Major & Minor

Students work closely with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and faculty advisors to shape an individual course of study that reflects the student’s interests while fulfilling the program’s requirements. Each student’s coursework may be organized around one or more clusters, including, for example, acting, dance, devising and writing (across media), design, directing, dramaturgy, media arts, performance studies, theater history, or some combination of the above.

Students majoring in other fields of study may double major or complete a minor in TAPS.

Major Requirements

The major requires a total of 1300 units, comprising 11 elective courses and a capstone BA project. At least eight of the elective courses counted toward the major must have a TAPS course number. Course selection is subject to the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. It is generally expected that courses in the major will be at the 20000-level or higher; 10000-level courses will be approved sparingly.

TAPS majors are encouraged but not required to take one TAPS core course to fulfill the general education requirement for the arts core. If the art core requirement is fulfilled with another arts core, TAPS majors can count one TAPS core course toward their major if it is related to their specialized area of interest and in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

Coursework includes:

1. TAPS 22900 Introduction to Theater & Performance Studies, designed to introduce students to foundational ideas and critical skills relevant to the study of theater and performance.
2. Four elective courses in theater, dance, and/or performance theory, considered broadly to include history, theory, aesthetics, or analysis. Theory courses may be selected from the TAPS course offerings below or from related course offerings in the College. At least two of these courses will have a TAPS course number.
3. Four elective courses in artistic practice. Artistic practice courses may be selected from the TAPS course offerings below or from related course offerings in the College, including Cinema and Media Studies, Creative Writing, Media Arts and Design, Music, or Visual Arts. At least three of these courses will have a TAPS course number.
4. Three other elective courses selected from the TAPS course offerings listed below or from related course offerings in the College.
5. TAPS 29801 Theater and Performance Studies BA Colloquium I and TAPS 29802 Theater and Performance Studies BA Colloquium II is a two-quarter sequence to be taken in the student's fourth year which is devoted to the preparation of the BA project. TAPS majors will enroll in TAPS 29801 in Autumn Quarter receiving 0 units and in TAPS 29802 in Winter Quarter receiving 100 units. Students will receive a quality grade for each quarter.

BA Project

The TAPS BA project marks the culmination of a student’s studies in TAPS and is typically presented during Spring Quarter of the student's fourth year. There are two project formats from which to choose: (1) an original artistic work (e.g., staged reading, site-specific installation, solo performance, choreography) with an accompanying critical piece of writing, OR (2) a written academic thesis with an accompanying presentation (in the form of a talk or performative component).

In the fourth year, students will enroll in TAPS 29801 and TAPS 29802 Theater and Performance Studies BA Colloquium I & II, a two-quarter sequence devoted to the preparation of the BA project. TAPS majors will enroll in 29801 in Autumn Quarter receiving 0 units and in 29802 in Winter Quarter receiving 100 units. The two-quarter TAPS BA Colloquium offers a weekly forum in which students develop their BA Projects in collaboration with peers and in accordance with a carefully designed set of deadlines. During Spring Quarter of the fourth year, students will present their artistic work and submit their final complete project by Friday of fifth week for honors consideration, or by Friday of eighth week for the completion of the major. Students graduating in any quarter other than Spring should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies about an appropriate timeline.

Honors

Eligibility for honors requires an overall cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher, a GPA of 3.5 or higher in the TAPS major, and a BA project that is judged by the designated advisors to display exceptional intellectual and creative merit. If the faculty advisors recommend the project for honors, the Chair of TAPS in consultation with the TAPS faculty will issue a recommendation to the Associate Dean and Master of the Humanities Collegiate Division, who makes the ultimate decision.

Summary of Requirements for the Major

Application to the Major

Students interested in joining the program are encouraged to consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Tina Post, in Spring Quarter of their first year or as soon as possible thereafter. Students who have decided to join the program should file a the Worksheet to the Major form with the Director of Undergraduate Studies by the beginning of Spring Quarter of their second year or no later than the end of Autumn Quarter of their third year. 

Students must formalize their declaration on my.uchicago.edu and regularly provide documentation to their College adviser of any approvals for the major.

Grading

All courses in the major or minor must be taken for a quality grade, with the exception of the Dance Technique Classes, which are taken Pass/Fail.

Students interested in joining the minor program are encouraged to consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Spring Quarter of their second year or as soon as possible thereafter. Students who have decided to join the program should file an Application to the Minor form with the Director of Undergraduate Studies ideally by the beginning of Spring Quarter in their third year. The signed form must be submitted to the student’s College adviser.

The TAPS minor requires a total of six TAPS courses including TAPS 29802 Theater and Performance Studies BA Colloquium II, plus an original artistic work (e.g., staged reading, site-specific installation, solo performance piece, choreography). Course selection is subject to the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. It is generally expected that courses in the minor will be at the 20000-level; 10000-level courses will be approved sparingly. 

TAPS minors are encouraged but not required to take one TAPS core course to fulfill the general education requirement for the arts core. If the art core requirement is fulfilled with another arts core, TAPS minors can count one TAPS core course toward their minor if it is related to their specialized area of interest and in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

TAPS minors must register for TAPS 29802 Theater and Performance Studies BA Colloquium II in Winter Quarter of the fourth year. Students are invited to participate in TAPS 29801 Theater and Performance Studies BA Colloquium I offered in Autumn Quarter without credit. The focus of this course will be the development of the student's artistic project, as described above, to be presented in Spring Quarter of the fourth year. Each student must also submit a brief critical reflection on the project by eighth week of the graduating quarter.

Courses counted toward the minor may not also be counted toward the student's major(s), toward other minors, or toward general education requirements. Courses in the minor must be taken for a quality grade, with the exception of Dance Technique Classes, which are taken pass/fail.

Summary of Requirements for the Minor