College of Visual and Performing Arts
Graduate Program

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Admission to graduate programs in the College of Visual and Performing Arts is a two-step process with requirements established by both the Graduate School and the school or department in which the student plans to study. The student should note carefully any particular requirements for admission established by the school or department in which he or she plans to major and contact the graduate advisor of the unit for more detailed information.

 

Ph.D. in Fine Arts

A multidisciplinary doctoral program leading to the Ph.D. in Fine Arts is offered by the faculties in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The general aim of this program is to develop leadership in the fine arts. Accordingly, the curriculum involves a multidisciplinary approach to make candidates aware of the full scope and educational interrelatedness of the arts.

The program requires a minimum of 48 semester hours of graduate coursework beyond the master’s degree—33 in the field of specialization and 15 in a multidisciplinary core of art, music, philosophy, and theatre arts. In addition, the program requires at least 12 hours enrollment in dissertation. The residence requirement for the fine arts doctoral program is fulfilled by satisfactory completion of 18 semester hours of graduate coursework during one 12-month period.

Work in the field of specialization ordinarily involves required coursework along with an individualized curriculum that allows the candidate to pursue a professional goal relating to personal interests and competencies.

Each candidate will write a formal dissertation, ordinarily in the field of specialization; however, students with appropriate backgrounds may be permitted to complete interdisciplinary dissertations. The nature of the dissertation project may vary among three plans: traditional or interdisciplinary research, research devoted to solving a professional problem, or research based on an internship experience. Regardless of the project chosen, however, the research will culminate in a formal document submitted to the dean of the Graduate School.

In addition to meeting the Graduate School’s minimal requirements for admission, applicants must also be approved by their major departments and by the Visual and Performing Arts Graduate Committee. All applicants for the program must have completed a master’s degree or its equivalent with emphasis in some area of the arts.

 

Core Courses

• ART 5310 – Historical and Critical Perspectives in the Visual Arts (3)
• ART 5314 – Visual Arts in Contemporary Context (3).
• MUSI 5310 – Historical, Critical Perspectives in Music (3)
• MUSI 5314 – Music in Contemporary Context (3)
• PHIL 5310 – History of Aesthetics (3)
• PHIL 5314 – Contemporary Aesthetics (3)
• THA 5310 – Historical and Critical Perspectives in Theatre Arts (3)
• THA 5314 – Theatre Arts in Contemporary Context (3)

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions for the college's various specializations can be found within the catalog information for each department. Those courses with a VPA prefix that are common to many disciplines within the college can be accessed by clicking on the link below.

• Visual and Performing Arts (VPA)

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