Information for prospective students:
- Do I need to set up an interview?
- May I sit in on a class?
- Do I need a GRE? Do I need to wait to apply until after I have taken them?
- What kind of financial aid is available? Are foreign students available for financial aid?
- What is a Statement of Purpose?
- What is a writing sample?
- Can I send samples of playwriting or other non-scholarly writing in addition to a scholarly sample?
- What kinds of intersections are there between the Theatre and Performance Studies PhDs and the MFAs in Playwriting, Acting, and Directing?
- What kinds of careers do persons with graduate degrees from Brown pursue?
- What teaching opportunities are available to graduate students?
- How many PhD students are in residence in any given year?
- Can I transfer MA/MFA credits?
- What is the best schedule for completion of the degree? Or, What are “milestones” for progress?
When applying to the graduate program, do I need to set up an interview? Interviews are not a necessary part of the process. While we do not require interviews, we are open to meeting you if you desire a visit. We do not use interviews to determine candidacy, they are informational only. We are always open to answering questions over email as well. Contact the Director of Graduate Studies or members of the faculty at any time with questions.
Would it be possible to sit in on some classes while I am visiting the campus? If you are visiting campus, and have arranged to meet the Director of Graduate Studies, you can also arrange a class visit.
Are GREs required? Yes, GREs are required for the PhD program. We must receive the scores by the application deadline. It is not required for the MFA in Playwriting.
What kinds of financial support are available? Please consult the financial aid website for more information.
Are foreign students eligible for financial aid? Yes.
What is a Statement of Purpose? How long should it be? Your Statement of Purpose should be a succinct document, generally two to five pages in length, in which you tell us why you want to pursue a doctoral degree. And, if you have a reason, why Brown?
What should I send as a Writing Sample? How long should it be? We are interested in seeing a sample of what you consider to be your best scholarly writing. The sample can either be a research paper, or a theoretical essay, literary analysis or analysis of theatrical or art. We do not place any official constraints on the writing sample, but we recommend sending a sample between 10 and 25 pages.
Can I send samples of playwriting or other non-scholarly writing in addition to a scholarly sample? You are free to send us any kind of sample you wish, we must stress that we will not be able to read material that exceeds a manageable number of pages.
What teaching opportunities are available to graduate students? A graduate student who is awarded a fellowship upon entry can expect to have either teaching assistantships, proctorships, or research assistantships as part of the financial award package. Your first year is a fellowship year. After that year, you can expect an assistantship in some capacity for three years. Graduate students teach in years two, three, and four, including as TAs for professors. The fifth year is another fellowship year, with no assistantship requirements. We currently have students teaching as part of the Speech and Dance programs in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies. We also have a proctorship associated with the Becker Library. The Sheridan Center at Brown also offers a certificate in teaching preparedness for graduate students. This certificate, awarded after a series of workshops and instructional sessions, is an invaluable asset on the job market. For more information, see the Sheridan Center's website.
What kinds of intersections are there between the Theatre and Performance Studies PhDs and the MFAs in Playwriting, Acting and Directing? When you are accepted to the A.M./Ph.D. program you become part of the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies, including the Brown/Trinity MFAs in Acting and Directing and the MFA in Playwrighting. Our graduate programs start with an orientation week every year. For a week before classes start in your first year you will join fellow grad students for a week of introductory explorations in the form of workshops and discussion sessions.
Collaboration also takes the form of involvement in production. Several of our PhD students have been involved in either dramaturgy or directing (and occasionally acting) in productions of the work of MFA playwrights. As actors and directors from the MFA are also involved, this is an arena for ongoing exchange. Students from the MFA Directing Program take classes in Theatre and Performance Studies, so there is in-class exchange.
What kinds of careers do persons with graduate degrees from Brown pursue? There is 100% job placement for TAPS alumni with numerous graduates and post-docs having found positions at New York University, McGill, Emerson, Colgate, Washington University, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale to name only a few schools.
How many PhD students are in residence in any given year? In general there are between ten and fifteen A.M./Ph.D. students in residence in any given year. We accept only two to four students a year from an applicant pool between 80 and 110 in the past six years.
Can I transfer MA/MFA credits? Transfer credits will be considered on a case-by-case basis after admission. See the graduate school website and Graduate Handbook for more information.
What is the best schedule for completion of the degree? Or, What are “milestones” for progress? See the Graduate Handbook for more information.