Academic Programs

The FSU School of Dance is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance, offering work leading to the Bachelor of Fine Arts, the Master of Fine Arts, the Master of Arts in Dance with a Major in American Dance Studies and the Master of Arts in Dance with a Major in Studio and Related Studies. Performance and choreography are the strong emphases of both the BFA and MFA programs with considerable theoretical coursework also required. BFA students take daily studio classes in ballet and in contemporary dance throughout their enrollment. The School’s deep strengths in curriculum – from composition to repertory to music to kinesiology– address dance in all of its aspects.

Three degrees are offered at the graduate level. The MFA program is designed for those with recent dance baccalaureates, as well as for professionals seeking a graduate degree. Along with daily studio classes and advanced coursework, MFA candidates must fulfill other research, writing, and creative requirements for graduation. The MA in American Dance Studies is a history and theory based program enabling students to investigate the wide scope of American dance forms from the vernacular to the stage. These forms are investigated as part of the social, cultural, and political structures that shape them. Because of the School Dance’s emphasis on studio work, history and theory are contextualized with an integrated system. The MA in Studio and Related Studies provides students opportunity for significant investigation into one or more areas of study related to studio work to shape their particular contribution to the field of dance upon graduation.