Graduate Degree Program

The Graduate Student

Building on a well-balanced undergraduate education, graduate students are expected to develop a thorough understanding of a specific academic discipline. A fundamental purpose of the Graduate College is to encourage each graduate student to demonstrate outstanding standards of scholarship and to produce high-quality original research, creative or artistic work. Graduate education provides an opportunity to increase knowledge, broaden understanding and develop research and artistic capability. The student’s academic achievements therefore should reflect a personal commitment to the discipline and to scholarly standards.

UA School of Dance

The School of Dance is a vital component within the College of Fine Arts, and the University of Arizona. The vibrant ten-member faculty has extensive expertise in both the professional and academic worlds. Three of the faculty have been recipients of the prestigious Irene Putnam Award for Excellence in Teaching. Faculty are in demand nationally and internationally as teachers and scholars at festivals, workshops, schools and conferences world-wide.

Recently the School of Dance was honored as the top department for undergraduate education at the University of Arizona, due in part to the highly interactive approach linking undergraduate students, graduate students and dance faculty members. The School of Dance is unique in its equal emphasis on Ballet, Modern Dance and Jazz dance training. The School has an enrollment of 125 B.F.A. students, accepting 30 students each year from over 360 that audition nationally, and carries only 10-16 masters program students at any one time.

The close alliance between the graduate and undergraduate students provides an opportunity for graduate students to choreograph on and perform with some of the top undergraduate dance students in the country. In addition, the triple-track program allows the graduate student to explore and gain experience, skills and knowledge in ballet, modern and/ or jazz dance. The diverse graduate population provides a sense of community in which students can learn from various perspectives.

Graduate Curriculum

The graduate curriculum in dance allows the student to focus on teaching, research, choreography or performance for dance. It also provides opportunities for interdisciplinary studies with other arts, humanities and sciences in support of the student’s development as a scholar, teacher and artist.

The M.F.A. in Dance degree has two emphasis areas (Performance/Choreography) that allow for intensive focus in performance or choreography. The program facilitates and nurtures dance artists in their area of emphasis while offering a comprehensive graduate education in dance. The M.F.A. degree is 60 units requiring 2-3 years of residency at the University of Arizona. The curriculum includes core courses and dance technique as well as courses in theory and pedagogy.

Performance

The School of Dance 30,000 square-foot Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, christened in October 2003, is a state-of-the-art facility that houses the Center for IDEAS (Integrated Dance Education and Service). Six to eight productions are created annually, with 20-30 total performances. Touring opportunities are an important component of the programs. The UA Dance Ensemble has performed in Europe, Asia, Latin American and South America. Guest artists are regularly invited to create or stage master-works for the UA dance ensemble.