PMA Honors

Prerequisite Courses for Honors in Dance 

PMA Honors is considered advanced study. All PMA Honors candidates are expected to have completed foundational courses in their specific project area before their first Honors semester of their senior year. 

The list below specifies the minimum courses required. One or more additional courses may be required or recommended by the Chair or members of your Honors Committee. 

FOR BOTH CHOREOGRAPHY AND DANCE HISTORY/THEORY/CRITICISM TRACKS: 

• PMA 1611 – Rehearsal & Performance 
               or PMA 1610 Production Lab 
                   (if the student’s intention is to stage a PMA supported public event) 
• PMA 2100 Intro to Performing and Media Arts 
• PMA 2280 Improvisation 
• PMA 2300 – Dance Composition I 
• PMA 3214 – Dance in America 
• PMA 3226 – Global Dance and Decolonizing Movement 
• Minimum of 1 Interdisciplinary Creative Dance Practice 
  • (Examples: PMA 3241 Choreography for Site-Specific to Immersive Dance Theatre or PMA Dance for Camera) 
• Minimum of 3 semesters in Studio Modalities satisfied by a minimum of 2 modalities that are 2 or more credits each. 
  • Dance courses taken in Physical Education with prior PMA approval would satisfy this requirement. 
• DANCE DESIGN: Students interested in Dance Design Honors, please see the Design Honors pre-requisite information.

Prerequisite Courses for Honors in Design 

PMA Honors is considered advanced study. All PMA Honors candidates are expected to have completed foundational courses in their specific project area before their first Honors semester of their senior year. 

The list below specifies the minimum courses required. One or more additional courses may be required or recommended by the Chair or members of your Honors Committee. 

HONORS PROJECT IN WHICH THE STUDENT IS DESIGNING FOR A PRODUCTION THAT WILL BE FULLY PRODUCED 

HONORS IN DESIGN: DANCE 

Costume Design for Dance: 

• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
• PMA 3661 Costume Design Studio II 
  • Plus, choice of two of the following design courses: 
    • PMA 3660 Costume Design Studio I (recommended) 
    • PMA 2640 Theatrical Makeup Studio 
    • PMA 3615 Costume Construction Studio 
    • PMA 3616 The Body of Fashion 
    • PMA 3640 Scenic Design Studio 

Scenic Design for Dance: 

• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
• PMA 3640 Scenic Design Studio 
• Prior participation in a fully resourced faculty-choreographed dance production as a crew member or performer. 

HONORS IN DESIGN: FILM 

Costume Design for Film: 

• PMA 1410 Media Production Laboratory 
• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
• PMA 3660 Costume Design Studio I 
  • Plus, choice of two of the following design courses: 
  • PMA 3615 Costume Construction Studio 
  • PMA 3616 The Body of Fashion 
  • PMA 3661 Costume Design Studio II 
  • PMA 3632 Prod. Design for Film, Television & Contemporary & Digital Media Studio I 

Character Design for Film: 

• PMA 1410 Media Production Laboratory 
• PMA 3614 Creative Character Design 
  • Plus, choice of two of the following design or creative authorship courses: 
  • PMA 3661 Costume Design Studio II (recommended) 
  • PMA 3660 Costume Design Studio I 
  • PMA 3616 The Body of Fashion 
  • PMA 2640 Theatrical Makeup Studio 
  • PMA 3508 Material Filmmaking (Experimental film): 16mm Film, Photo, Animation. 

Sound Design for Film: 

• PMA 1410 Media Production Laboratory 

Plus, 

• PMA 3691 Location Sound Recording and Post Production Audio Techniques 
• PMA 3680 Sound Design 
• PMA 3570 Film I 

HONORS IN DESIGN: INTERDISCIPLINARY PERFORMANCE AND NEW PRACTICES 

Costume Design for Interdisciplinary Performance and New Practices: 

• PMA 1410 Media Production Laboratory or PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
• PMA 3661 Costume Design Studio II 
  • Plus, choice of two of the following design courses: 
  • PMA 3615 Costume Construction Studio 
  • PMA 3660 Costume Design Studio I 
  • PMA 3616 The Body of Fashion 
  • PMA 2640 Theatrical Makeup Studio 
  • PMA 3632 Prod. Design for Film, Television & Contemporary & Digital Media Studio I 
    • or PMA 3640 Scenic Design Studio 

Spatial Design for Interdisciplinary Performance and New Practices: 

• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
• PMA 3640 Scenic Design Studio 
  • Plus, choice of two of the following design courses: 
  • PMA 1410 Media Production Laboratory 
  • PMA 3632 Prod. Design for Film, Television & Contemporary & Digital Media Studio I 
  • PMA 3614 Creative Character Design 

HONORS IN DESIGN: THEATRE 

Scenic Design for Theatre: 

• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
• PMA 3640 Scenic Design Studio 

Plus, choice of one of the following design courses: 

• PMA 3632 Prod. Design for Film, Television & Contemporary & Digital Media Studio I 
• PMA 3660 Costume Design Studio I 
• PMA 3661 Costume Design Studio II 

Costume Design for Theatre: 

• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
• PMA 3660 Costume Design Studio I 
  • Plus, choice of two of the following design courses: 
  • PMA 2640 Theatrical Makeup Studio 
  • PMA 3615 Costume Construction Studio 
  • PMA 3616 The Body of Fashion 
  • PMA 3661 Costume Design Studio II 
  • PMA 3640 Scenic Design Studio 

Sound Design for Theatre: 

• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 

Plus, 

• PMA 3680 Sound Design 
• PMA 2611 Stage Management Laboratory 
• PMA 3880 Fundamentals of Directing I 

HYPOTHETICAL DESIGN THESIS PROJECT 

Honors in Design: Dance 

• PMA 1410 Media Production Laboratory or 
• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
  • Plus, three or more of the following design courses: 
  • PMA 3640 Scenic Design Studio 
  • PMA 3660 Costume Design Studio I 
  • PMA 3661 Costume Design Studio II 
  • PMA 3680 Sound Design 

Honors in Design: Film 

• PMA 1410 Media Production Laboratory or 
• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
  • Plus, three or more of the following design courses: 
  • PMA 3632 Prod. Design for Film, Television & Contemp. & Digital Media Studio I 
  • PMA 3640 Scenic Design Studio 
  • PMA 3660 Costume Design Studio I 
  • PMA 3661 Costume Design Studio II 
  • PMA 3614 Creative Character Design 
  • PMA 3680 Sound Design 

Honors in Design: Theatre 

• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory (if media project) 
  • Plus, three or more of the following design courses: 
  • PMA 3640 Scenic Design Studio 
  • PMA 3660 Costume Design Studio I 
  • PMA 3661 Costume Design Studio II 
  • PMA 3680 Sound Design 

Honors in Design: Interdisciplinary Performance and New Practices 

• PMA 1410 Media Production Laboratory or 
• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
  • Plus, two or more design courses related to your project.

Prerequisite Courses for Honors in Film 

PMA Honors is considered advanced study. All PMA Honors candidates are expected to have completed foundational courses in their specific project area before their first Honors semester of their senior year. 

The list below specifies the minimum courses required. One or more additional courses may be required or recommended by the Chair or members of your Honors Committee. 

FILM PRODUCTION: 

• PMA 1410 Media Production Lab 
• PMA 3550 Global Cinema and Media 
• PMA 3531 Screenwriting 
  • or PMA 3533 Screen and Story: Script Analysis 
• PMA 3570 Film & Video Production I 
  • or PMA 3571 Documentary Filmmaking 
  • or PMA 3580 Cinematography and Visual Storytelling 
• PMA 4585 Film & Video Production II 

SCREENWRITING: 

• PMA 3531 Screenwriting 
• PMA 3533 Screen and Story: Script Analysis 
• PMA 3570 Film & Video Production I 

FILM HISTORY/THEORY/CRITICISM: 

• PMA 3550 Global Cinema I 
• TMA Film & Media Courses from the following options: 
  • PMA 2560 American Cinema 
  • PMA 2501 Sports Films 
  • PMA 2660 Television 
  • PMA 2540 Intro to Film Analysis 
  • PMA 3461 Representational Ethics 
  • PMA 4403 Black Cult Media 
  • PMA 4402 Black Film and Media Studies 
  • PMA 3463 Contemporary Television 
  • PMA 4501 Special Topic in Cinema and Media Theory

FILM DESIGN: Students interested in Film Design Honors, please see the Design Honors pre-requisite information.

Prerequisite Courses for Honors in Interdisciplinary Performance and New Practices 

PMA Honors is considered advanced study. All PMA Honors candidates are expected to have completed foundational courses in their specific project area before their first Honors semester of their senior year. 

The list below specifies the minimum courses required. One or more additional courses may be required or recommended by the Chair or members of your Honors Committee. 

For Honors in Interdisciplinary Performance and New Practices students must demonstrate preparation by taking courses in at least two relevant disciplines (at least one of which should be housed in PMA). Possible Prerequisite Courses for Honors in Interdisciplinary Performance and New Practices may include the following courses: 

• PMA 2800 Introduction to Acting 
• Embodied Movement/Dance Class 
• PMA 1410 Media Production Laboratory 
• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
• PMA 4835 Performance Studies: Theories and Methods 
• An approved course in another department (such as Art or Music). Approval is required at the time the applicant applies for Honors and is the responsibility of the applicant’s PMA Faculty Committee and the PMA Director of Undergraduate Studies. 

Please note: This above course list is not exhaustive. Additional courses may be required as a pre-condition to the formation of the student’s Faculty Honors Committee. 

Possible projects in this area Include: 

• Creating an interdisciplinary work that reflects skills that are acquired in more than one area of study. For example, a final project that lies between film and dance, or between art and theater, or between sculpture and set building, or between sound studies and sound design. 
• Creating a work in a “new" practice. A new practice is one that is not recognized within the curriculum as a performance or media arts genre yet. Rather than being between genres, it may involve using a tool for performance or media works that exists in another field — such as cooking, data science, ethnography, or gardening — but not typically as an arts practice. 
• Making an experimental performance and/or media work in an existing interdisciplinary tradition (such as performance art, video art, or sound art). 

DESIGN: Students interested in Interdisciplinary Performance and New Practices Design Honors, please see the Design Honors pre-requisite information.

Prerequisite Courses for Honors in Theatre 

PMA Honors is considered advanced study. All PMA Honors candidates are expected to have completed foundational courses in their specific project area before their first Honors semester of their senior year. 

The list below specifies the minimum courses required. One or more additional courses may be required or recommended by the Chair or members of your Honors Committee. 

DIRECTING: 

• PMA 2800 Introduction to Acting 
• PMA 3880 Fundamentals of Directing I 
• PMA 4880 Fundamentals of Directing II 
• PMA 1610 Production Technology Laboratory 
• (PMA 3632 Production Design for Film, Television and Contemporary and Digital Media Studio) 
• (PMA 3750 Global Theatre and Performance) 

DEVISED PERFORMANCE: 

• PMA 2800 Introduction to Acting 
• PMA 3800 Acting II 
• PMA Devised Performance Class 

THEATRE HISTORY/THEORY/CRITICISM: 

• PMA 3750 Global Theatre and Performance 
• One additional HTC class in the area of focus for Honors research in theatre and/or performance studies 

PLAYWRITING: 

• PMA 3805 Playwriting I 
• ONE of the following 
  • PMA 3533 Screen and Story: Script Analysis 
  • PMA 4866 Practicum in Performance Criticism and Dramaturgy 
  • Devised Performance if course includes significant written work 
  • Solo Performance if course includes significant written work 
• PMA 4805 Playwriting II, can be taken simultaneously with project work. 

ACTING 

• PMA 2800 Introduction to Acting 
• PMA 3800 Acting II 

THEATRE DESIGN: Students interested in Theatre Design Honors, please see the Design Honors pre-requisite information.