Ph.D. students must complete 80 credits receiving grades of 'B' or better for each course. For students who received an M.A. from the Department of Performance Studies, that is 44 points beyond the M.A. degree. Ph.D. students who received a Master's degree from another university may transfer a maximum of 36 credits from that degree to apply toward the Ph.D. All applications for credit transfers must be made during the student's first semester in the department, are evaluated on an individual basis, and require approval by the department Chair and the TSOA Director of Graduate Admissions.
Before registration each semester, all students must receive approval of their schedule from their Performance Studies faculty advisor. When determining registration choices, students must consider the disciplines, culture areas and language(s) which are necessitated by a given dissertation project. Faculty advisors assist Ph.D. students in devising an appropriate coursework plan for gathering the required expertise. This may include language study, as well as coursework outside the department with authorities in other fields.
There are two required courses for the Ph.D. student: Advanced Readings in Performance Studies (H42.2201) and Methods in Performance Studies (H42.2616). Ph.D. students are permitted to take 3 courses outside the department. Incoming students are not permitted to take an outside course during their first semester. The course must be an academic course – the only practical course that counts toward the Ph.D. degree is Performance Composition (H42.2730). Ph.D. students are permitted to take two Performance Composition (H42.2730) practical workshops during their course of studies in the department. Students may petition to take an additional Performance Composition course in lieu of one course allowed outside the department.
Maintaining Matriculation
Ph.D. students must register for Maintain Matriculation (G47.4747) and pay the matriculation fee each semester in which they are not registering for any classes. Maintaining Matriculation entitles students to continue to utilize NYU facilities and services. NYU will not permit a student to graduate if the student has any outstanding matriculation fees. Faculty advisor approval is required to Maintain Matriculation. Faculty advisor approval must also indicate Equivalency Status. Full-time status requires the student be engaged in degree work, i.e. the dissertation, full-time, a minimum of 40 hours of work per week. Half-time status is granted to students engaged in a minimum of 20 hours of work per week. Students Maintaining Matriculation and requesting Equivalency Status must submit an advisor approved Equivalency Status and Maintenance Matriculation Form to the Administrative Director. Full-time equivalency is necessary for loan deferral and for international students on J-1 or F-1 visas. The Department of Performance Studies adheres to GSAS policy regarding equivalency status. Please see GSAS Policies and Procedures in Related Links for more information.
After completing 76 credits with no Incompletes and fulfilling the GSAS Foreign Language Requirement, students must take the Area Exams -- typically taken during the first semester of the student's third year of study. During this semester, students must also register to maintain matriculation. Upon passing the Area Exams, Ph.D. students must take Dissertation Proposal. A passing grade is recorded for Dissertation Proposal when the proposal is approved by the student's dissertation advisor and two core readers. The student is then granted ABD (All But Dissertation) status. Each semester during ABD status, up to and including the semester of the dissertation defense, Ph.D. students must register to maintain matriculation.
Ph.D. students are also invited to participate in NYU's Interuniversity Doctoral Consortium (see Related Links for more information).
Department policy does not permit students to receive grades of Incomplete. However, in exceptional circumstances, some allowance may be considered. Students must submit an Incomplete Work Form (please consult the Forms page) to the Administrative Director. Please note that this form requires the approval of both the individual professor teaching the course in question, and the department Chair. It is the individual student's responsibility to investigate the implications an Incomplete grade could have on their financial aid.
Time to Degree
According to Graduate School of Arts and Sciences policies (see Related Links for more information), the time limit for Ph.D. students who entered Performance Studies with a Master's from another university is 7 years. For students who continued into the Ph.D. from Performance Studies M.A. program, the time limit is 10 years from their entrance into the M.A. program. Students beyond the time limit to complete their degree may not register. Students may petition GSAS for an extension of the time to degree. Please contact the Administrative Director of Performance Studies for more information.
Language Requirement
Ph.D. students must fulfill the GSAS Foreign Language Requirement before taking the Area Exams. For more information see GSAS Policies and Procedures in Related Links.
