Admissions

The PhD program in Theater and Performance Studies is designed as a joint degree program. Students cannot receive a stand-alone PhD in TAPS. Prospective students enter through a partnering department and pursue their degree jointly with that other discipline. 

Due to this year's unusual circumstances, some of our partner departments are not admitting graduate students for 2021. The following departments will be accepting applications for 2021:

Classics
East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Germanics
English Language and Literature - Note: In keeping with the English department's commitment to funding and fostering scholarship in Black studies--and in conjunction with its Black Lives Matter statement--English is prioritizing consideration of applicants who work in and with Black studies for admission to the PhD program in 2021.

Students presently enrolled in a non-partnering PhD program at the University of Chicago who are interested in applying to the joint PhD program in TAPS should contact the Assistant Dean of Students, Admissions, for information about application procedures and deadlines. Students presently enrolled in a partnering department may begin the process by completing the Application to Affiliate with TAPS form.

Students wishing to begin graduate studies in Autumn 2020 or after should apply to a partnering department and indicate their interest in the TAPS joint program. The Office of the Dean of Students administers the applications and admissions process for TAPS as well as all other departments in the Humanities Division. All application materials are to be submitted electronically through the online application system. Please note that we will not accept additional materials sent separately. 

Applicants should submit a single application to the partnering department, and must indicate on the electronic application that they are interested in being considered for the Joint Program in TAPS. This is done by selecting "Yes" in response to the following question on the Application Information page: "Do you want to be considered for the Joint Ph.D. Program in Theater and Performance Studies?" After this selection has been made, the application will generate two new tabs, TAPS Supplement and Portfolio, which can be used to submit the required supplemental materials.  

All applicants are asked to submit the following materials:

• A 300-600 word statement that specifically addresses the student’s interest in the joint PhD program. This statement should be submitted on the TAPS Supplement page of the online application, and is separate from the Candidate Statement for the partner department. The TAPS admissions committee will have access to both statements.
   
• At least one (and ideally two) letters of recommendation that speak directly to the student’s experience with theater and/or performance studies. These letters may be among the required letters submitted to the partner department, if those letters are relevant, or you may submit up to two additional letters to satisfy this goal. In either case, the TAPS Supplement page of the online application will ask for the names of two of your recommenders whose letters are most relevant to the TAPS committee. (The TAPS admissions committee will have access to your entire dossier of letters.) Use the Recommendations page of the online application to submit all letters.
   
• A TAPS-related critical writing sample (up to 15 pages) and/or a sample of creative work. If the writing sample submitted to the partnering department meets this requirement, the applicant can choose to submit the same sample in both the Writing Sample page and the TAPS Supplement page. Use the Portfolio tab to upload media files, if any. 

For general information about the application, including test requirements and answers to common questions, please visit the Division's resources for prospective students. 

To apply to the joint PhD, please go to the online application.

If have additional questions related to admissions, please contact Michael Beetley, Assistant Dean of Students for Admissions, or Vicki Walden, Academic Administrator for TAPS.

What is the application deadline?

Application materials are due in December but the exact date varies slightly by department. Prospective students should check the deadlines for the partnering department through which they will be applying to TAPS. The Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH) accepts applications twice a year. The deadlines are December 15 and April 30.

What is the admissions process for TAPS?

TAPS applications are subject to two rounds of review by two different admissions committees. Admission is contingent on being accepted by both the partnering (or home) department and the TAPS program.

How many recommenders should I list?

At least one, but no more than three.

Once I've submitted my application, how can I check that my materials were received? 

You may log in to the submission site to track the receipt of your application. Your application checklist will be updated as the admissions office receives your materials.

When are admissions decisions announced?

Decisions are announced in early March and are made available to individual applicants through the online application system. You will be notified by email from the Office of the Dean of Students when a decision is available. To protect applicants' privacy, no official admissions decisions will be provided directly in an email or by telephone; all applicants must log in to the application site to view their decision.

Does TAPS offer a master's degree?

No. We recommend that students interested in master's-level work consider applying to the TAPS option in the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities (MAPH).