About the Program

The PhD in Performance Studies provides an interdisciplinary and individually-crafted curriculum directed at advanced studies in the literatures, performances, cultural contexts, and theories of performance throughout the world. The PhD program is administered by an interdisciplinary graduate group composed of faculty from a wide range of related departments. Students in the PhD program in performance studies conduct research in a diverse array of interdisciplinary methodologies, on projects spanning the fields of theater, dance, and performance studies.

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Admissions

Admission to the University

Uniform minimum requirements for admission

The following minimum requirements apply to all programs and will be verified by the Graduate Division:

1. A bachelor’s degree or recognized equivalent from an accredited institution;
2. A minimum grade-point average of B or better (3.0);
3. If the applicant comes from a country or political entity (e.g. Quebec) where English is not the official language, adequate proficiency in English to do graduate work, as evidenced by a TOEFL score of at least 570 on the paper-and-pencil test, 230 on the computer-based test, 90 on the iBT test, or an IELTS Band score of at least 7 (note that individual programs may set higher levels for any of these); and
4. Enough undergraduate training to do graduate work in the given field.

Applicants who already hold a graduate degree

The Graduate Council views academic degrees as evidence of broad research training, not as vocational training certificates; therefore, applicants who already have academic graduate degrees should be able to take up new subject matter on a serious level without undertaking a graduate program, unless the fields are completely dissimilar.

Programs may consider students for an additional academic master’s or professional master’s degree if the additional degree is in a distinctly different field.

Applicants admitted to a doctoral program that requires a master’s degree to be earned at Berkeley as a prerequisite (even though the applicant already has a master’s degree from another institution in the same or a closely allied field of study) will be permitted to undertake the second master’s degree, despite the overlap in field.

The Graduate Division will admit students for a second doctoral degree only if they meet the following guidelines:

1. Applicants with doctoral degrees may be admitted for an additional doctoral degree only if that degree program is in a general area of knowledge distinctly different from the field in which they earned their original degree. For example, a physics PhD could be admitted to a doctoral degree program in music or history; however, a student with a doctoral degree in mathematics would not be permitted to add a PhD in statistics.
2. Applicants who hold the PhD degree may be admitted to a professional doctorate or professional master’s degree program if there is no duplication of training involved.

Applicants may only apply to one single degree program or one concurrent degree program per admission cycle.

Any applicant who was previously registered at Berkeley as a graduate student, no matter how briefly, must apply for readmission, not admission, even if the new application is to a different program.

Required documents for admissions applications

1. Transcripts:  Upload unofficial transcripts with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcripts of all college-level work will be required if admitted. Official transcripts must be in sealed envelopes as issued by the school(s) you have attended. Request a current transcript from every post-secondary school that you have attended, including community colleges, summer sessions, and extension programs.
   If you have attended Berkeley, upload unofficial transcript with the application for the departmental initial review. Official transcript with evidence of degree conferral will not be required if admitted.
2. Letters of recommendation: Applicants can request online letters of recommendation through the online application system. Hard copies of recommendation letters must be sent directly to the program, not the Graduate Division.
3. Evidence of English language proficiency: All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency. This requirement applies to applicants from Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Latin America, the Middle East, the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and most European countries. However, applicants who, at the time of application, have already completed at least one year of full-time academic course work with grades of B or better at a U.S. university may submit an official transcript from the U.S. university to fulfill this requirement. The following courses will not fulfill this requirement: 1) courses in English as a Second Language, 2) courses conducted in a language other than English, 3) courses that will be completed after the application is submitted, and 4) courses of a non-academic nature. If applicants have previously been denied admission to Berkeley on the basis of their English language proficiency, they must submit new test scores that meet the current minimum from one of the standardized tests.

Admission to the Program

The Graduate Group admissions committee seeks applicants with qualities that will enable them to succeed in an intensive interdisciplinary program: creativity and analytical skills, practical experience, individual initiative, and intellectual rigor. Priority will be given to applicants whose research interests dovetail well with current faculty resources. Candidates holding a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in theater, literature, performance studies, dance, or any appropriate humanities-related field are eligible to apply for admissions. The Graduate Group is particularly interested in applicants who have already formulated a specific focus of interest, including professional theater or dance practitioners who demonstrate a capacity for and training in advanced scholarly study.

As part of the application, you will be asked to submit the following:

1. All college transcripts
2. Three letters of recommendation
3. 
GRE scores (less than 5 years old) & TOEFL scores (if applicable)
4. Resume/CV

5. Personal Statement

6. Statement of Purpose

7. Critical Writing Sample (15-20 pages)

Doctoral Degree Requirements

Normative Time Requirements

Normative Time to Advancement

Normative Time to Advancement is 3 years.

Normative Time in Candidacy

Normative Time in Candidacy is 3 years.

Total Normative Time

Total Normative Time is 6 years.

Time to Advancement

Curriculum

The following is a breakdown of requirements to be fulfilled during the student’s first five semesters of study. All courses must be taken for letter grades.

Pedagogy Courses

To prepare for appointment as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI), students are required to take a 300-level pedagogy course for Reading and Composition. Students normally fulfill this requirement by taking COLWRIT 375 in the fall semester of the 1st year (this course is not usually offered in the spring). While taking COLWRIT 375 during the first semester as a GSI is allowed, we have found it to be much more valuable to complete the course in advance of teaching for the first time. For those 1st-year students who have stipend support for their second year (and therefore won’t teach until the third year), the pedagogy course may be taken during the fall semester of the 2nd year. Also, GSIs for TDPS enroll each semester in THEATER 300 with their teaching supervisor.

Foreign Language

Pass a language exam, usually in the Fall semester of the first year, or take the needed language class.

QE

Students sit their Qualifying Exams in their sixth semester before proceeding to the dissertation.

Time in Candidacy

Prospectus

During the dissertation phase, students are expected to submit a copy of their dissertation prospectus (by the end of the seventh semester).

Dissertation

Students are expected to complete their dissertations within the normative time frame (i.e., 12 semesters from the start of the program), and give a public presentation of their research (in the ninth semester).

Courses

Performance Studies