Teaching is a critical component of graduate education in the Department of Theatre Arts. Each program scaffolds teaching opportunities to help students develop their pedagogy and a diverse teaching CV. In addition to their work in the classroom, students also mentor and teach undergraduates in production.
Graduate Student instructors are supported by faculty teaching mentors, workshops and colloquium, pedagogy coursework, and faculty observations each semester.
MFA Performance Pedagogy
During their two years in the program, MFA students will have the opportunity to teach as Instructor of Record multiple times. Students serve as instructors of record for Introduction to Performance, Acting I, and a Special Topics course. Students will also have the opportunity to assist a faculty member in a performance class.
The Special Topics course is designed and researched by the MFA student and serves as the classroom laboratory for the written thesis. The Special Topics course may be inspired by the student’s secondary emphasis and aids in supporting the department’s curriculum for performance.
PhD Theatre and Performance Studies
PhD students will have the opportunity to teach as Instructor of Record multiple times at Pitt. Students serve as instructors of record for Introduction to Performance, Enjoying Performances, World Theatre, Introduction to Dramatic Art, and Contemporary Global Stages. They also will have the opportunity to TA and work alongside faculty in one or more distinct types of courses in our field (Introductory/General Education, Performance Studies, Theatre History, Theatre/Performance Studies Intensive Writing Seminar for Majors).
Contemporary Global Stages offers a unique opportunity for PhD students to propose and design a course related to their interests. Recent courses have included Women in Greek Tragedy, A Semester at the Museum, Theatre and Performances of Olympism, Contemporary Global Queer Performance, Performing Empire(s), New Media and Performance, Dance Worlds, Music Drama and Musical Theatre, Gender, Drag, and Performance in the Contemporary World, and Performing African Diasporas.