College of Arts & Sciences
Department of Performing Arts
Department of Performing Arts

Degree Requirements in Theater & Performance Studies (TPST)

Major in Theater & Performance Studies

A major in Theater & Performance Studies consists of courses that combine critical and creative inquiry and is designed for students interested in not only developing skills in theater and performance but in an interdisciplinary exploration of how these art forms matter in the world. This distinctive degree program engages with theater and performance as it intersects with social justice, cultural politics, criticism, American and world cultures, arts management, education, and more. The TPST Program offers studio/seminar courses in acting, directing, playwriting, design, technical theatre, and stage management, as well as coursework and production opportunities that emphasize adaptation and performance; devising and developing new work; cross-cultural performance and world theatre history; performance and politics; community- based performance; arts management; ensemble techniques; musical and cabaret performance; interdisciplinary learning about culture, race, gender, and identity; and a variety of special topics that offer diverse opportunities for undergraduate research.  Requirements for the degree include a total of 31 credit hours as follows:

Note: Effective Fall 2023, all main campus courses have been renumbered using a new 4-digit numbering system.

https://schedule.georgetown.edu/course-renumbering-crosswalk/t/#tpst

Academic Requirements for the Major
(31 credit hours; 11 courses including TPST-496

Note about Credit and Enrollment for Participation in TPST Home Season: Students
participating as cast members or in another sustained way throughout the rehearsal process
(dramaturg, stage manager, designer, assistant director etc.) should enroll for the course assigned to that production. Each course (Performance Lab TPST 1901-1198) offers options for zero-three credits, which will be decided upon by Davis Center Artistic Director and faculty based upon audition; course numbers will rotate each semester.    No more than 6-credit hours of the Performance Lab TPST 1901-1198 sequence can be used toward fulfillment of the major.  After 6 credits have been achieved, advanced students working on productions may enroll for Advanced Performance Lab TPST 3901-3905 (for variable credits) for work on additional productions.  This cannot be used toward the additional 3-credit hours required for the major in TPST 3090 or higher.

Academic Requirements for the Minor in Theater & Performance Studies (19 credit hours)

Notes: For the major, up to two courses may be fulfilled via transfer credits, study abroad, or cognate courses, if approved by the Program Director.  For the minor, up to one course may be fulfilled via transfer credits, study abroad, or cognate courses, if approved by the Program Director. 

Note about Credit and Enrollment for Participation in TPST Home Season: Students
participating as cast members or in another sustained way throughout the rehearsal process
(dramaturg, stage manager, designer, assistant director etc.) should enroll for the course assigned to that production. Each course (Performance Lab TPST 1901-1198) offers options for zero-three credits, which will be decided upon by Davis Center Artistic Director and faculty based upon audition; course numbers will rotate each semester.  No more than 3-credit hours of the Performance Lab TPST 1901-1198 sequence can be used toward fulfillment of the minor.  After 3 credits have been achieved, advanced students working on productions may enroll for Advanced Performance Lab TPST 3901-3905 (for variable credits) for work on additional productions.

REVISED March, 2021