Dance BS

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Minimum Required Credits: 120                           
Co-op Option(s): One Co-op, No Co-op                                                       
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 50.0399
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 25-1121

About the Program

The dance major at Drexel University is a comprehensive, socially responsive Bachelor of Science that prepares dancers to grow and thrive across a wide range of dance and dance-related fields. All students receive rigorous training in technique, somatic practices, choreography, creative process, performance, and dance studies. Supported by a faculty deeply invested in mentoring students toward meaningful pathways, the program is distinguished by its engaged community and commitment to helping dancers identify and pursue their unique goals. Built on a core curriculum that prepares students for diverse careers in the evolving dance field, from choreography and performance to a wide range of related professions, the program also offers three optional career-focused concentrations: Dance Education, Dance/Movement Therapy, and Physical Therapy. Each concentration offers targeted coursework and applied experiences that build specialized expertise within a dance-related profession. Students who do not select a concentration may use their elective credits to explore dance in connection with other areas of study across the university. 

The dance education concentration leads to PK–12 dance certification in Pennsylvania. Students on this concentration have the option of focusing on teaching in school or studio settings. This track emphasizes community-engaged learning and includes student teaching experiences within Philadelphia schools.

Students pursuing the dance/movement therapy concentration will prepare for jobs as dance/movement therapists. These are psychological counselors working in a variety of settings including hospitals, out-patient clinics and residential treatment centers. Students pursuing this option will earn a BS degree in dance at the Westphal College, through the Department of Performing Arts, for the first four years of study. They will then have the option to continue on to two years of study in the College of Nursing and Health Professions to earn an MA in Creative Arts in Therapy and become a licensed dance therapist.

The physical therapy concentration prepares students to work as physical therapists in many contexts including hospitals, treatment centers, schools, and private practice. Students interested in the physical therapy option will complete the four-year BS degree in dance, along with a series of recommended electives in the physical sciences. After completion of the BS degree, students will continue their education for an additional three years in the College of Nursing and Health Professions to earn a DPT and become a licensed physical therapist.

The student who enters the dance major at Drexel University is an academically achieving student who has a deep curiosity for potential careers in the field of dance. This student is looking for extensive experience to improve as a dancer, choreographer, and performer while being stimulated academically. This student wants to study dance—-both physically and cognitively—in college while being offered the possibility of gainful employment after graduation.

Additional Information

For more information about this program, please contact the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design.

Admission Requirements

Same as Drexel Admissions-Audition (live or video)

Degree Requirements  

¹

A complete list of eligible Introductory Core Competency courses can be found here.

²

Free electives can be inside or outside of major.

³

Must take 3 credits of DANC 1401 Dance Ensemble: Dance Majors

⁴

Students may select one of the three following concentrations in the Dance BS, or they may elect not to undertake a concentration. The required courses in the concentration will count towards any/all free electives to complete the major.

 Dance/Movement Therapy

 Dance Education

 Physical Therapy

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

1. Develop and demonstrate skills for critical thinking and the application of these skills in therapy, pedagogy, and performance.
2. Demonstrate visual literacy and kinesthetic proficiency, including developing  advanced skills in multiple dance techniques and practices 
3. Appreciate each dance form for its aesthetic properties and interactions with time  periods and culture.
4. Understand the interdisciplinary nature of dance and dance-related fields.
5. Understand the value of diversity through a developing awareness of the world and their place in it.
6. Demonstrate an understanding of physical and emotional self-care practices.
7. Demonstrate a professional work ethic.
8. Develop choreographic and improvisational skills.
9. Understand and demonstrate a knowledge of musculoskeletal anatomy, kinesiology and musicality.
10. Describe movement using a range of personal and cultural lenses.