PhD in Theatre and Drama in La Jolla United States | University of California, San Diego

The UC San Diego Theatre and Dance program provides an innovative PhD in Drama and Theatre, offered jointly with UC Irvine's Department of Drama. This collaborative PhD structure grants students access to an exceptional range of theatre faculty and affiliated scholars across both campuses for academic guidance and coursework. Emphasizing both theoretical and historical perspectives, the program allows students to craft personalized curricula from diverse seminar offerings in specialized research fields such as: Theatre of the Americas (covering modernist/postmodernist performance, African American theatre and dance, Asian American performance, Latinx and Indigenous traditions), European Theatre, Asian Theatre, Gender Studies, Intercultural Theatre, and Critical Theory.

Doctoral candidates attend seminars at both UC San Diego and UC Irvine while working with faculty advisors from both institutions. Additionally, PhD students often secure partial funding by developing promotional materials for productions in the department's highly regarded MFA program. The program's academic rigor complements the vibrant artistic community of UC San Diego's Theatre District, home to the renowned La Jolla Playhouse. Those with theatre experience and scholarly interests in history and theory will discover that the department's expansive resources and the PhD's collaborative framework create ideal conditions for preparing for careers in academic research and scholarship.