Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis)) in Theatre Studies
Dunedin, New Zealand
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
Master of Arts (Thesis) (MA(Thesis)) in Theatre Studies
The MA by thesis
The thesis option normally requires at least one year of full-time study and entails completion of a thesis. The thesis is a major piece of supervised research of up to 40,000 words on a topic of current interest.
The primary aim of the MA by thesis Program is to develop in a candidate skills needed to identify a significant topic, design and implement an extended piece of research, and present the findings in a form acceptable to an expert readership.
Why study Theatre Studies at Otago?
Theatre Studies is a subject that is easy to become passionate about. It provides an understanding of the nature of performance, allows you access to the tools of a theatre-maker, and looks at performance using critical and analytical skills.
You'll study different times and cultures from a theatre perspective, ranging from Shakespeare to performance art and all points in-between. Practice and analytical investigation inform and support one another.
Your lecturers have professional as well as academic expertise in the fields of acting, producing, directing, criticism, stage design, lighting and sound design, playwriting and translation. And then there is our unique weekly Lunchtime Theatre Program at Allen Hall, which is your testing ground as a performer, director or playwright, and in all aspects of stagecraft.
Otago offers a wide selection of papers in Theatre Studies, drawn from the following areas:
Performance skills: improvisation; principles of actor training, including Shakespeare, voice and movement
Analysis and interpretation of drama on stage and screen
Bicultural theatre; drama and theatre of Aotearoa/New Zealand, the Pacific and Australia
Directing
Theatre history, contemporary drama and performance art
Performance analysis and critical theory
Theatre technology and design, especially lighting and stage design
Playwriting and the creation of new theatre works
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the university website for more information.
Curriculum
- The degree can be undertaken as a 240-point Program of study comprising papers and a thesis for students with a bachelor's degree or as a 120-point thesis-only Program for students with appropriate postgraduate level study (see Section 1(c)).
- The degree may be awarded in any of the subjects listed in the MA(Thesis) Schedule. With the approval of the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Humanities) the degree may be awarded in a subject not listed in the MA(Thesis) Schedule.
- The student's course of study shall be approved by the Dean, Head of School, Program or Department. In the case of the 240-point Program, the Dean, Head of School, Program or Department will confirm that the combination of papers will provide adequate preparation for the thesis component.
- A candidate shall, before commencing the investigation to be described in the thesis, secure the approval of the Dean, Head of the School, or Head of Program or Department concerned for the topic, the supervisory team, and the proposed course of the investigation.
- A candidate may not present a thesis which has previously been accepted for another degree.
- A candidate taking the degree by papers and thesis must pass both the papers and the thesis components.
- For a thesis, the research should be of a kind that a diligent and competent student should complete within one year of full-time study.
Subject areas
The degree may be awarded in any of the following subjects:
- Anthropology
- Childhood and Youth Studies* (thesis only)
- Chinese
- Classics
- Communication Studies
- Computer Science
- Development Studies* (thesis only)
- Economics
- Education
- English
- Film and Media Studies
- French
- Gender Studies
- Geography
- German
- History
- Human Services* (thesis only)
- Indigenous Development / He Kura Matanui
- Information Science
- Japanese
- Linguistics
- Māori Studies
- Mathematics
- Music
- Peace and Conflict Studies* (thesis only)
- Philosophy
- Politics* (thesis only)
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Spanish
- Statistics
- Theatre Studies
Program Outcome
Level of Award of the Degree
The degree may be awarded with distinction or with credit.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Theatre Studies graduates work as actors, directors, publicists, script-writers, TV/radio journalists, film-makers, comedians, designers, teachers, musicians and theatre technicians. Others take up careers in arts administration, advertising and marketing, or undertake further training in theatre-related fields.
Some choose to combine Theatre Studies with another subject (e.g. English, Music, Dance, Anthropology, Film & Media, Psychology, Maori Studies and many more) or with another degree, such as Law, Marketing or Education.
Theatre papers teach personal and professional skills which are widely applicable across a range of careers and disciplines. They include critical analysis, research, creativity, confidence, team-building techniques and the ability to communicate in diverse ways. These attributes are highly valued in many professions, as are cultural sensitivity and the ability to think laterally and independently. They are skills for a career, and skills for life-long learning.
Program delivery
Application Details
Applicants must apply online. They should also attach all the necessary supporting documents which includes scanned copies of their previous official academic transcripts (awards gained, marks, grades) with their application, and provide proof of their identity this is usually achieved by providing a certified copy of the personal details page of their passport or a birth certificate (in English). Applicants must also submit detailed research proposal that shows they are familiar with current literature surrounding their topic; an up-to date curriculum vitae; and name of the academic staff member with whom they have been in contact; and with an approximate start date. They may also be required to submit an Educational Credential Evaluators report (ECE). As soon as applicants have completed their online application, their proof of identity document must be posted to International Office, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand. International student applications for semester 1/summer school study close: Oct-31; Semester 2 study close: Apr-30.