J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts Graduate Programs

School of Art
School of Music
School of Theatre and Dance
Graduate Programs & Course Descriptions

About the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts Graduate Program

Admission to graduate programs in the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts is a two-step process with requirements established by both the Graduate School and the school in which the student plans to study. Students should note carefully any particular requirements for admission established by the school in which they plan to major and contact the graduate advisor of the unit for more detailed information.

Fine Arts, Ph.D. Faculties in the J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts offer an interdisciplinary program leading to the Ph.D. in Fine Arts. Aims of this program comprise providing a comprehensive approach to doctoral study of the arts and of aesthetic principles, and fostering leadership in the arts for emerging and established institutions.

The 60-hour program requires a minimum of 48 semester hours of graduate coursework beyond the master’s degree. Students engage a core curriculum of 15 hours that emphasizes interdisciplinarity among the arts, including a colloquium that explores disciplinary formation and types of interdisciplinary engagement, arts histories, arts in a contemporary context, and one of two courses in philosophical aesthetics; additional topics courses and offerings in philosophy complete a student’s core program. Thirty-three hours of coursework in the field of specialization (art, music, or theatre) and 12 hours of enrollment in dissertation constitute the remaining minimum hours required for the degree. Work in the field of specialization ordinarily involves required coursework along with an individualized curriculum that allows the candidate to pursue a professional goal relating to personal interests and competencies. The residence requirement for the fine arts doctoral program is fulfilled by satisfactory completion of 18 semester hours of graduate coursework during one 12-month period.

Each candidate will write a formal dissertation, ordinarily in the field of specialization; however, students with appropriate backgrounds may be permitted to complete interdisciplinary dissertations. The nature of the dissertation project may vary among three plans: traditional or interdisciplinary research, research devoted to solving a professional problem, or research based on an internship experience. Regardless of the project chosen, however, the research will culminate in a formal document submitted to the dean of the Graduate School.

In addition to meeting the Graduate School’s minimal requirements for admission, applicants must also be approved by their major schools and by the Visual and Performing Arts Graduate Committee. All applicants for the program must have completed a master’s degree or its equivalent with emphasis in some area of the arts.

School of Art

For specific admission requirements and procedures for each program, visit the School of Art website: www.art.ttu.edu

The School of Art offers the following graduate degrees:

Master of Art Education (M.A.E.)
Master of Arts in Art History
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
Fine Arts: Critical Studies and Artistic Practice, Ph.D.

Credit and Time Requirements. For most purposes a traditionally offered face-to-face course will have a minimum of 15 contact hours for each semester credit hour. Thus, a 1-credit-hour course should meet for at least 15 hours over a long semester and a 3-credit-hour course should meet for 45 hours over the semester. Courses taught during a summer session are expected to have the same number of contact hours as if they were taught during a long semester. It is permitted to offer a course in a shortened schedule, online, or in other non-traditional formats that do not meet the contact hour requirement if the course has been reviewed by a college faculty committee and the Office of the Provost and approved as having the same learning outcomes as a comparable course delivered traditionally.

In-residence students and any students in their semester of graduation must be enrolled in a minimum of one credit-bearing semester hour. Registration in remedial and other zero-credit hour coursework must be accompanied by one credit-bearing course. Should a student drop to zero credit hours, the student will be withdrawn from the institution.

Pursuant to the Texas Tech University Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, the Texas Administrative Code, and norms stated in the NASAD Handbook, the credit and time expectations for School of Art courses are as follows:

For studio- or project-based courses, a standard of 30 in-class contact hours per credit hour per term is employed. Further, non-contact hour time expectations for out-of-class student activity typically range from 15 to 30 hours per credit hour per term.
For traditionally delivered 3-credit-hour lecture- or seminar-based courses during a regular semester, students should expect to be in class for 3 hours per week and work outside of class a minimum of 6 hours per week. For 3-credit-hour studio- or project-based courses, students should expect to be in class for 6 hours per week and work outside of class between 3 and 6 hours per week.

School of Music

The School of Music offers two master’s degrees with seven fields of specialization, a Doctor of Philosophy Degree, a Doctor of Musical Arts degree with four fields of specialization, and two graduate certificates.

Admission. For admission to any graduate program in music, the applicant must fulfill all requirements of the Graduate School as well as School of Music requirements. Applicants for the Ph.D. program must also be recommended by the faculty and approved by the college Graduate Committee. GRE scores are not required for admission to any School of Music graduate program. Students beginning a graduate degree program take placement tests in music history and music theory, as well as in applied music if the major is performance or in music education if the major is music education. Texas Tech graduates with a bachelor’s degree in music or music education are also required to take the placement examinations. All placement and preliminary examinations are administered by the School of Music during the registration period of each semester. Deficiencies, if any, may be removed by appropriate leveling work. The prospective graduate student should also consult the Graduate School section of this catalog for admissions requirements.

Credit and Time Requirements. Pursuant to the Texas Tech University Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, the Texas Administrative Code, and norms stated in the NASM Handbook, the credit and time expectations for School of Music graduate courses are as follows:

For studio- or project-based courses, in-class contact hours typically include a combination of individual meetings and group activities that may vary by studio discipline and instructor. Total time expectations for in- and out-of-class student activity typically range from 45 to 60 hours per credit hour per semester.
For traditionally delivered 3-credit-hour lecture- and seminar-based courses during a regular semester, students should expect to be in class for 3 hours per week and work outside of class a minimum of 6 hours per week. For 3-credit-hour studio- and project-based courses, students should expect to devote 9 to 12 hours to the course per week.

School of Theatre and Dance

For admission to any graduate program in theatre, the applicant must fulfill all requirements of the Graduate School as well as school requirements. Applicants for the Ph.D. program must also be recommended by the faculty and be approved by the college Graduate Committee. All incoming students must take at the start of the fall term a school diagnostic examination that will provide a basis for faculty decisions about leveling courses that may be required and credits that may be transferred.

All graduate students are expected to participate actively in the school’s production program.

Credit and Time Requirements. Pursuant to the Texas Tech University Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog, the Texas Administrative Code, and norms stated in the NAST Handbook, the credit and time expectations for the School of Theatre and Dance graduate courses are as follows:

For studio-based courses, in-class contact hours typically include a combination of individual meetings and class-based activities that may vary by studio and instructor. Total time expectations for in- and out-of-class student activity typically range from 45 to 60 hours per credit hour per term.
For traditionally delivered 3-credit-hour lecture- and seminar-based courses during a regular semester, students should expect to be in class for 3 hours per week and work outside of class a minimum of 6 hours per week. For 3-credit-hour studio- and project-based courses, students should expect to devote 9 to 12 hours to the course per week.

Graduate Programs & Course Descriptions

Programs

Master’s

Doctoral

Graduate Certificates

The director of each certificate, in consultation with the director of graduate studies, will develop and specify a program of study appropriate for each student. If students decide to pursue studies beyond the certificate level, course credit earned toward the certificate can be considered toward a graduate degree.

Graduate certificates are intended to meet the supplemental post-baccalaureate education needs of professionals. A graduate certificate program is a set of courses that provides in-depth knowledge in a subject matter. The set of courses provides a coherent knowledge base.

A student applying for a graduate certificate program will be admitted with a “GCRT” designation. Some certificate programs require the GRE or GMAT, and some do not. To take any graduate course, all prerequisite courses (including undergraduate courses) must be taken and necessary background obtained before attempting the course. A student will be required to have a baccalaureate degree to start a graduate certificate program. There is only one exception to having a baccalaureate degree. If an undergraduate student from Texas Tech University has a 3.0 GPA or better and is within 12 hours of completion of a baccalaureate degree, the student may start taking graduate courses toward a graduate certificate. The student must have a baccalaureate degree to receive a graduate certificate.

Graduate credits earned while the student is enrolled in a graduate certificate program may not be applied toward a graduate degree unless the student completes the GRE or GMA T and enrolls as a fully accredited graduate student. After taking the GRE or GMA T and fulfilling all other admission requirements, a student may use the courses taken for a graduate certificate degree if the courses fulfill the requirements of the program of study for the degree.

Graduate students may pursue a graduate certificate that is outside their graduate program of study. No more than one transfer course (if approved by the advisor of the graduate certificate program and the Graduate School) will be allowed for a graduate certificate program. If a graduate student is in good standing and dropping out of the graduate program, the student may receive a graduate certificate if the necessary courses have been taken. To receive a graduate certificate, a student must have a GPA of 3.0 or better. No grade lower than a C will be accepted.

Courses

THA - Theatre Arts (Graduate Courses)

VPA - Visual and Performing Arts (Graduate Courses)

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