Which Department/Where To Apply Advice?

[silverchris9]

Hello all!

 

I'm brand new here but I was hoping you all could help me out in developing my list of programs to apply to. Any and all advice is desperately appreciated!

 

My primary research interests are African American literature after 1950 (particularly poetry and drama), popular music, and the philosophy of art. My specific project is a comparison between art forms with longer traditions (e.g., poetry, drama, classical music, visual art), and art forms with shorter traditions (e.g., television, film, pop music, musical theater). My dream is to get into a Ph.D program where I can a ) learn a variety of approaches to studying art works, particularly the Frankfurt school/critical theory, and b ) gain a sufficient understanding of the history and practice of a variety of art forms to productively compare them. Basically I want to write a thesis about the relationship between Stevie Wonder and John Cage, or between Shonda Rhimes and Ibsen, Balanchine and vogueing, etc.

 

I have a few questions relating to that: first off, does anyone know of any programs that cater to those interests? I've been looking around and I've yet to find a program that makes me say yep! that's exactly what I'm interested in! So if it's out there I'd love help finding it, or whatever is closest to it. My second question is, is it wise to pursue an interdisciplinary degree? I feel like an interdisciplinary program would be ideal for the project i mentioned above, but, I do have an alternate research topic that would fit more easily in a traditional department (basically, August Wilson, maybe with a side of the blues). Maybe I should pursue that for grad school and then go after my crazy interdisciplinary dreams subsequently? Finally, I have a more general question about making my list: should I focus more on the specific department/requirements, or on specific professors I want to work with, or on specific initiatives/foundations that relate to my interests, e.g., Northwestern's Critical Theory group, or Rochester's Institute for Popular Music, etc.?

 

Sorry for such a long spiel, and thanks for reading. Any and all help is HUGELY appreciated!

 

Thanks!

Edited May 27, 2015 by silverchris9

[scarvesandcardigans]

I guess my primary question is whether or not you have checked out the faculty members for programs that you are looking at. Or, have you spoken to a professor in your department currently? They might have some information regarding programs and what might be the best direction to go. In my humble opinion (I have no idea about specifics regarding research and programs that you mentioned, but I'll more than likely take a look later), I think that faculty and program availability should take precedence over the application requirements. If you find a place that you really want to attend, the requirements should be no issue. My best guess for program alignment is cultural studies with a concentration. Northwestern has a curricular track of cultural studies and expressive arts, but I can't tell if there's an option to focus on mid-20th century to present. That's the best advice I can offer. I wish you luck in your search!