SCHOOL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS
GRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK 2014-2015
- INTRODUCTION
The School of Interdisciplinary Arts at Ohio University offers a unique program of study in the arts. The Ph.D. program educates scholars and scholar/artists who are grounded in a single discipline and able to view that area through the lens of the other arts. The School also provides extensive course offerings at the undergraduate level that fulfill university general education requirements.
Interdisciplinary Arts is an exploration of interrelationships, interdependencies and interactions among the arts. This approach employs various methodologies to examine one art form through the study of other arts and other disciplines. Advanced study of the arts should be based on strong knowledge of individual art forms, coupled with insight into how the arts are interrelated. Interdisciplinary Arts students at Ohio University undertake a strong education in a single discipline, with an emphasis in a second area, and engage in a series of interdisciplinary seminars. Students take courses from faculty across the College of Fine Arts, as well as in disciplines outside the fine arts. This doctoral program serves as preparation for a variety of professional careers, especially college and university teaching.
The program prepares students for scholarly research, while also valuing creative activity through the arts. In addition, the cultural and intellectual contexts in which the works become significant are critical to the understanding of the works themselves.
The centerpiece of the program is a series of core interdisciplinary, team-taught seminars. Faculty and student scholars come together to investigate intensively a selected topic from multiple perspectives and disciplines.
In the contemporary world, the boundaries between arts are becoming increasingly permeable, and today’s scholars recognize that discipline-based research can be inadequate to illuminate the arts, both present and past.
II.ADMISSION
The Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Arts is a full-time program of study (a minimum of four consecutive semesters.) Under special circumstances, and with prior approval, part-time study may be possible. Admission is for Fall Semester only for students receiving a stipend. Students completing a Masters degree from the Ohio University College of Fine Arts are encouraged to apply.
A.Requirements
Potential candidates must possess a Master’s degree from an accredited American or international university. The following materials must be submitted.
1.Official transcripts of all previous degree/certificate work.
2.Three current letters of recommendation that address the candidate's academic achievement and potential.
3.A three-five page essay in which the applicant discusses reasons for selecting a degree in interdisciplinary arts for a graduate degree, and a statement of philosophical and practical expectations from such study.
4.Intended primary and secondary areas of study.
5.Admission application forms from the Ohio University Graduate Catalog.
6.A sample research paper from the applicant's previous work.
7.Graduate Record Examination scores.
8.International students must submit evidence of proficiency in the English language. They must achieve at least the minimum score required by the Graduate College. Students with scores lower than the minimum may be considered for admission, but will be retested upon arrival at Ohio University and may be required to take additional intensive English courses. International students applying for a Graduate Teaching Associateship must submit their scores on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or take the SPEAK test upon arrival in Ohio. Students must score the minimum required by Graduate College to be offered a teaching stipend.
9.International students must submit an affidavit of financial support as evidence of financial responsibility. (See: O.U. Graduate Catalog)
10.All applicants must follow the Admission Policies and Procedures specified in the O.U. Graduate Catalog.
11.A personal interview is recommended.
A.1 Scholar/Artist Track Admission Requirements
The participating units within the College of Fine Arts are the School of Music and the School of Dance, Film, and Theater. Applicants to this track must already have a Master’s degree. The student shouldcontact the appropriate College of Fine Arts professor (outside of IARTS), indicating interest in applying. The student’s portfolio of creative work will be reviewed by this professor. A letter from the professor indicating support for the student’s project, as well as the portfolio, should be included in the application (along with the other required materials). Final determination for admission will be made by the School of Interdisciplinary Arts.
B. Application Deadlines
January 31: Priority consideration for graduate teaching assistantship. Later applications may be considered, depending on enrollment and availability of financial assistance. Admission is granted for fall semester only. Students will be notified within one month of the application deadline.
III.PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
- Curricular Requirements (Scholarly Focus)
Two Interdisciplinary Arts seminars (IART 8901).
Four seminars in primary area (any area from aesthetics/theory, African arts, film, music, performance studies, theater, and visual arts), three of which should be taken in Interdisciplinary Arts, and one of which should be taken from outside Interdisciplinary Arts. Seminars are to be chosen in consultation with the primary advisor.
Twoseminars in secondary area (any area from aesthetics/theory, African arts, film, music, performance studies, theater, and visual arts), one of which should be taken in Interdisciplinary Arts, and one which should be taken from either inside or outside Interdisciplinary Arts.Seminars are to be chosen in consultation with the secondary advisor.
One seminar in Aesthetics (IART 7401, IART 7402 or IART 7403)
One Critical Theory seminar (IART 7404)
One Transnational and Global Theories seminar (IART 7407)
Tworesearch/pedagogy courses (IART 7001 and 7002)
One dissertation proposal course (IART 7002).
Sample program
YEAR #1
FALL SPRING
Interdisciplinary seminar Seminar primary area
Seminar primary area Transnational/Global or Critical Theory seminar
Aesthetics seminar Seminar secondary area
Research course
Pedagogy course
YEAR #2
FALL SPRING
Interdisciplinary seminar Seminar primary area
Seminar primary area Transnational/Global or Critical Theory seminar
Seminar secondary area Elective
YEAR #3
FALL SPRING
Comprehensive examinations Dissertation research
Dissertation proposal course
A.1 Curricular Requirements (Scholar/Artist Track)
The Scholar/Artist student will pursue a primary scholarly area in accordance with the existing requirements. Instead of a secondary scholarly area, as is currently the case, the secondary area for the Scholar/Artist will be Dance/Film/Music/or Theater training, with at least two graduate-level performance/studio courses with the pertinent arts faculty member over a two-year period. In addition, that faculty member will serve on the student’s dissertation committee. (Note: If the student’s secondary area is Theater, then the secondary sequence would occur within one academic year, either the first or second, with the other course requirements being duly adjusted.)
The course of study will include the following, with credits listed:
1st Year Fall1st Year Spring
Seminar in primary area: 4Seminar in primary area:4
Aesthetics seminar: 4Dance/Film/Music/or Theater: 4
Interdisciplinary Seminar:4Critical Theory seminar: 4
Research methods course: 1Pedagogy: 1
Pedagogy course: 1
2nd Year Fall2nd Year Spring
Seminar in primary area: 4Seminar in primary area: 4
Dance/Film/Music/or Theater: 4Elective (can be Dance/Film/Music/
or Theater): 4
Interdisciplinary Seminar: 4Transnational Theory seminar: 4
Pedagogy: 1Pedagogy: 1
3rd Year Fall
Dissertation proposal course: 1
Candidacy Examination:
- Examination in the primary area and interdisciplinary area will be in accordance with the existing requirements.
- Portfolio Review (in accordance with practices of the participating COFA unit).
Dissertation:
The candidate will produce an integrated scholarly/creative dissertation. The dissertation committee will be chaired by a member of the IARTS faculty, and will include the appropriate Dance/Film/Music/or Theater professor.
B.Principles
The program requirements are based on the following principles:
-Students study with a wide variety of professors.
-Students have the opportunity to have regular elective choices of seminars throughout the College of Fine Arts and Ohio University.
-Doctoral students in Interdisciplinary Arts are regularly in the classroom with other students who are engaged in graduate study of the arts.
-A student gains a strong scholarly expertise in one area and a secondary scholarly expertise in another area.
-The program should be imbued with interdisciplinary study. These core seminars, the centerpiece of the program, are team-taught by the entire Interdisciplinary Arts faculty.
-Students have the opportunity to study and engage in the practice of the arts in order to understand the crossover between theory/criticism/history and practice.
-The education is project/inquiry based, from the seminars to individual, independent research. Students learn how to conduct interdisciplinary research on a given project, with the goal of applying the techniques to further studies.
-Scholarship is fostered at the graduate student level. Students are expected to submit papers to scholarly conferences (with possible travel funding from the College of Fine Arts).
-Students are encouraged to submit articles for publication.
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- Language Requirements
Students are required to have a reading knowledge of a language other than English.The African Studies Program, Department of Linguistics, and Department of Modern Languages offer instruction in a variety of languages. Upon entering IARTS, students should create with their advisor
a plan to fulfill the language requirement. This may be accomplished in one of the following ways:
1.A translation examination administered by the appropriate department or program.
2.Two years of undergraduate or graduate instruction in said language within the last five years.
3.Test scores from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) that certify reading proficiency in said language.
Students are required to contact the appropriate program or department to determine whether a translation examination can be given in the language of interest. If the opportunity is available, the examination must be taken at least one year before the student’s anticipated date of graduation. The student will choose a book-length example of academic writing related to the student’s research in the chosen language. It should be a primary text, a secondary text, or an anthology. After gaining approval of the primary academic advisor, the student will send the text to the pertinent language instructor, who will determine the length of the passage to be translated, as well as the time allowed for translation. The student may utilize a dictionary in the language at this examination. The language instructor will then determine the proficiency of the student in the language with either a pass or a fail grade.
D.Residence Requirements
Minimum residency requirements are stated in the O.U. Graduate Catalog. It should be noted, however, that a minimum of two consecutive years is necessary for completion of all coursework for the Ph.D. degree in Interdisciplinary Arts.
E.Examinations
Diagnostic and Qualifying exams:
a.The student should gain broad knowledge of the canons of two disciplines and will be tested through diagnostic and qualifying examinations.
b.All students take a diagnostic examination within the first week of classes in their primary area. This diagnostic examination will be used for advising purposes, and subsequent coursework, independent studies, and/or qualifying examination may be required.
c.A student may enter with less knowledge of his/her secondary area. This knowledge can be gained through two semesters of sitting in on undergraduate or graduate survey courses offered by the given School. At any time prior to the end of spring semester of first year, the student takes the qualifying exam in the secondary area.
Comprehensive Examinations:
In fall semester of the third year of study (when the coursework is complete) the student is evaluated by the faculty to determine eligibility for the comprehensive examination. Students are required to complete all coursework for which they received an I (Incomplete) or PR (Progress). The student must be enrolled as a full-time student and continue to fulfill her/his teaching responsibilities during the examination semester. Comprehensive examinations will be administered during the fall semester.
Examination Content: The goal of the comprehensive examination is for the student to demonstrate her/his mastery of the chosen disciplines, including history, criticism, theory, analytical vocabulary, and bibliography. During the period of the student’s coursework, (s)he should work with the primary and secondary advisor to prepare the body of material for the examination. This material should include two different areas for each discipline, and should include a list of both scholarly works and artists and works of art. The areas should be broadly described (for example, Modern Drama) and then specified by a group of major artists, artworks, scholarly texts, and themes. It is up to the student in the course of her/his studying to determine the major critical texts on the artists and works of art. This list of works to be studied should be proposed by the student and must be approved by the appropriate advisors. Preparation for these bases of the examination should begin in fall semester of the first year, and the final deadline for submission is the day after spring break in the second year. The interdisciplinary question will be prepared by the relevant professors.
Examination Procedures: In-class examinations will take place over a period of two days, with one four-hour session each day. The take-home question will be given out at the end of the in-class exams, and will be due one week later. The student will be required to answer four in-class questions, plus one take-home question and the professional portfolio. These questions may include examples of works of art for the student to examine. The student will be offered a choice of questions within each category:
1) Two essay questions on the student’s primary discipline (in class)
2) Two essay questions on the student’s secondary discipline (in class)
3) One essay question on interdisciplinary arts (take home, one week)
Theprofessional portfolio should contain acurriculum vitae, teaching philosophy, sample cover letter for job openings, statement of research objectives, employment strategy, plan for applying for grants and fellowships, syllabi of courses taught, student and faculty evaluations, and a 250-word statement about your dissertation proposal. The portfolio is due by the fourth week of the fall semester of the third year, and will be reviewed by the student’s advisor.
Examination Schedule:
The in-class exam takes place at the beginning of the fall semester. The student may handwrite the answers to the in-class exam or enter them on a computer (depending on availability of a facility). The student enters the answers directly into a computer, prints out the answers and submits them to the School Office Associate. The take-home examination will be submitted electronically and is due one week after the questions are given to the student.
Two weeks after the in-class examination (one week after the take-home answer is due), the student will participate in an oral examination, scheduled for one hour. This exam is based on the written answers and any related material derived from the coursework. Students should review their written answers before the oral exam and be prepared to clarify and amplify their answers. Students should bring a copy of their written exam to the oral exam. Students will receive written notification by the faculty of the examination results. In the event of an unsatisfactory written and/or oral examination, the faculty will make specific recommendations to the student concerning either conditions for continuation in the program or dismissal from the program.The results of the Comprehensive Examination are valid for up to five years. If the students have not graduated by that time, he or she must retake the examination to demonstrate competency in the field. This policy does not replace or change the Ohio University policy on the time limit for the Ph.D. degree.
F.Seigfred Award
The Seigfred Award is presented to the student whose Comprehensive Exams, course work and teaching are outstanding. The amount of the award varies annually and is dependent on available monies.
G.Dissertation Proposal
After successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination, the student submits a proposal for the dissertation to be approved by the faculty. It is recommended that the student submit the proposal by the end of the fall semester of the third year of study. Students are advised to consult with faculty members in the preparation of the proposal. The proposal must have the endorsement of one professor before being submitted to the faculty for approval.
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The dissertation subject should be inherently interdisciplinary. The given thesis should be proven through the combined methodologies, subjects and/or theories of two or more arts, or discipline(s) outside the arts. The dissertation may focus on one art discipline and integrate another discipline or disciplines in or outside of the arts. When possible, the dissertation is a project that develops out of the student's coursework. These guidelines should be viewed as inclusionary rather than exclusionary.