Doctor of Philosophy

Application Instructions For Doctoral Program

Drama does not set up an opposition between text and performance, theory and practice. Stanford's unique Ph.D. program combines a practical and academic course of study in which all candidates must function as both theater directors and scholars. It is one of the most demanding such programs in the country. The goal of the program is to give students a knowledge of the field from all perspectives, so that their scholarly work is grounded in practice, and their directorial work is based on solid scholarly analysis.

Normally, the Ph.D. program is completed in five years. The first two years should be devoted to full-time graduate study, the third year to graduate study and research, and years four and five to teaching and writing the dissertation. Following formal admission to candidacy (usually following the second year), the dissertation must be completed and approved within five years. A candidate taking more than five years must repass the written examinations in order to reinstate candidacy. Read on for more specific requirements, or skip to the application process. For the 2008–2009 academic year, graduate applications are due December 11, 2007.

The Department of Drama participates in the Graduate Program in the Humanities (GPH) leading to a joint Ph.D. degree in Drama and Humanities. The program offers students an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of intellectual and cultural history by focusing on texts and ideas which have been central to all humanistic disciplines from classical Greece to the present. At the core of the program are the five GPH seminars and participation in the culminating GPH student symposium. For more information, visit their web page.

Program Requirements:

Units and Course requirements

1. 135 units of courses and seminars (not counting dissertation units)
2. The Performance and Critical Theory sequence (DRAMA 300, 301, 302).
3. Six additional graduate seminars in the Drama Department, including at least one from each category bearing the suffixes: (A) intersections of theory and performance, (B) theater history, and (C) dramatic literature.
4. The five directing workshops: DRAMA 370-374, which build from 370, Concepts of Directing, to 374, Graduate Directors' Performance project, wherein students stage a fully developed stage production.

Language Requirement

1. 70th percentile or higher on the foreign language examination prepared by the Educational Testing Service (ETS)
2. Reading examination given by the language departments at Stanford (offered once every quarter)
3. A grade of 'B' or higher in a literature class numbered 100 or higher, given by a Stanford language department

Teaching Requirement

• Four quarters of supervised teaching, usually in the fourth and fifth years.

Examinations (to be completed within the first three years)

• The comprehensive exam is taken as a twelve-hour take-home in the Spring of the first year based on a range of texts given to the students at the beginning of the first year.
• For the two qualifying exams, each student will work out a program of study with a faculty adviser drawing from the following periods:
  • Classical
  • Medieval and Renaissance
  • 17th, 18th, and early 19th century
  • Modern: 1870-1980
  • Contemporary: 1980 to present
• The first qualifying exam, to be completed before candidacy, is in the form of three essays, 15-25 pages, written in consultation with a faculty adviser, and covering a specific period of dramatic literature and theater history.
• The second exam is a departmental oral with three faculty members and covering a second period of literature and history.

Application for Candidacy: By the end of the first two years, the student must have completed the following out of the total requirements:

• Performance and Critical Theory sequence and four seminars
• The directing workshop series
• The foreign language requirements
• At least two examinations

For course descriptions, visit the Stanford Bulletin website, where current and past versions are available in PDF form.

Applying to the program

The application process has 2 required steps:

1. Make the Application

Make your application to the program online. The application fee of USD 105.00 can be paid at the time of application using a credit card. For the 2008–2009 academic year, graduate applications are due December 11, 2007.

The online application is strongly preferred, but you may also request application materials be sent to you by writing to:

Graduate Admissions
Office of the Registrar
520 Lasuen Mall
Stanford University
Stanford, CA 94305-3005

and specifying you are interested in the Ph.D program in Drama. An additional USD 20.00 fee for the materials (a check or money order, payable to Stanford University) should be included with your request.

2. Submit the written portion of your application

Stanford Drama requires that you prepare certain written application materials to accompany your application. In addition to the statement of purpose, Drama applicants must submit a statement detailing their practical theater experience, a sample of their written critical work, and a statement on directing. These materials are described here.

The application also requires letters of recommendation. When applying online, you will be asked to submit the names, titles, addresses, institution or business names, and email addresses of your three recommenders, and they will be notified of how to upload their letters electronically. If you are applying on paper, there is a recommendation form available on the admissions website.

3. Interview

An invitation to interview may be extended by the end of January.

For more information about graduate study at Stanford, visit the Registrar's Graduate Admissions page.