Dance, BA

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The BA major in Dance is intended for students who wish to make dance the center of their undergraduate education but who also desire the opportunity to explore other areas of interest. The BA Dance curriculum requires substantial practice in physical dance techniques across a variety of movement disciplines as well as course work in body sciences, historical and cultural perspectives, and dance making. The BA program is open to all interested students and can be completed in as little as two years. At 42 credit hours the BA provides a solid foundation in dance while allowing students enough time and credit hours to explore elective anywhere across the college, a minor in another field, and/or one of several clusters of upper division dance courses tailored to different interests in dance.

B.A. Outcomes: Upon completion of their coursework dance majors graduating with a BA in Dance will:

be accomplished dancers with significant practical experience across several dance forms;
be able to engage in dancemaking through choreography, improvisation and performance;
be knowledgeable concerning historical, cultural, scientific and theoretical information and perspectives on dance; and
be able to describe, analyze and interpret dance works.

For students who have earned a Bachelor’s degree previously, a Second Bachelor of Arts in Dance is available.

Program Requirements

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Transfer Students: View a Transfer Planning Tool for this Major

Standards of Performance

The Dance Department expects exemplary effort and accomplishment from our BA candidates. Failure to meet one or more of the following expectations will result in review of the advisability of a candidate’s continuation within the program. BA candidates in dance must:

Pass all required courses with grades of C or better.
Advance through technical requirements in a timely manner.
Exhibit engagement and presence in their artistic and scholarly practices and conduct themselves in a manner beneficial to their own and others’ education.

Transfer Students Seeking a BA in Dance

Transfer students seeking the BA degree must be in full-time residence a minimum of three semesters (excluding summers) and must complete: a minimum 10 credit hours of technical requirements, both required courses in the dance making sequence, and no fewer than 21 credits total within the department. Any prior dance courses will be evaluated for equivalency with Columbia College’s Dance Department requirements. A limited number of transferred courses may be allowed to stand in place of program requirements.

For students who have already earned a Bachelors degree, a Second Bachelor of Arts is offered in Dance.