As a PhD program where each student undertakes substantial independent research, we define “student learning” very differently than the university does at the undergraduate level.
Our PhD handbook states: “The Graduate Programs seek to produce scholars and artists of the highest caliber, preparing them for careers in professional and/or academic theatre and related artistic fields.” The specific outcomes of this preparation include the ability to conduct original research in theatre and/or performance studies, master bodies of information and conceptual approaches in these scholarly fields, develop a course syllabus, deliver scholarly lectures, and teach undergraduate students.