DEPARTMENT OF TV-RADIO-FILM-THEATRE
TA 260 (2 units #23273)
Graduate Problems in Theatre Arts:
Writing the Thesis Proposal

SYLLABUS - Spring 2008
[schedule]

FACULTY

David Kahn. Ph.D.
TRFT
HGH 110;
924-4540
david.kahn@sjsu.edu
FAX 924-4543
Office Hours:
TR 12:30-3:00 pm

CLASS MEETING -- Selected MONDAYS 3:30-4:45 p.m. – HGH 114

REQUIRED TEXTS

No particular texts are required for this course. However, you may wish to refer to the following books often used in TA 200 and available from Amazon.com:

• Gibaldi, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (6th ed.)
• Booth, Colomb and Williams, The Craft of Research
• Zinsser, On Writing Well (6th ed.)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This class is conducted as a series of concise workshops related to the process developing a Thesis Proposal. The texts we consider are your own writing, geared toward the benchmark assignments. The issues we discuss are those that you encounter in the preliminary research and proposal-writing processes. As the class progresses, it will alternate between a) meeting as a group to allow you to raise issues about research dilemmas and get useful feedback on your specific concerns; b) individual meetings with me in my office during this course time slot, my scheduled office hours, or, if necessary, at some other agreed-upon time.

The bulk of the work, however, will be done by you, independently, outside of class, in the library, on your computers. No one can do this work for you. Consider all group meetings and appointments as a kind of lab period: they are mandatory and vital to your progress toward a successful proposal and thesis. Whether you complete the assignment for a given benchmark, you must come prepared to share what you do have with your peers and be open to constructive feedback.

REQUIREMENTS/GRADING

If you haven't already, you should make an appointment to see me to go over your "Request for Candidacy" form (30 unit program).

Follow closely the Thesis Proposal guidelines and calendar on the TRFT Graduate Web site:
http://www.tvradiofilmtheatre.org/MA/Pages/Thesisprop.html
The specific requirements are all there. Look closely at all of the on-line material. You must fulfill the formal requirements of the Thesis Proposal and write it up in academically persuasive scholarly style. Pay particular attention to the matters concerning "Human Subjects Review."

Apply the methods of research from TA 200 in forming questions, conducting thorough literature reviews, narrowing the topic, defining a "systematic, rigorous, repeatable" methodology. While there's some fluidity in our format standards, we are consistent in emphasizing 1) a clearly stated research question or problem; 2) a viable methodology; and 3) feasibility. This process generally demonstrates the student's capability to pursue thesis-level research. It's also a vital prerequisite to earning the advocacy of your advising professor. You must entice a qualified faculty member to work with you to develop your Proposal. Working with you to help prepare a Proposal does not necessarily mean a faculty member is committed to serve as First Reader after the proposal is approved by the Graduate Committee. Most faculty, however, are interested in continuing to advise the thesis.

It is your responsibility to meet all benchmark draft deadlines and to allow enough time for reading and revision of drafts. (Please don't expect a faculty member to read a draft and respond overnight. It's a good idea to allow at least 1-week turnaround.)

Each component of the proposal should be drafted as benchmark due dates arrive. Any unfinished component should still have place markers in each draft that you discuss in class or take to scheduled meetings with me or other faculty. In general, the following components should appear in the Proposal in the order suggested below (subject to your First Reader’s preferences). Note that we will not necessarily address these components in class in the order that they are listed here, because the process of developing a thesis proposal differs from the finished product.

• Statement of Problem/Question
• Significance
• Literature Review
• Terminology
• Method
• Feasibility
• Chapter Breakdown/Structure
• Bibliography

Date and save each draft of your Proposal so that you and your readers know which version you’re working with.

GRADING
To receive an "Incomplete" in the course, a student must have completed all of the assignment benchmarks through Draft 4, regardless of whether he or she decides, with the recommendation of the First Reader, to submit a final proposal and defend that proposal to the TRFT Graduate Committee at the end of the semester.

After the formal presentation on May 14, a Thesis Proposal will be 1) accepted, 2) denied, or 3) it may be "conditionally accepted" if the Graduate Committee determines that the research should proceed subject to "conditions" enforced by the First Reader. If "conditionally accepted," the student's TA 260 grade registers as an Incomplete until the conditions are satisfied. In such cases, the student may still enroll in TA 299 with the first order of business being to satisfy the "conditions" or deficiencies in the Thesis Proposal.

UNIVERSITY POLICIES

A. Academic Integrity Statement
“Your own commitment to learning, as evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University and the University’s Integrity Policy, require you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the Office of Judicial Affairs.” The policy on academic integrity can be found at:
http://sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.html

One form of academic dishonesty is plagiarism--taking ideas, writing, or work from another person or source and representing them as one's own.  Plagiarism includes both having someone else write your papers and cutting and pasting from the Internet.  For advice on how to avoid plagiarism, consult the following site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html

B. Campus policy in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act
“If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities register with the DRC to establish a record of their disability.”

THEATRE ARTS M. A. PROGRAM – STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES (*specific to TA260)

• Learn research methods appropriate for answering questions and solving problems in the field.
• Acquire skills in information gathering, data and text interpretation, performance in different media, and performance technologies.
• Evaluate previous research, attitudes, and achievements in performing arts from a critical perspective.
• Learn to identify historical, cognitive, aesthetic, or cultural realities governing the evolution of the performing arts.
• Develop persuasive research evidence in the format of academic journal publication.
• Demonstrate effective pedagogical strategy and teaching effectiveness.
• Contribute creative or organizational leadership in performing arts education and culture.
• * Identify a valid area of new academic inquiry and an appropriate research methodology designed to sustain the attention of an influential, critical audience.
• Prepare for competitive entry into doctoral programs or other significant areas of career advancement, arts education and culture.

 

TA 260 - SCHEDULE (subject to revision 4/9/08)