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 13 courses, comprising 11 elective courses and a capstone BA project. At least seven 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.

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 courses in theater and/or performance theory, considered broadly to include history, theory, aesthetics, or analysis. Theory courses may be selected from the TAPS course offerings or from related course offerings in the College. At least two of these courses will have a TAPS course number.
3. Four courses in artistic practice. Artistic practice courses may be selected from the TAPS course offerings 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 two of these courses will have a TAPS course number.
4. Three other courses selected from the TAPS course offerings or from related course offerings in the College.
5. TAPS 29800 Theater and Performance Studies BA Colloquium, to be taken in the student's fourth year, is devoted to the preparation of the BA project. Although TAPS 29800 extends over two quarters, students register for the course in only Autumn or Winter Quarter, receiving 100 units of credit and one grade for the course.

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, Leslie Danzig, in Spring Quarter of their first year or as soon as possible thereafter. Students who have decided to join the program should file an Application 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.

BA Project

The TAPS BA project marks the culmination of student’s studies in TAPS and is typically presented during Spring Quarter of the student's fourth year. Students majoring in TAPS choose one of two project formats: (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). Students minoring in TAPS create an original artistic work.

With the support of the Director of Undergraduate Studies and other TAPS faculty, students will develop the project proposal and submit a BA Project Statement during Spring Quarter of the third year. Proposals are subject to the approval of the Chair of Theater and Performance Studies.

In the fourth year, TAPS majors and minors will enroll in TAPS 29800 Theater and Performance Studies BA Colloquium, which offers a weekly forum in Autumn and Winter Quarters to develop the BA project 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(s) and submit their final complete project by Friday of fifth week for honors consideration (majors only), or by Friday of the eighth week for the completion of the major or minor.  Students graduating in any quarter other than Spring should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies about an appropriate timeline.

Recent BA Thesis Projects

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 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 courses plus an original artistic work (e.g., staged reading, site-specific installation, solo performance piece, choreography). Required courses include: TAPS 22900 Introduction to Theater & Performance Studies, two (2) TAPS courses and two (2) arts elective courses. 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. Many of these courses will be found in the course offerings listed below, as well as the course offerings in Cinema and Media Studies, Creative Writing, Media Arts and Design, Visual Arts, and Music.

In addition, all those minoring in TAPS must register for TAPS 29800 Theater and Performance Studies BA Colloquium. 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, and more than half of the courses for the minor must bear University of Chicago course numbers.

Summary of Requirements for the Minor