Mission Statement
"In a liberal arts setting, the Theatre Division at Purdue University educates students to acquire the discipline, analytical skills, and aesthetic judgment necessary for collaboration with others as productive citizens and artists."
Program Objective
The study of theatre in the liberal arts tradition is designed to provide each student with the knowledge, abilities, and skills needed to be effective, productive, and socially conscious citizens in our rapidly changing world.
The study of theatre encourages the student to develop the knowledge and ability to respond analytically to the concerns of people from a wide range of cultural and intellectual backgrounds, to develop critical thinking, to make aesthetic judgments, to work in a collaborative process, to value the intuitive and creative impulse of the artist, to effectively communicate and to synthesize divergent ideals from a wide array of related disciplines.
The student learns to develop specific skills in the classroom and in production work, both as a solid foundation upon which artistic exploration can be built, and also in preparation for professional work in the theatre and its related fields. The student is nourished through the study and practice of theatre.
The mission of the graduate program is to train our students to take responsible positions in the performing arts and related areas. The program is constructed with the belief that artists, to fully realize their potential, must be educated as well as trained.