The Master of Arts in Dance program was created to serve dance educators who are currently teaching primarily in secondary and community college venues. The curriculum is designed to broaden and strengthen your dance knowledge and skills ranging from technique and composition to dance history and dance production. No other higher education institution in California offers such an emphasis at the Master of Arts level.
This degree elevates an undergraduate teaching credential to graduate status, usually commanding a pay increase for dance educators. Because the students in this program are teaching during the academic year, coursework is completed in three consecutive, intensive summer sessions of study. Nine to twelve units are earned each summer, totaling 31 units.
Contact the Graduate Advisor, Dr. Colleen Dunagan at
colleen.dunagan@csulb.edu or visit the
Master of Arts in Dance website.
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a degree in dance or a related field
- Minimum of three years experience teaching dance in a high school with a secondary teaching credential, or minimum of three years part-time or full-time experience teaching dance in a community college (exceptions will be considered for extensive part-time employment teaching in a high school, or for an exemplary employment history of teaching dance in other venues)
- Two courses in dance composition
- One course in dance history
- One course in anatomy/kinesiology (must be taken in the past five years)
- Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a supervisor or colleague
- Movement audition and personal interview
- A minimum 3.0 GPA is required in the last 60 semester units of the BA or BFA, as well as being in good standing at the last college attended
- A minimum of 3.0 GPA is required for any previous graduate course work applied to this degree
- No fewer than 24 units of course work shall be completed in residence at CSULB
- Up to six hours of credit is transferable from another institution toward this degree at the discretion of the faculty advisor
Applications for this program are currently being accepted. For more information, contact the Graduate Advisor, Dr. Colleen Dunagan at colleen.dunagan@csulb.edu or visit the Master of Arts in Dance website.