Department Website
Program Description
The undergraduate program at the Department of Performance Studies is a liberal arts degree focusing on the analysis and interpretation of a wide range of behaviors that could be understood as “performance.” Born in the 1980s from the pioneering work of Richard Schechner in fusing cultural anthropology with theater studies, Performance Studies has developed into one of the most innovative fields of interdisciplinary studies in the Humanities. Performance Studies critically investigates all sorts of performing and scenic arts in their cultural and historical contexts—dance, theater, body art, circus, opera and everything in between—as well “offstage” performances of social identity in everyday life.
The National Research Council has ranked Performance Studies at NYU #1 in the field of Theater and Performance Studies. Graduates of the program can use their degrees in several ways: Performance Studies can function as a liberal arts degree akin to Cultural Anthropology, Theater Studies, and Cultural/Gender/Ethnic Studies; or students can approach the degree vocationally as preparation for professional careers in academia or in the arts as Arts Administrators, Curators, Dramaturges, Critics and Analysts, and Artist/Scholars. Many of our students will want to pursue graduate studies in Performance Studies, Theater, and Dance Studies, Gender and Sexuality, Ethnic Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology, Social Work and Law.
Admissions
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.
Additional Admissions Requirements
Statement of Purpose
Please submit a 750-1000 word statement that addresses your interest in performance studies, why you think you are a good fit for this department, and what you hope to gain from the experience of studying with us. What do you hope to study and write about in the field of Performance Studies? Why are you applying to this program and not a more traditional program such as anthropology, dance, or theatre?
Program Requirements
The program requires the completion of 128 credits, comprised of the following:
Course List
| Course |
Title |
Credits |
| EXPOS-UA 5 | Writing the Essay: Art in the World | 4 |
| ASPP-UT 2 | The World Through Art Writing The Essay | 4 |
| 8 |
| CORE-UA 400 | Texts & Ideas: | 4 |
| CORE-UA 500 | Cultures & Contexts: Topics | 4 |
| CORE-UA 700 | | 4 |
| 4 |
| CORE-UA 100 | | 4 |
| CORE-UA 200 | | 4 |
| CORE-UA 300 | | 4 |
| PERF-UT 101 | Introduction to Performance Studies | 4 |
| or PERF-UT 200 | Performance Studies: An Introduction with Richard Schechner |
| PERF-UT 102 | Performance Theory | 4 |
| PERF-UT 103 | Performance of the City | 4 |
| PERF-UT 104 | Performance and Politics | 4 |
| 8 |
| Performance Composition | |
| Performative Writing Workshop | |
| Performance Histories | |
| The Performance of Everyday Life | |
| 12 |
| Queer Politics and Performance | |
| Theories of Movement | |
| Performance and Technology | |
| Topics in Performance Studies | |
| Race and Performance | |
| PERF-UT 401 | 1 | 4 |
| 16 |
| 28 |
| Total Credits | 128 |
Additional Program Requirements
In addition to the program requirements, students must complete a major or minor in another department or program. Given the large number of available elective credits, interested students should be able to work out a course of study that allows them to complete the requirements for a minor or second major in another department and have the option of spending one semester abroad. Courses applied toward the minor or second major could be taken in Tisch School of the Arts or other departments, schools, and colleges in the University excluding the School of Professional Studies (SPS). A minimum of four courses (at least 16 credits) in the minor, second major, or “Other Electives” category must be liberal arts courses. The minor or second major requires approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS).
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Recognize the pervasive nature of performance in society, and understand the social, political, and aesthetic significance of performance; students will learn to discern the operation of performance in both theatrical and non-theatrical contexts, and to recognize the specific force (ideological, affective, aesthetic, etc.) and social impact of performance in a given context.
- Study the role of embodiment in knowledge production – how performance (theatrical, quotidian, ritual, linguistic, etc.) can structure knowledge, and vice versa; students will understand the ways embodied practices shape knowledge and constitute a crucial element of social interaction – what movement, gesture, vocalization and other sound-making, and other sensory modes, grounded in specific cultural contexts, contribute to knowledge (alongside, or over and above, textual or linguistic modes of expression/thought).
- Analyze and interpret performance critically, theorize its impact, and articulate all of the above clearly and forcefully in writing; additionally, students will learn to perform primary and secondary research in the arts and culture more generally. Critical research, reading and writing skills will be emphasized.
Policies
Departmental Standards
Students must earn a course grade of C or better in departmental courses (or approved substitutions) in order to receive credit toward the major.
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Tisch Policies
Additional academic policies can be found on the Tisch academic policy page.