Graduate Interdisciplinary Arts Courses

The School of Interdisciplinary Arts at Ohio University offers a unique interdisciplinary program of study in the arts. The Ph.D. program trains scholars who are grounded in a single discipline and able to view that area through the lens of 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 crafts and other disciplines. Students and faculty cross disciplines to analyze the arts in such contexts as culture, history, theory, politics, religion, gender, ethnicity, and economics. Advanced study of the arts should be based on strong knowledge of individual art forms, coupled with insight into how the arts interact and are interrelated. The ethos of interdisciplinary is that understanding of art and culture is enhanced through these approaches. The goal is the balance and synthesis of the artist, the thinker, the citizen, the human being.

Interdisciplinary Arts students at Ohio University undertake a strong education in a primary discipline, with study in a secondary area, and engage in a series of interdisciplinary seminars. The goal is to approach one area from multiple perspectives. Students take courses from faculty across the College of Fine Arts, as well as in disciplines outside the fine arts. This doctoral program emphasizes a cultural education, which may serve as preparation for a variety of professional careers, especially college and university teaching.

The program is informed by the principle that artistic expression and humanistic scholarship are interdependent, complementary endeavors. In addition, the cultural and intellectual contexts in which the works become significant are critical to the understanding of the works themselves.

In the era of postmodernity, the boundaries between arts are becoming increasingly permeable, and today's scholars recognize that discipline-based research can be inadequate to illuminate arts of past eras. The School of Interdisciplinary Arts seeks to train scholars for the twenty-first century, who are grounded in the knowledge of a discipline and able to view the arts through the unique lens of interdisciplinary studies.

Full information regarding program requirements and procedures are available in the Graduate Handbook that is located on the school Web site. This handbook is also given to students upon enrollment.

Admission Requirements

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. Graduate Record Examination scores or Miller's Analogies Test scores are required.
4. A three-to-five page essay in which the applicant discusses reasons for selection of interdisciplinary work for a graduate degree and a statement of philosophical and practical expectations from such study.
5. A sample research paper from the applicant's previous course work.
6. Graduate Admission application forms.

• International students must submit evidence of proficiency in the English language. TOEFL scores in the 480-550 range are required.
• International students applying for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship must submit their scores on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). Students must score 6 on the TSE to be offered a teaching stipend.
• International students must submit an affidait of financial support as evidence of financial responsibility.
• All applicants must follow the Admission Policies and Procedures specified in the Ohio University Graduate Catalog

Program Requirements

1. Students study with a wide variety of professors.
2. Students should have the opportunity to have regular elective choices of seminars throughout the College of Fine Arts and Ohio University.
3. Doctoral students in Interdisciplinary Arts are regularly in the classroom with other students who are engaged in graduate study of the arts.
4. Students should gain a strong scholarly expertise in one area and a secondary scholarly expertise in another area.
5. The program should be imbued with the interdisciplinary nature of the degree. This begins with an introductory seminar in the first year. Once the student has demonstrated mastery of two areas, presumably at the end of the first year, students take an interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary Arts seminar each quarter. These seminars are team-taught by Interdisciplinary Arts faculty.
6. Students should 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.
7. The education is project 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.
8. Scholarship is fostered at the graduate level. Students are expected to submit papers to scholarly conferences (with possible travel funding from the College of Fine Arts) and encouraged to submit articles for publication.

Requirements for Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Arts

Course Requirements

Three of these seminars must befrom outside Interdisciplinary Arts

Two of these seminars must be from outside Interdisciplinary Arts

FourInterdisciplinary Arts seminars

The above seminars should cover six different historical periods, in addition to one course in an area of non-western fine arts.

Threeresearch/teaching skills courses

Twoguided independent studies in primary area for qualifying examination

Taken in conjunction with undergraduate or graduate survey course

     This requirement is waived upon completion of the qualifying examination 
     in this area.

Taken in conjunction with undergraduate or graduate survey course
     This requirement is waived upon completion of the qualifying examination 
     in this area.

Twoperformance/practice/studio courses

Language Requirement

Examinations

1. Diagnostic exam: Upon enrollment, students choosing music as a primary or secondary area will take a diagnostic examination to aid in the advising process.
2. Qualifying exams:
   • The student should gain broad knowledge of the canons of two disciplines and will be tested through qualifying examinations.
   • Qualifying exam in a primary area: end of winter quarter of first year, or earlier (assuming student enters with master's degree or equivalent in this area).

     Final date for completion of primary qualifying examination: end of spring quarter, year #1.

   • Qualifying exam in secondary area: end of spring quarter of first year, or earlier.

   Final date for completion of secondary qualifying examination: end of fall quarter, year #2.

   All exams may be taken a maximum of twice.

3. Comprehensive Examination: The goal of the comprehensive examination is to test the student on what he/she has learned during their period of coursework. This should include history, criticism, theory, analytical vocabularly, knowledge of the discipline and bibliography. The student takes the comprehensive examination during fall quarter of the third year of study.

Dissertation

Residency Requirement

Sample Program of Courses

 Fall                                    cr.Seminar area 1                          4

Inter. Arts Seminar                     4

Ind. St: Qual Exam 1                    4

Ind. St: Qual Exam 2                    4

Teach/Research                          2 Winter	                              cr.Seminar area 1                          4

Studio or Elective                      4

Ind St: Qual Exam 1                     4

Ind St:Qual Exam 2                      4

Teach/Research                          2 Spring                                 cr.Seminar area 1                          4

Seminar area 2                          4

Studio or Elective                      4

Ind St: Qual Exam 2                     4

Teach/Research                          2 Year #2 Fall                                   cr.Seminar area 1                          4

Seminar area 2                          4

Inter. Arts Seminar                     4

Aesthetics                              4

Independent Study                       2 Winter                                 cr.Seminar area 1                          4

Seminar area 2                          4

Inter. Arts seminar                     4

Aesthetics                              4

Independent Study                       2 Spring                                 cr.Seminar area 1                          4

Seminar area 2                          4

Inter. Arts seminar                     4

Aesthetics/Elective/Studio              6

Independent Study                       2