Television, Radio, Film and Theatre, Department of

MA - Theatre Arts

Requirements for Admission

Minimum requirements for admission to the Graduate Division are outlined in the Academic Requirements section of this catalog. Students who meet these requirements may be admitted as conditionally classified in the Theatre Arts Graduate Program until the department's graduate committee approves reclassification to candidacy.

To be admitted to the Department of Television, Radio, Film and Theatre as a conditionally classified graduate student, you must:

1. Meet all minimum university Graduate Division requirements as an undergraduate in theatre arts, radio, television, film, media;

2. Achieve a 3.0 grade point average in your major field of study;

3. Achieve an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above.

Applicants who do not meet the above grade requirements, but exhibit through test scores or artistic achievement the potential for graduate study in Television, Radio, Film and Theatre, may be admitted to conditionally classified standing upon the recommendation of the graduate coordinator.

Portfolio

Applicants must submit to the graduate coordinator a portfolio which documents his or her achievements and aspirations as a student and/or participant in one of the performance disciplines (television, theatre arts, radio, film, or multimedia).

Deficiencies

Deficiencies in academic background, especially in regard to applicants with undergraduate degrees in fields outside of Television, Radio, Film and Theatre, will be determined by the graduate coordinator or department chair. Course work taken to address such deficiencies will not be applied to the Master's degree program.

Requirements for Reclassification to Candidacy

Reclassification to candidacy requires favorable action by both the department's and university's graduate committees. You must:

1. Meet institutional requirements as set forth in the Academic Requirements section of this catalog;

2. Complete the Graduate English Writing requirement. The University requires that all graduate students demonstrate competency in written English as a condition for advancement to candidacy. Please refer to the SJSU catalog section titled "Competency in Written English" for details.

3. Show aptitude for advanced work in the major area as measured by performance in appropriate academic courses, instructor appraisals, special qualifying tests or other means;

4. Complete TA 260 and receive acceptance of Thesis Proposal or Proposed Course of Study for Comprehensive Examination from the department graduate committee.

Completing Requirements for the Master's Degree

Thesis (Plan A) or Comprehensive Examination (Plan B) Options

With the assistance of a faculty advisor, students develop a proposed Master's degree program according to Plan A or Plan B, as outlined below. The content will be determined by the individual student's background, area of concentration and thesis or examination topic. All programs will include a nine-unit core: TA 200 which must be taken at the first opportunity after enrollment, TA 201, and TA 260 and additional 21 units to include a minimum of 15 units of 200-level courses of which 6 units must derive from the cycle of seminars offered by the department (TA 220, 221, 241, 270, 275). Additional 100- or 200-level courses related to the degree objective will complete the program. Each student must demonstrate competence in written English.

Plan A (with Thesis)

TA 299 Plan A, the thesis option, will be reserved for students with proven success in academic research and scholarly writing. To pursue the thesis option, students must secure program approval, nomination by a TRFT Department faculty member, and approval of Thesis Proposal by the department graduate committee. The program will include a maximum of four units for the thesis. See Thesis section of this catalog.

A thesis committee has the option of terminating the thesis option if, in the opinion of the three readers, the candidate is incapable or unwilling to write an acceptable thesis in a reasonable amount of time. In that case, if the student wishes to complete the degree the student will be required to take the Plan B - Comprehensive Examination.

With Plan A the thesis candidate must successfully complete an oral examination focusing on the thesis.

Plan B (Research Project with Comprehensive Examination)

TA 298B students complete a Course of Study for Comprehensive Examination according to the individual student's background, area of concentration and academic program. The program and Course of Study must be approved by the department graduate committee and will include the development of a specified reading list. In addition, in order to complete the degree requirements, Plan B students must submit a scholarly article or conference paper for consideration by a peer reviewed publication or professional association.

The Comprehensive Examination provides an opportunity for the student to demonstrate a thorough grasp of history, theory, practice and pedagogy within and across the disciplines of Theatre, Radio, Film and Television. On the exams, students are expected to demonstrate a familiarity with theoretical aesthetic and historiographical issues, and to follow acceptable rules of grammar, spelling and academic style in presentation. The examination is scheduled toward the end of the fall and spring semesters and students must pass all sections of the examination within three attempts or no degree will be awarded.

With Plan B the candidates must successfully complete an oral defense based on the written examination.

Course Requirements
Required Courses		9
TA 200, TA 201 and TA 260
Seminars		6
Complete two courses from: TA 220, TA 221, TA 241, TA 270, TA 275
Electives		11-14
Approved 100- and 200-level electives
Thesis		1-4
TA 299 (Plan A) or TA 298 (Plan B)
Total Units:		30

A Culminating Examination is required.

Plan A requires Oral Defense of the thesis.