A. Required Courses (9-12 units)

TA 200 Graduate Research in Performing Arts (3)
TA 201 Theoretical Perspectives in the Perf. Arts (3)
TA 260 Graduate Problems in Theatre Arts (3)
TA 299 Master's Thesis -- Plan A (1-4)
- or -
TA 298 Special Study Comprehensive Exams -- Plan B (1-4)

B. Graduate Seminars (6 units)
Choose TWO from among the following four courses

TA 220 Seminar in Performance Cultures (3)
TA 221 Seminar in Performance History (3)
TA 241 Seminar in 20th Century Dance History (3)
TA 242 Seminar in Performance Audiences (3)
TA 270 Seminar in Film and Television (3)
TA 275 Seminar in Scriptwriting (3)

C. Approved 100-200 electives (12-15 units)
You may include up to 3 units of TA 298 (Special study, supervised research or creative project)

Total Units (30)
SJSU catalog course descriptions

Graduate students generally begin with TA 200 (Seminar in Research Methods) to learn the fundamentals of graduate research, and the commonly accepted principles that elevate postgraduate from undergraduate study. These methods will apply to the remainder of the program of study.

The seminar structure of the graduate-level course work assures that students learn to think, read, and communicate seriously and persuasively about performance in different media, different historical eras, and different cultural contexts. Each seminar offers an "integrated" approach to a special theme or "problem" for the semester. While the theoretical problems addressed by seminars may be highly specific, they all examine these problems from the perspective of more than one performance mode, more than one culture, and often from more than one method of interpreting evidence.

We do not expect students to have elaborate historical or technical knowledge of areas which are outside of their undergraduate educations; this knowledge can often be gained by taking upper division undergraduate courses in areas of interest to you. Depending on your research interests, you may even want to take a course or two outside of the Theatre Arts department. The advantage of an MA degree is that it offers flexibility in shaping a program of study which is suited to your unique aspirations.

The capstone or culminating project is TA 299 (Plan A), the creation of a scholarly thesis that contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field or TA 298 (PlanB), a Comprehensive Written Exmination in the student's approved area of study. Capstone projets demonstrate the student's advanced degree standing.