African American Theatre (CERT)

Graduate Certificate in African American Theatre
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (GA)
Department: Theatre Arts
Program Webpage
Academic Plan Code(s): AATHCAT, AATHCATO

Program Information

This program can be completed in a traditional classroom format or entirely online.

The first and only graduate certificate program in African American Theatre in the United States.

The certificate requires 15 credit hours of graduate credit including:

• Nine (9) credit hours in African American Theatre

• Three (3) credit hours of theatre-related community service

• Three (3) credit hours of electives (approved by the AATP director)

The African American Theatre certificate can be completed as a stand-alone program or in conjunction with another graduate program in any area (e.g. Comparative Humanities, English, Music, Pan-African Studies).

The certificate program is specially designed for:

• Persons preparing for professional careers in the theatre arts

• Teachers, government and community agency professionals

• Individuals with a passion for theatre and performance from Africa and the African Diaspora

• Graduate students at the University of Louisville and other institutions

Admission Requirements

Application for Admission

All candidates for admission to graduate programs must complete the online application form.
Consult with your intended program for specific application deadlines.
A new application must be received any time a student is beginning a graduate program, transferring graduate programs, changing from non-degree to degree-seeking status, or adding a dual or certificate program to an existing degree program.
Note: The University of Louisville reserves the right to change programs of study, academic requirements, fees, schedules of courses, the announced academic calendar and deadlines without prior notice.

Application Fee

A non-refundable application fee is required with the application. Applications will not be forwarded to the department until this fee is paid.

Transcripts

All applicants must submit official transcripts showing all degrees awarded and all undergraduate and graduate work (all courses) completed from each accredited college/university previously attended.
All University of Louisville transcripts will automatically be submitted with the completion of an application. Transcripts must be sent directly from the school to the Graduate School, Graduate Admissions, in order to be considered official.

English Proficiency

All applicants for whom English is a second language must also submit official TOEFL scores of 79 or higher on the internet-based test, 213 or higher on the computer-based test for verification of English proficiency. English proficiency can also be met by submitting official IELTS scores of at least 6.5 overall band score from the academic module exam or Duolingo overall score of 105.
Information concerning the TOEFL exam can be obtained from www.ets.org/toefl or 1-877-863-3546.
Information concerning the IELTS exam can be obtained from www.ielts.org.
Information concerning the Duolingo exam can be obtained from englishtest.duolingo.com/applicants
Students holding a bachelor's or advanced degree from an accredited institution in the United States may be exempt from this requirement.

Recommendations

Two letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant's academic work are required. There are programs that require more than two letters of recommendation. Please check with your department for additional requirements.

Additional Requirements

All credentials and/or communications submitted to the Graduate School, Graduate Admissions should contain the student's full name, University of Louisville issued student ID, and date of birth. Lack of this information may cause processing to be delayed.

Program Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Hours
MFA graduate students (contact AATP Director for alternative options)
TA 566	Advanced History of African-American Theatre (or TA Elective)	3
TA 664	Approaching African-American Theatre ^{1, 3}	3
TA 654	Independent Study in Community Service ^{1, 3}	3
TA Elective in African American Theatre (including TA 557 Advanced Hip Hop Theatre, TA 562 Advanced Black Dramatic Literature, TA 563 Advanced African American Women in Theatre, and TA 565 Advanced Theatre of the African World) ¹		3
One or more of the following:		3
TA 625	MFA Performance Project I (in an approved play) ^{1, 2}
or TA 655	Independent Study
TA 626	Thesis Performance (in an approved play) ¹
TA 655	Independent Study (or approved courses in PAS, Humanities, and English)
Minimum Total Hours		15
African American Theatre Program courses that can be taken for graduate credit and are offered online:
TA 562	Advanced Black Dramatic Literature
TA 557	Advanced Hip-Hop Theatre
TA 555	Special Topics in Theatre (Adv Cultural Diversity in Performance)

Note: Students enrolled in the MFA in Theatre Arts may not count more than six (6) required MFA credit hours towards the Certificate.

¹: Required for the MFA.
²: Two (2) credit hours required for MFA thesis performance.
³: The Director of the AATP can approve the substitution of graduate credits earned in other universities' graduate programs, particularly for students pursuing the certificate as a stand-alone program.