Department News 2007-2008 Season Showings Mission Statement Core Values Faculty Accomplishments Administration & Funding Placement Recent Dissertations Program Review Degree Requirements Exams - Stages I and II Dissertation Requirements Other Important Program Information Audio Clips - Music from our Fall 2007  presentation  of   La  Virtù  De'  Strali D' Amore

Unity (1918) -  Spring 2007.  Directed by Dr. Jonathan Chambers and Assistant Director Vanessa Baker, Ph.D. candidate.

Mission Statement and Program Objective

The doctoral program in the Department of Theatre and Film at Bowling Green State University is especially designed for those students planning careers as faculty members in higher education with a degree emphasis in the theories (both historical and contemporary), histories, and cultural applications of theatre and performance in various contexts. It is this aspect of the program that prepares students to contribute meaningfully to theatre and performance scholarship and to be effective teachers within those disciplines.

Practically, the course of study aims to prepare graduates to conduct original research in a way that will contribute to the level of scholarship in the student's area of specialization, to teach, and to participate in theatre production in educational settings in a range of capacities. Accordingly, students are evaluated in three areas: scholarship, teaching ability, and artistry. Thus, it is assumed that upon graduation the holder of a Ph.D. will possess a thorough understanding of the theory and history of theatre and performance.

While the mission of the Department is to prepare graduates who approach the theory and practice of theatre and performance in an integrated manner, it should be understood that the primary emphasis of any doctoral program in the arts focuses on historical, theoretical and pedagogical approaches to the subject matter rather than solely or even predominantly on artistic practice.

It should also be noted that in addition to offering a degree in film at the undergraduate level, the Department of Theatre and Film at Bowling Green State University also contributes in meaningful ways to the graduate level media studies program that is offered through the American Culture Studies program. Additionally, the Department supports student exchange/study abroad opportunities with the Department of Theatre at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Core Values

Faculty Accomplishments
The doctoral faculty in the Department of Theatre and Film are accomplished researchers and artists. Many serve or have served as leaders in numerous regional, national and international scholarly organizations, including the editorial boards of a number of refereed scholarly journals. Individual members of the faculty serve or have served as senior editor for Theatre Annual and editor for Theatre Topics .

Members of our faculty have published or are contracted to publish book length studies with:

• University of Michigan Press
• University of Mississippi Press
• Southern Illinois University Press
• Alta Mira Press
• Wayne State University Press
• Scarecrow Press
• University of Alabama Press

Essay length studies authored by our faculty have appeared in numerous prestigious journals including:

• The Drama Review
• Text and Performance Quarterly
• Theatre Topics
• Theatre Annual
• Journal of American Drama and Theatre
• Theatre History Studies
• Qualitative Inquiry
• Women's Studies Quarterly
• Popular Culture Review
• Spectator

In terms of artistry, the doctoral faculty has and continues to be involved practically in theatre in both university and professional contexts, participating as performers, directors, and dramaturges.

Administration & Funding
The Department of Theatre and Film accepts two to four new students into the Ph.D. program annually. We seek to accept students who we believe are capable of contributing to the scholarly conversations in the field and, at the same time, excel as theatre educators and artists. Successful applicants will have already earned the M.A. degree in theatre or a related or cognate field (e.g., English, Communications, Performance Studies, History), and demonstrate their skills as readers and writers through the application materials they submit. Generally, the graduate faculty in the Department of Theatre and Film does not accept students into the program without funding.

To that end, applicants are categorized as “Priority One” when they have satisfied the following criteria:

Ph.D. applicants who meet three of the four criteria as stated above are categorized as “Priority Two.”

Applicants are categorized as “Priority Three” when they have satisfied the following criteria:

Ph.D. applicants who do not meet the criteria listed above will be considered only for conditional admission. Funding will considered only in exceptional cases for entering graduate students with verbal GRE scores below 475, and overall GPA of 2.5-2.75, and a GPA of less than 3.0 in the major area.

Exceptions must be argued on an individual basis by the department chair and/or graduate studies coordinator, and may take into account such issues as firsthand knowledge of the student's learning potential, as well as his or her ability to carry out assistantship duties competently and responsibly; this may be a significant factor is deciding on the funding status of students who have previously enrolled in coursework at Bowling Green State University. Students who are enrolled in or have completed the M.A. program in theatre at Bowling Green State University will not automatically be granted funding for doctoral study, but will be ranked and assessed on a merit basis in accordance with the standards stated above. In accordance with the recommendation of the Graduate College, funding will be denied to any student with GRE scores that fall in the lower 25th percentile in any of the required subject areas.

Roughly, 50% percent of our offers of admission and funding are accepted, even though we often compete for students against larger and wealthier institutions. Our admissions objective in the years ahead is to maintain this selectivity and smallness of scale, in order to provide all of our students the observance requisite to ensure their development as scholars, teachers, and artists of the theatre.

Placement
In an extraordinarily competitive job market, the Ph.D. graduates from the Department of Theatre and Film at Bowling Green State University do exceedingly well. Over  95% of our graduates have found employment within higher education at institutions across the country and around the world. Generally, our students find employment in institutions that approach theatre studies in the liberal arts tradition.

Successful Ph.D. graduates have secured employment in higher education at Lander University, the College of William and Mary, Lafayette College, University of North Dakota, Ashland University, John Carroll University, Hillsdale College, Goshen College, Central Missouri State University, Truman State University, Northwestern College, California University of Pennsylvania, Seattle Pacific University, University of Otago in New Zealand, Stetson University, Charleston Southern University, Virginia Wesleyan, Lock Haven-University of Pennsylvania, Texas A & M University -Commerce, University of Toledo, Cerro Coso Community College, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Kennesaw State University, and National Taiwan University.

Recent Dissertations

Recent Ph.D. thesis include:

Program Review

Date of last review: University Program Review in 2005-2006 & National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) accreditation revalidated in 2001-2002.

Date of next scheduled review: NAST accreditation revalidation in 2011-2012.

Degree Requirements

General Degree Requirements:

1. A minimum of 103 semester credit hours including M.A. degree and dissertation hours.

2. No less than 18 or more than 30 credit hours of Theatre and Film 799, Dissertation Research. Students may list 18 credit hours on the TDP.

3. Language preparation courses or research tool courses may not be included in the minimum of 103 credit hours even though they may be expected or required by the department.

4. Undergraduate and M.A. repair courses, and courses that are audited may not be included in the minimum of 103 credit hours even though they may be expected or required.

5. Thirty hours of credit from a student’s masters program may be counted toward the minimum 103 credit hours required for a doctoral/program. Up to six additional hours of post M.A. work from another school may be accepted (if these credit hours were earned as doctoral work elsewhere). See the Graduate Catalogue for specifics regarding transfer of credit.

6. No more than 6 credit hours of Theatre and Film 688, 796, or 797 (Internship or Practicum in Theatre) may be included in the minimum program. These credit hours must be counted as approved electives.

7. More than two registrations/six credit hours of Theatre and Film 784, 785, 786 and 790 (Directed Readings, Independent Study, and Directed Research) will require special justification. In all cases, these credit hours must be counted as approved electives.

8. Students must enroll for Theatre and Film 697 during each semester they are on assistantship in the Department of Theatre and Film. Theatre and Film 697 hours may not be listed on the student’s TDP. These credit hours are, nonetheless, required in order to satisfy the pedagogy component of the degree requirement. All students are required to register for Graduate Seminar (Theatre and Film 695), a one-hour credit course that is not included on the TDP.

9. All students must complete the following core curriculum courses for a total of 46 credit hours:

a. Theatre and Film 772, Critical Traditions in Theatre and Performance, I (4 credits)
b. Theatre and Film 773, Critical Traditions in Theatre and Performance, II (4 credits)
c. Theatre and Film 774, Contemporary Theory and Performance (4 credits)
d. Theatre and Film 775, Modernism and Theatre (4 credits)
e. Theatre and Film 660, Theatre and Performance in Cultural Context, I (4 credits)
f. Theatre and Film 661, Theatre and Performance in Cultural Context, II (4 credits)
g. Theatre and Film 768, Interdisciplinary Performance Theory (4 credits)
h. Theatre and Film 781, Research and Publication in Theatre and Performance Studies (4 credits)
i. Theatre and Film 762, Directing and Staging Theory (4 credits)
j. Theatre and Film 667, Staging Image & Text (3 credits)
k. Theatre and Film 668 Performance Studies (3 credits)
l. Theatre and Film 760, Theatre/Performance Pedagogy (4 credits)

10. All students following Option 2 of Research Tool Requirement (i.e., Research Tool Sequence) must complete 9 credits at the 600 or 700 level in a chosen field(s) related to their dissertation research. Three of these hours (i.e., one course) must be a research methodologies course.

11. All students following Option 2 of the Research Tool Requirement are required to complete at least 9 hours of approved electives in the Department of Theatre and Film. All elective hours must be drawn from departmental course offerings at the 600 and 700 levels. In extreme circumstances, a student may petition to have one 500 level course (totaling 3 hours) count as an approved elective. If Option One (i.e., Language Sequence) of the Research Tool Requirement is followed, students must complete at least 12 hours of approved electives in the Department of Theatre and Film.

12. At the end of the first term of study, students whose writing skills are deemed “unsatisfactory” by the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Theatre and Film will be required to enroll in English 604: Graduate Writing Workshop. Students who are asked to take this course must do so within two semesters (including summer terms) of notification. This course is graded S/U and may not be included on the TDP.

Credit Hour Breakdown:

30 hours – MA
9 hours – Approved Elective
46 hours – Curriculum Core
18 hours – Dissertation
103 Total Hours

Note : Research Tool Sequence – add 9 credit hours of Tools not included on TDP for total of 112 hours. Foreign Language Sequence – add 3 credit hours of approved elective to be included on TDP for a total of 106 hours.

Research Tool Requirement:

The minimum research tool requirement for the Ph.D. Degree may be met by:

1. Option One: Demonstrating Proficiency in a foreign language.

a. May be met by satisfactory performance on an examination administered by one of the language departments. Students may take the exam on an individual basis after consultation with the appropriate examiner well in advance of the exam date, or may opt to take it at the conclusion of the courses FREN/GERM/LAT/SPAN 500. The Educational Testing Service's Graduate School Foreign Language Testing program may also be used to satisfy Option I of the foreign language requirement.

b. The Department of Theatre and Film will approve this research tool requirement only if the dissertation research requires foreign language proficiency.

2. Option Two: Completing a Research Tool Sequence.

Successfully completing three 600 or 700 level graduate courses, totaling nine semester hours of approved graduate courses outside of theatre, which must be grouped by research area and obviously relevant to the student's area of specialization. One of these three tool courses must be a research methodologies course in an appropriate field. The student must demonstrate that these courses taken to fulfill research tool requirements are essential preparation for the research and writing of the dissertation.

a. Graduate courses from any department may be used. However, courses used to satisfy degree requirements at another institution do not satisfy the option. Courses selected to meet Option Two are in addition to the courses used to meet the other requirements for the Ph.D. degree.

b. Selection of Option Two requires that the graduate student and/or advisor submit with the request for prior approval of the option a written explanation of how the selected courses are to be used in the dissertation research. A statement is prepared by the graduate student and should be endorsed by the Graduate Coordinator or the student's academic advisor.

c. Courses selected to meet Option Two must receive a letter grade.

• i. Graduate instructors do not have the option of allowing a student to take a S/U graded course—one that is listed as such in the Graduate Catalog—on a letter grade basis.

• ii. Students should also be advised that the grading policy for graduate-level tool courses is identical to that of all other graduate courses.

• iii. Tool courses DO affect the graduate grade point average of the student.

d. Courses taken as tool courses under Option Two are in addition to the 103 hour requirement and will not contribute to hours earned.

Exams-Stages I

EXAMS STAGE I: IN-HOUSE QUALIFYING EXAM

During the second semester of the second year of study, students take an in-house qualifying examination. This is usually administered during the first two weeks of February. Students who do not pass the Qualifying Exam will be ineligible for a renewal of assistantship (i.e., third year funding).

EXAMS STAGE II: SPECIALIZED PORTFOLIO

Once the student has passed the in-house Qualifying Examination, s/he must next complete and pass the Specialized Portfolio. The Graduate College requires that all doctoral students take a “preliminary examination” that is both written and oral. The Department of Theatre and Film meets the requirement through the Specialized Portfolio (sometimes referred to as Stage II). The purpose of the Specialized Portfolio is not only to meet the Graduate College preliminary examination requirement but also to allow the student an opportunity to explore his/her area of specialization and to demonstrate a mastery of those issues to be explored in more depth in the dissertation. It is the responsibility of the student and his/her advisor to schedule and plan the Specialized Portfolio.

•  Near the end of the second year of study, and after Exams Stage I: In House Qualifying Exam has been passed, the student, in consultation with his/her advisor, will assemble a committee of three or four. The majority of the committee must consist of regular members of the Theatre faculty who hold the Ph.D. and the composition of the committee must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator and the student's advisor.

•  During the fall term of the third year, the student will revise materials for inclusion in the Specialized Portfolio in consultation with his/her advisor. The student is expected to submit a complete version of the Portfolio to the chosen advisor and all committee members no later than October 15 during the third year of study, in preparation for an in-house oral defense, which will include all members of the committee. This in-house oral defense must take place by the end of the first week of November. Based on the contents of the Portfolio, this in-house committee will assess whether or not the student is making adequate progress toward degree, and will make a recommendation to the Graduate Coordinator regarding the student's eligibility to continue in the doctoral program. When this committee has made an affirmative recommendation, the student completes the Graduate College 's “Preliminary Examination Application” form, and submits it to the Graduate College . Upon receipt of this application, the Graduate College will appoint a faculty member from outside the core theatre faculty to serve as Graduate College Representative.

•  The second phase of defending the Specialized Portfolio will be undertaken when the student prepares to defend the dissertation prospectus, normally during the first week of February of the third year of study. Once the chosen advisor approves the dissertation prospectus for distribution to the committee, the student will distribute BOTH the prospectus and the materials of the Specialized Portfolio (including any revisions stipulated during the preliminary, in-house defense) to all members of the student's committee including the Graduate College Representative. The student will then schedule a meeting with the full committee in order to conduct a two-tier oral defense of the Specialized Portfolio and the dissertation prospectus.

•  Students are expected to pass the final stage of the oral defense of the Specialized Portfolio by April 1 of the spring term in his/her third year of study. Generally, students who do not complete this requirement in a timely fashion will be ineligible for a renewal of assistantship (i.e., fourth year funding). While students who receive funding through other sources may occasionally elect to follow a different timetable, it is expected that ALL students will successfully defend the Specialized Portfolio within one academic year following the completion of required coursework. Any student who fails to comply with these guidelines will automatically be judged as having failed to make adequate progress towards degree and will be dropped from the program.

•  To complete the defense of the specialized portfolio, the student must:

-Pass Stage 1, the Qualifying Examination

-Satisfactorily complete the research tool sequence, be enrolled in research tool course(s) during the semester in which the initial defense is scheduled to take place, or clearly indicate on the tentative degree program that research tool courses will be taken during the third year of study.

-The Graduate College requires the completion of at least 60 hours in an approved course of study beyond the Bachelor’s Degree. The Department of Theatre and Film requires at a minimum completion of core curriculum courses totaling 46 hours. This number should be added to the 30 hours from the master’s degree to create a total of 76 hours beyond the Bachelor’s degree.

-Have an accumulated grade point average (GPA) of 3.2 in approved graduate courses (research tool courses not included).

The Nature and Scope of the Specialized Portfolio: It is expected that the contents of the Specialized Portfolio will demonstrate the student's level of preparation to conduct original research that will contribute to scholarship in his or her area of specialization. Each element of critical and scholarly work in the Portfolio SHOULD BE SUITABLE FOR PUBLICATION. Other elements (the vita and pedagogical position paper) should be suitable for inclusion in a job application packet. This means that the Portfolio documents must reflect original research, and that they must be written in a professional, error-free manner. Consequently, students should anticipate that they may be asked to complete MULTIPLE revisions of the various elements of the Portfolio, and should allocate sufficient time to complete these revisions. The Portfolio as a whole will be assessed in relation to the following factors:

-Thoroughness and relevance of research in the main research essay and context for review and analysis

-Rationale and theoretical grounding of the research essay.

-Potential for publication and significance of original contribution to scholarship in the area of specialization.

-Appropriateness of analysis and criticism, both in the research paper and the review essays.

-Writing style (including attention to clarity and organization as well as mechanics of grammar and subtleties of prose style).

As a general practice, students generate initial drafts of materials for inclusion in the Specialized Portfolio in the course of completing requirements for 600 and 700 level seminar courses (whether theatre courses or tool courses) and focus primarily on revising and expanding these materials during the spring semester of the second year and the fall semester of the third year of study. While a significant portion of this revision may take place during the student's enrollment in THFM 781, Research and Publication in Theatre and Performance Studies (second semester, second year), it should be noted that students will be best able to take advantage of the opportunities for feedback presented in the course if they have written at least initial drafts of all materials intended for inclusion in the Specialized Portfolio prior to the beginning of the spring semester of their second year of coursework. It is generally expected that students will seek the opinion of the primary advisor as to the suitability of the materials they propose to revise for inclusion in the Specialized Portfolio (at the very least, major components such as the research essay) prior to commencing the spring semester of the second year of study, and that they will remain in dialogue with the advisor throughout the process of revising and developing these materials. It should be decided between the student and the advisor whether other committee members should be asked to offer feedback on Portfolio materials while the student is in the process of revision, or whether other committee members should be involved in the process only after the advisor has approved a complete version of the Portfolio for distribution to committee members.

Contents of the Specialized Portfolio:

-Detailed professional resume/vita

-Annotated bibliography in the declared area of dissertation research

-Three book reviews (suitable for publication in an academic journal) focusing on recent academic texts in the area of theatre and performance (broadly defined)with a length of 5-7 pages each.

-One critical performance review, approximately 5 pages in length, (suitable for publication in an academic journal or other trade publication) of a professional performance event.

-A pedagogical position paper. This essay, which should be 4-6 pages in length, should be a personal statement of teaching philosophy.

-The centerpiece of the Specialized Portfolio is an article-length work of original research suitable for publication. This should be approximately 25-35 pages in length, should address a well-defined topic in depth, and should make an original contribution to scholarship in the designated research area rather than merely reiterating or synthesizing the work of others.

Once the student has completed each of these elements of the Portfolio to the satisfaction of the advisor, the materials will be distributed to the student's in-house committee in preparation for the first stage of the oral defense. During the meeting, the student will be asked to:

-Answer questions concerning the content and scope of the bibliography, book reviews and performance review

-Discuss and defend the pedagogy essays

-Discuss and defend the research paper

The student should anticipate that the advisor or committee members might stipulate the need for revision or further development of materials prior to the second stage of the Portfolio defense.

Dissertation Requirements
The dissertation must be an appropriate culmination of the candidate's program of study and must represent scholarly research appropriate in method and subject to the degree program.

A. Advisor:

Normally, the major professor who supervises a student's course of study is also the dissertation advisor. All faculty directly involved in this process should be informed of the student's intention as early in the process as possible. The advisor must be a member of the theatre graduate faculty who holds a Ph.D., and moreover, must qualify as a member of the regular Graduate Faculty. Before selecting a dissertation advisor, the student must consult the Graduate Coordinator to determine the potential advisor's eligibility to advise dissertations.

B. Eligibility:

A student must have passed Exams Stage II: Specialized Portfolio before a dissertation topic can be approved.

C. Selection of Topic:

The student and his/her advisor explore potential dissertation topics. This process may begin as early in the student's residency as s/he chooses. The topic area should be well defined by the first term of the second year of study, and the method of research identified sufficiently early so that the appropriate research tool choice may be made. The dissertation is expected to be a scholarly document, making an original contribution to knowledge and demonstrating the student's potential as a scholar. Potential topics should be carefully researched in advance, before proposal, to be certain they have not been investigated by someone else.

D. Dissertation Committee:

Normally the dissertation committee should include those faculty members who served as assessors for the in-house defense of the Specialized Portfolio, along with the Graduate College Representative assigned by the Graduate College . Once the committee is officially constituted and approved by the Graduate College , any changes require special approval, which should be sought by means of petition to the Graduate College and must also be endorsed by the Graduate Coordinator in the Department of Theatre and Film.

E. Prospectus Hearing:

1. A minimum of TWO WEEKS prior to the defense of the dissertation prospectus, the student will provide his/her committee with a folder or notebook containing all elements of the Specialized Portfolio (with any stipulated revisions) and a dissertation prospectus. The prospectus should not only clearly outline the proposed topic of study, but should also demonstrate the student's ability to complete the proposed research. In order to satisfy this requirement, the student must demonstrate that s/he is thoroughly familiar with existing scholarship in the chosen area of specialization, and that the work s/he proposes to do will contribute substantially to the scholarly conversation in this area. Students should anticipate that the advisor may ask for substantial revision of the prospectus before allowing the student to distribute the document to the committee as a whole, and should budget their time accordingly. The dissertation prospectus should include the following components:

- Title

- Relevant background information to introduce and contextualize the proposed area of research

- Concise statement of the central research questions that the study will address (sometimes described as statement or description of problem)

- Discussion of objectives of the study and justification of its significance

- Review of extant scholarship in the field and consideration of how this study will contribute original insights (NOTE: A list of titles of other scholarship is NOT sufficient to satisfy this requirement. Rather, the student must demonstrate that s/he is familiar with other work in the research area and that s/he is prepared to enter into scholarly conversation with others who have made contributions in this field.)

- A discussion of the research methodology the student will employ in completing the study

- Principle sources of data

- Limitations of the study (NOTE: Limitations in this context does not mean an “apologia” for the shortcomings of either the researcher or the proposed study. Rather, it is an opportunity to delineate and justify the boundaries of the study—chronological, geographical, types of data to be considered and so forth.)

- Tentative organization of the study into chapters (NOTE: Proposed chapter titles are not sufficient, and should be supplemented by abstracts or tentative summaries of what will be covered in each section.)

2. At the prospectus hearing (attended by the committee and, if desired, a public audience) the student will orally defend and elaborate on the written prospectus and receive feedback from the advisor and the committee on the proposed research project. The second stage of defense of the Specialized Portfolio will also take place at this meeting, with the Graduate Faculty Representative and the committee as a whole taking this opportunity to review the contents of the Portfolio, including any stipulated revisions. When the committee is satisfied that the student is ready to proceed with work on the dissertation, they indicate their formal approval by signing the appropriate form which is forwarded to the Graduate College . This must occur at least six months before the student expects to receive the degree. Thus, for example, if the student plans to graduate the first week of August, the topic approval must be secured by the first week in February. If human subjects are involved in the research (surveys, interviews, questionnaires, etc) prior approval of the dissertation topic by the BGSU Human Subjects Review Board must be secured.

F. Defense of the Dissertation:

The student works principally with the advisor in researching the topic and writing preliminary drafts. At least two weeks prior to the date when oral defense of the completed dissertation is expected, the student must furnish each member of the committee with a readable draft in good form, including documentation and bibliography. Committee members may require revision prior to the oral defense. The student meets with the committee and a public audience to orally defend the dissertation. If the dissertation is successfully defended and the manuscript is acceptable in both content and form, the committee indicates its approval by signing the Application/Report Doctoral Studies form. It should be noted that the approval form is divided into two sections, “Final Examination Report” and “Manuscript Approval.” Thus it is possible, even though the final oral examination has been passed, for the committee to request substantive changes or additions before approving the manuscript. In planning to meet Graduate College deadlines, the student should take this possibility under consideration. Only one negative vote is permissible.

G. Abstracts:

Abstracts of dissertations must be provided along with the final draft. (See “Thesis and Dissertation Handbook” for details.)

H. Final Copies :

Final copies must meet strict Graduate College requirements and style must be thoroughly consistent with one of the major style manuals (e.g. most recent edition of the MLA Handbook or Chicago Style Sheet). The manuscript is expected to adhere to these guidelines as well as those of the Graduate College . In addition to the error-free copy meeting Graduate College requirements, the candidate must present a second copy of the final manuscript to the Department of Theatre and Film for housing in the Harold B. Obee Theatre Collections, which is maintained by the Department. Finally, the candidate is to give his/her advisor a third copy of the dissertation bound in a hard cover, spring back binder. The graduate coordinator will not sign completion until all copies have been received. Once these requirements are met, the student will deliver the error-free copy, along with the signed form, in an accordion folder to the Graduate College .

Other Important Program Information
A. Limits on Hours of Registration:

•  Students not on assistantship or fellowship have no minimum registration hours.

•  No student may register for more than 18 hours of credit without permission from the Dean of the Graduate College . Permission will not be granted to students on probation. An excess credit fee is charged beyond 18 hours.

•  Students holding assistantships are required to register for at least 12 hours of graduate credit each semester.

•  Non-service fellowship students must register for 16 hours each semester including the summer term.

•  Students may not enroll for dissertation hours until they have successfully defended the Specialized Portfolio and dissertation prospectus.

B. Registration When Not in Residence:

Graduate College requirements mandate continuous registration for one hour each semester, if a student leaves the campus, with all requirements for the degree completed except the dissertation, or the preliminary examinations. This is not done automatically; each student must register for this one hour. The Graduate College does not require this registration during the summer term unless the student is graduating at the August graduation.

C. Time Limits:

Graduate College requirements mandate that the degree be completed within eight years from the time the student first registered for doctoral work at BGSU. Course work older than this is invalidated, and the student must either revalidate his/her work, take additional work, or be dropped from the program. Graduate College regulations provide that no student may receive more than four academic years of fellowship support at the doctoral rate. The usual pattern of degree work for students in continuous residence is the completion of course work and research tool requirements, as well as successfully passing Exams Stage I by the end of the second year (including summer study); successfully passing Exams Stage II and composition of the prospectus during the third year; and completion of the dissertation during the fourth year. A student in continuous residence who has not passed the review of the Specialized Portfolio by the beginning of the first semester of his/her fourth year is not making satisfactory progress toward the degree and may be deemed ineligible for further departmental funding. While students who receive funding through other sources may occasionally elect to follow a different timetable, it is expected that ALL students will successfully defend the Specialized Portfolio within one academic year following the completion of required coursework. Any student who fails to comply with these guidelines will automatically be judged as having failed to make adequate progress towards degree and will be dropped from the program.

D. Transfer Credits:

The Graduate College limits the number of graduate hours that may be transferred from another accredited institution to 36 semester hours (30 master-level hours) plus six hours of Ph.D. work. Approval of transfer credit may be requested by memorandum at an early date. Approval is accomplished by the same route as the TDP. Students may petition for credit once they have completed eight hours of graduate work at Bowling Green State University .

E. Probation:

Students failing to meet the following minimal standards may be dropped from the program or placed on probation at the discretion of the Theatre and Film graduate faculty or the Graduate Dean.

1. Minimal Standards:

a. Students must maintain a graduate grade point average of 3.2 or better.

b. Students must make satisfactory progress toward a degree by completing all courses attempted each semester. Except for registrations in dissertation research, no more than two incompletes will be allowed on the transcript. If a student fails to remove a grade of incomplete for any course, this course must be removed from the TDP and the student must either retake the class or petition for an approved substitute at the discretion of the Graduate Coordinator and chosen advisor.

2. Students on probation will be subject to the following regulations:

a. Permission will not be granted to enroll for more than 12 hours of credit.

b. Assistantships may be removed.

c. Students failing to satisfactorily complete the qualifying exams may be dropped from the program.

3. Generally, students remaining on probationary status for more than one semester will be dropped from the program.

Revalidation of Course Work

Credit for course work older than 8 years will not apply toward degree requirements unless revalidated by retaking the course(s) or by a formal examination. Time spent in Armed Forces is exempted in applying this time limitation. The appropriate application form is available from the Graduate College must be submitted through the following channels:

A. Chair, Department of Theatre and Film

B. Theatre and Film Graduate Faculty

C. Graduate Coordinator in Theatre and Film

D. Dean, the Graduate College

G. Evidence of Artistic Ability (Acting, Design, Playwriting, Etc.):

All students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in theatre practice by participating in the play production program on campus, at the Huron Playhouse, or in the community where their work may be observed by the faculty. This activity may be done on a voluntary basis, for credit under individual registration, or occasionally in discharge of work responsibilities for those on fellowship. Production activity normally is planned in the spring for the following academic year, and those students with production obligations are urged to plan ahead so that the appropriate applications and petitions may be supplied to the faculty in advance. Students with unusual programs may be asked to include participation experiences other than those specified above, as part of their graduate experience. All students, in consultation with his/her advisor, must select an appropriate creative assignment for evaluation and assessment. Once the assignment has been completed, the student will publicly discuss the project in an approved venue, such as the weekly scheduled graduate seminar.