IX. Graduate Programs
Critical Studies in Improvisation
MA Program
The MA program draws on faculty expertise at the University of Guelph, as we all five partner sites across Canada and the USA (UBC, Regina, McGill, Memorial, and University of California, Santa Barbara), and focuses on developing broad-level skills (e.g., collaboration across multiple institutions/organizations and disciplines; internships/community placements; partnership development opportunities; intercultural engagement) with an eye to forming and deploying the skills that lead to both academic and non-academic employment.
The interdisciplinary curriculum will build competencies in research and practice across the following areas: the critical historicisation of improvised art and practice; research methods and core concepts in Critical Studies in Improvisation; the development of ethical frameworks for collaborative, community-engaged initiatives; and the development and implementation of practice-based research projects.
Admission Requirements
Applicants to the MA must hold a four-year Honours Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a minimum GPA of 75%, in a field related to their proposed study. Applicants must provide two letters of reference and will be required to submit a portfolio with a representative sampling of their best and most relevant creative, professional, and/or research practice, in relationship to the field of Critical Studies and Improvidation and to their proposed area of research. Applicants will submit a 2 page research proposal outlining their critical orientation and proposed research activity for the program of study.
Program Requirements
Students must complete 3.5 credits: IMPR*6010 (1.0 credit), IMPR*6020 (1.0 credit), IMPR*6030 (0.5 credit), one elective (0.5 credit), and the Major Research Paper IMPR*6800 (0.5 credit).
YEAR 1
Semester 1
| IMPR*6010 | [1.00] | Core Concepts in Critical Studies in Improvisation |
| IMPR*6030 | [0.50] | Foundational Research Methods in Critical Studies in Improvisation |
| Optional Elective, Directed Reading or Internship | ||
Semester 2
| IMPR*6010 | [1.00] | Core Concepts in Critical Studies in Improvisation |
| Optional Elective, Directed Reading or Internship | ||
Semester 3
Optional Elective, Directed Reading or Internship
Presentation at Graduate Colloquium
YEAR 2
Semester 1
| IMPR*6020 | [1.00] | Arts-Based Community Making |
| Optional Elective, Directed Reading or Internship | ||
Semester 2
| IMPR*6020 | [1.00] | Arts-Based Community Making |
| Optional Elective, Directed Reading or Internship | ||
Students may transfer to the PhD program or continue MA
Semester 3
| IMPR*6800 | [0.50] | Major Research Project in Critical Studies in Improvisation |
| Optional Elective, Directed Reading or Internship | ||
Presentation at Graduate Colloquium