Productions
- MT Space
- Mixed Company Theatre
- Modern Drama
- Modern Times Theatre Company
- Native Earth Performing Arts
- Nightwood Theatre
- OBORO
- Obsidian Theatre Company
- Performance Studies International
- Roseneath Theatre
- Sandglass Theatre (US)
- Scleroderma Society of Canada
- Tarragon Theatre
- The Shaw Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON)
- The Artists Newstand
- Theatre in the Ruff
- Theatre Research in Canada
- Toronto Performance Art Collective
- Toronto Review of Books
- Universidad de Las Artes
- Vtape
- Young People's Theatre
- + Working with individual researchers and artists
PhD in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies
This page aims to provide a brief overview of the degree requirements for the PhD in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies. Detailed, specific requirements can be found in the student handbook.
Normally completed in a maximum of five years, the PhD in Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies requires successful completion of the following:
18 credits (six half–year courses or equivalent) at the 5000 or 6000 level within your first two years of study. All students are required to take the following as part of their coursework requirement:
- Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Colloquium (THST 5052, 0.0)
- Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Professional Placement of at least 75 hours if entering the program without extensive professional work (THST 5051, 3.0)
- An approved Research Methodology course of at least 3.0 credits from a list of possible options provided by the program (these change each year)
- An approved Canadian course with "theatre", "dance", and "performance studies" in its title of at least 3.0 credits;
- An approved Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies course of at least 3.0 credits.
- Six (6) to nine (9) additional credits chosen from graduate-level Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies courses or approved graduate-level cognate courses.
(Courses that can be used to fulfil these requirements can be found in the 'Courses' section of the website.)
The remaining coursework requirements can be met through the successful completion of graduate-level Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies (THST) courses or approved cognate courses.
Students are required to attend a weekly non-credit colloquium (THST 5052) during the first two (i.e., Fall [FA] and Winter [WI]) terms of study. Students meet with the Graduate Program Director to discuss research approaches, pedagogical strategies, and various aspects of professional development. In the winter semester, guest visitors will offer mini-lectures on key issues in Theatre & Performance Studies. In addition to equipping students with the skills they need to succeed in grad school, the Colloquium serves as an important venue for creating a sense of intellectual community among new students in the graduate program.
Students are evaluated on a pass/fail basis.
As part of our commitment toward ensuring that all of our students have some applied, professionally–oriented work experience, students in the PhD program are given the option of setting up a working placement of at least 75 hours through the completion of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies Professional Placement course (THST 5051, 3.0). This work should be connected to one of the student's fields of specialization and/or research interests. The placement must be under the guidance of an approved mentor, on or off–or off-campus. Should students be unable to set up a professional placement on their own, an advisor will work with students to find a suitable program.
Many of these placements lead to continuing work for our students. They also help to connect York with local, national, and international theatre and performance communities. Here is a brief sampling of some of the companies and organizations with which students have conducted professional placements:
- 2boys.tv
- AfriCan Theatre Ensemble
- Alt.theatre magazine
- Augmented Reality Lab
- Big Brother Canada
- Cahoots Theatre Company
- Canada Council
- Canadian Theatre Review
- Canadian Stage
- Clod Ensemble (UK)
- Downward Dog Yoga Centre
- Factory Theatre
- FADO Performance Art Centre
- Fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company
- Harbourfront Centre World Stage
- Hudson Bay Company
- La Pocha Nostra (US)
- Libido Productions
- MT Space
- Mixed Company Theatre
- Modern Drama
- Modern Times Theatre Company
- Native Earth Performing Arts
- Obsidian Theatre Company
- Performance Studies International
- Sandglass Theatre (US)
- The Shaw Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON)
- The Artists Newstand
- Theatre in the Ruff
- Theatre Research in Canada
- Toronto Review of Books
- Vtape
- Young People's Theatre
- + Working with individual researchers and artists
Note: Students who don’t have applied professionally oriented work experience in theatre and/or performance will be required to complete a placement of at least 75 hours (THST 5051, 3.0). Students who haven’t been assigned the professional placement requirement may opt to take THST 5051 as part of their coursework requirement.
Before embarking on the writing of a dissertation, students must successfully complete a comprehensive exam. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the written and oral portions of the exam by the end of term six (6), which is the summer term of their second year of studies, particularly if they will be conducting fieldwork. The exam must be completed by the end of term eight (8) for a student to remain in good standing.
The comprehensive examination is intended to ensure students’ familiarity with and ability to identify core ideas in the texts and identify key debates in the fields of theatre, dance, and performance studies. It also aims to test knowledge of a student’s chosen research and teaching areas to verify sufficient grounding in scholarship relevant to those areas, particularly the dissertation topic.
The written portion of the comprehensive exam will consist of a take-home examination. Students have two weeks to write three, 12-15 page responses to three essay questions. Questions for all lists will be developed with input from students, who will propose 3 possible questions for each list, for a total of 9 questions. The committee will choose one question per list, and students will learn which questions have been chosen on the day the exam begins.
If the written exam is deemed “examinable”, the committee will meet with the student for an oral exam of approximately 90 minutes in length. The oral exam will be scheduled for approximately one week following the committee’s review of the written exam. During the oral exam, students will be expected to answer follow-up questions arising from the written exam as well as other questions that the committee deems appropriate. The purpose of the exam is to 1) Establish competence in the field; 2) Navigate a way forward for writing the proposal and carrying out the research.
No more than three months after the successful completion of the comprehensive exam, students are required to submit their thesis/dissertation proposal of 3,500 words (max.) and research ethics to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. To ensure timely submission of the proposal, students should plan to submit a draft to their supervisor and supervisory committee no later than six weeks after the comps.
The dissertation must embody the results of original research with significant value for the study of theatre and performance and must be successfully defended at an oral exam, normally by the end of year 5 (i.e., term 15).
If the dissertation topic requires work in another language as deemed by the advisor, students must prove reading proficiency in that language by the end of year three of their studies.
MA/MBA
The Schulich School of Business and the Graduate Program in Dance offer a three-year combined program leading to both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Arts degree.
The combined MBA/MA degree program offers students a unique opportunity to study. Graduates of this highly challenging program will follow career paths in which knowledge of the arts and management and business are required. The MBA/MA Programs complement each other in focus and offer excellent preparation for those interested in management careers in the arts and cultural sector.
For more information please visit Schulich School of Business—MA/MBA.
Learn More
The Graduate Program in Theatre, Dance & Performance Studies at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.