Program highlights
- Distinguished faculty. Graduate faculty members are highly acclaimed artists and researchers who have garnered national and international recognition for their scholarship and production work.
- Accredited program. Our doctoral theatre arts degree is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Theatre. This designation underscoring a tradition of excellence in scholarship, stagecraft and performance.
- Scholarship in action. Our Ph.D. in theatre program encourages students to stay creatively engaged through our dynamic theatre production season. Doctoral candidates are actively involved in all aspects of production and performance – a key facet to future success – and bring their experiences directly into their research endeavors.
- Assistantships. Teaching and non-teaching assistantships are available to qualified students. We try to match assignments to individual interests and career goals.
Graduate assistants have the opportunity to develop as educators through teaching assignments in courses such as Script Analysis, Acting, Performance Studies and Theatre History – further contributing to the holistic development of artist-scholar-teachers.
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Career opportunities
Wondering, “What can I do with a theatre degree at the doctoral level?” The possibilities are as diverse as they are exciting. BGSU Ph.D. theatre graduates have secured positions across multiple sectors.
In academia, our alumni find rewarding careers as university professors, researchers and administrators at institutions that embrace theatre studies within the liberal arts tradition. Their expertise in critical analysis, cultural interpretation and pedagogical innovation makes them valuable contributors to higher education.
This advanced theatre degree also opens doors in professional and community theatres and arts organizations. Graduates serve as artistic directors, dramaturgs, educators, program specialists and cultural leaders. The program’s emphasis on scholarship applied to professional contexts means graduates are uniquely equipped to bridge academic insights with practical theatrical work.
The corporate and nonprofit sectors increasingly value the analytical, communication and leadership skills that doctoral theatre graduates possess. The transferable skills acquired through this rigorous program create pathways to diverse professional landscapes from arts administration and cultural consulting to educational design and community development.
Career paths
- University professor
- Curriculum developer (arts/humanities programs)
- Department chair/Academic administrator
- Program director for nonprofit arts organizations
- Theatre company executive director
- Theatre historian/Researcher
- Scholarly editor/Journal contributor
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Curriculum
The Ph.D. in theatre requires a minimum of 60 credit hours and blends scholarship with practical experience. Students complete:
- 12 credits of core coursework in performance studies, research methods and scholarly writing
- 15 elective credits in theatre, history, literature and critique
- 15 credits in performance studies and practice, such as directing, design and pedagogy
This structure prepares graduates to meaningfully contribute to the fields of academia, research and professional theatre.
The doctorate in theatre concludes with dissertation credits dedicated to original, publishable research.
Recent dissertations
- The Viewpoints: A Postmodern Actor Training for a Postmodern Theatre (S. Dan Cullen, 2022)
- The Misrepresentation of Arab Gulf Men Through Costumes on Stage and Screen (Abdulmajeed Aldoukhi, 2021)
- Detroit Brand Blackness: Race, Gender, Class, and Performances of Black Identities in Post Recession Detroit (Michelle Cowin Gibbs, 2019)
Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA, pass qualifying exams and preliminary exams and defend their dissertation within 8 years.
Sample courses
- Contemporary Theatre and Performance
- Critical Traditions in Theatre/Performance I and II
- Directing and Stage Theory
- Interdisciplinary Performance Theory
- Introduction to Performance Studies
- Modernism in Theatre and Performance
- Research Methods in Theatre Performance Studies
- Theatre and Performance History: Ancient-16th Century
- Theatre and Performance History: 17th-21st Century
- Theatre/Performance Pedagogy and Professional Development
- Theories of Theatre and Performance
Admissions
Students may be admitted to the Ph.D. theatre program at BGSU after earning an M.A. and acceptance by the department and the Graduate College. Prospective students must submit:
- Three letters of recommendation
- Transcripts
- Professional resume
- Statement of purpose
- Writing sample
Those seeking admission and assistantship and/or tuition scholarships must complete the graduate program application and submit all required supporting materials by Jan. 15 preceding the academic year for which the appointment is desired.
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The Ph.D. in theatre program is part of the Department of Theatre and Film in the BGSU College of Arts and Sciences.
Updated: 09/03/2025 08:16AM