PhD in Performance Studies - Critical Theory in Davis United States | University of California Davis

The Performance Studies Ph.D. program spans four to five years. During the initial two years, students gain foundational knowledge by selecting from diverse course offerings to establish their research focus. The curriculum mandates completing four out of nine core courses, including PFS 200 and three selections from PFS 265 A-D. Additional PFS 265 courses beyond the core options also fulfill requirements. Students must complete four out of five core performance studies courses plus one colloquium. Their personalized academic path combines seminars, practice-based research, and independent or collaborative studies, focusing on one or more program specializations: Comparative Medias, Embodiments, Cultures/Ecologies, and History/Text. Courses are taught by faculty across HArCS departments, with Designated Emphases available in areas like Performance & Practice, African American & African Studies, Critical Theory, Feminist Theory & Research, Native American Studies, Religious Studies, Science & Technology Studies, and Writing, Rhetoric & Composition Studies. A minimum of 60 units must be completed before the qualifying exam, with no more than 12 non-graduate units allowed without advisor approval.

UC Davis's Critical Theory Designated Emphasis offers doctoral candidates dual benefits: engaging in interdisciplinary seminars exploring critical thought across historical periods while earning formal certification. Faculty from humanities and social sciences departments contribute diverse expertise, fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue that challenges fundamental assumptions about social, political, and cultural practices through comparative analysis of theoretical approaches.