Master of Arts in Dance

The Master of Arts in Dance is a 31-unit practice-oriented degree created to serve dance educators working primarily in secondary school and community college settings. It is designed to broaden and deepen dance knowledge and skills, including hands-on experience in dance concert production. The MA functions as a form of continuing education and professional development for credentialed teachers.

Because M.A. candidates are employed during the academic year, this low-residency program is designed to be completed during summer sessions and via distance learning experiences.
Students will refine proficiency in modern/contemporary dance movement vocabularies, enabling them to enhance their careers as educators.
Students will engage in theoretical inquiry and study in the dance-related areas of history, dance science, and pedagogy, enabling them to enhance their careers as educators.
Students will acquire practical skills in the areas of costume and lighting design.
Students will explore, practice, and actualize the craft of making dances to communicate a declared intention.

Prerequisite Courses:
two courses in dance composition,
one course in dance history,
one course in anatomy/kinesiology (must be taken in the past five years),
Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a degree in dance or a related field with a GPA of 2.5 or above,
Minimum of 3-years of experience teaching dance in a middle or high school with a teaching credential, or minimum of 3 years part-time or full-time experience teaching dance in a community college (exceptions will be considered for extensive part-time employment teaching dance in a middle or high school, or for an exemplary employment history of teaching dance in other venues
Curriculum Vitae, including employment, education, dance training, performance and choreography with a clear indication of relevant dates,
A 1-2 page choreography statement that provides the following information: URL hyperlinks to videos of two recently produced dances choreographed by the applicant and set on applicant's students that show different aspects of applicant's artistry and choreographic knowledge and a concise statement of each work's intent and a compositional process, No more than 30 minutes of content, Videos should be posted to Vimeo or Youtube,
Two-page Personal Statement that addresses how this graduate program will help the applicant fulfill their professional goals,
Three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from a current supervisor or colleague, to be submitted directly by the recommender via link emailed by CalState Apply,
Unofficial transcripts: when all or some of the applicant's dance coursework was completed at a/an institution other than the one awarding the baccalaureate degree,
IELTS - 6.5
TOEFL Internet-based (iBT) - 80
TOEFL Paper-based - 550