Theater & Performance Studies, AB

Note: Effective Fall 2026 and until further notice, the major in Theater and Performance Studies (TPST) is closed to new major declarations, unless a student is granted express approval by the Chair.

Georgetown’s major in Theater & Performance Studies stands out for its integration of critical and creative inquiry. Students not only develop hands-on skills in theater and performance, but also engage in exploration of self, world, and the arts through theater and performance. This distinctive liberal arts degree program scaffolds flexible pathways: In addition to pursuing foundational core classes in creative praxis, analysis and comparative cultural studies, majors choose from an array of special topics courses (offered in rotating years) that connect artistic practices (e.g. in acting, playwriting, design, directing, cabaret) with storytelling, social justice, curation and criticism, American and global cultures, arts management, education, and more. The curriculum includes faculty-mentored, credit-bearing production opportunities in the Davis Performing Arts Center, as well as apprenticeships that engage on and beyond campus, deploying an array of methods and missions, including: collaboration, adaptation and performance; devising and developing new work; design-thinking and multimedia installations; cross-cultural performance of classics; community-based performance; interdisciplinary learning about culture, race, gender, and identity; and a variety of special topics that offer diverse opportunities for undergraduate research.

Integrated Writing Requirement for DPA Majors

Both of DPA’s distinctive interdisciplinary majors—American Musical Cultures and Theater & Performance Studies—understand writing as integral. Students fulfill their Integrated Writing Requirement by virtue of completing each major. See further details regarding Music’s and Theater and Performance Studies’ Integrated Writing pathways here and here.