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Arts & Humanities

Performing and Media Arts (PhD) at Cornell University

Cornell University, United States

Programme overview

The graduate program (Ph.D.) in performing and media arts (PMA) o ffers students an interdisciplinary environment in which to pursue critical studies of various theatrical and performance traditions, cinema and media cultures, and expressive behavior in multilingual, intermedial, and transnational contexts.

Faculty: Cornell Graduate School  |  Department: Performing and Media Arts  |  Duration: 10 semesters minimum  |  Study mode: full-time  |  Intake: Fall  |  Location: Ithaca, NY, United States

What you will study

Concentrations: Cinema and media studies, Theatre and performance studies, Theatre theory and aesthetics.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is highly selective. Applicants must submit a scholarly writing sample. An undergraduate major in theatre, film, or a related discipline is not required for admission, although applicants who have had little or no academic work in performance and/or media may have to do more than others to acquire the competence in scholarship expected in the program.; All Graduate School requirements , including the English language proficiency requirement for all applicants; Three recommendations; Writing sample Application deadline: Fall, December 15

USD 20,800 a year (2026-27). Doctoral tuition per year ($10,400 per semester); the source states $20,800 applies to Ph.D., D.M.A. and J.S.D. programs in endowed and contract colleges; tuition only. Source

Graduate School applications are submitted online through the Graduate School application; the application fee is $105. Each graduate field sets its own deadlines, and many fall between early December and mid-January.

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