department of interdisciplinary arts Graduate Programs

The Department of Interdisciplinary Arts houses the flagship PhD in Fine Arts program. Launched in 1973, this program continues to be at the forefront of innovation in curricular flexibility within a rigorous PhD framework.  Students can pursue a largely disciplinary doctoral degree in traditional disciplines such as Art History, Musicology, Music Theory, Music Education, and Theatre, while benefitting from the methodological breadth of the 15-hour Fine Arts core curriculum.  This curriculum also undergirds newer tracks in Arts Administration and Interdisciplinary Arts. In the Interdisciplinary Arts track, students can combine concentrations from the Schools of Art, Music, and Theatre/Dance, and also from other non-arts departments such as Anthropology, Psychology, Educational Curriculum & Instruction, and Computer Engineering.

The Fine Arts Core curriculum is also available to students from other TCVPA programs, and across the University, as a Certificate in Interdisciplinary Arts. Graduate Certificates in Arts Entrepreneurism and Arts Administration provide students with career-oriented coursework and practical experience, while the Graduate Certificate in Music Cognition provides a 15-hour curriculum that combines coursework in the School of Music and the Department of Psychology with research resources in the Performing Arts Research Lab (PeARL).