Dance BS

Major: Dance
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 186.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code: 50.0399
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 25-1121; 27-2031; 27-2032

About the Program

The dance program at Drexel University provides intensive exploration of dance in its physical, intellectual, creative and therapeutic aspects. The major is designed for students to focus on one of the following four concentrations:

• Dance/Movement Therapy
• Dance Education
• Physical Therapy
• Custom Design/Performance

The dance major at Drexel University has a unique curriculum design and focus. This program combines rigorous academic coursework with extensive stage and studio dance experiences to prepare students for four possible career paths within dance: dance/movement therapy, dance education, physical therapy and performance. Students participating in this major will earn a BS degree in dance with the option to pursue a minor.

Students pursuing a concentration in dance/movement therapy are prepared for careers as dance/movement therapists, licensed mental health professionals who use movement as a primary modality for psychological healing. These practitioners work across diverse settings, including hospitals, outpatient clinics, and residential treatment centers. Students begin by earning a BS in Dance through the Department of Performing Arts. Following the completion of their undergraduate degree, they have the option to continue into a two-year graduate program in the College of Nursing and Health Professions, culminating in an MA in Creative Arts in Therapy and eligibility for licensure as a dance/movement therapist.

The second career focus, dance education, prepares students to teach in studios, community settings, or pursue PK–12 dance certification to work in schools. Grounded in community-engaged learning, the program integrates pedagogy, curriculum design, and inclusive teaching practices with student teaching experiences in Philadelphia schools. Students complete a four-year BS in Dance leading to licensure in the state of Pennsylvania. While the BS/MS option will not admit a cohort for the 2026–27 academic year, the revitalized licensure track offers a dynamic, practice-driven approach with expanded partnerships and field-based experience.

The third career focus, physical therapy, prepares students for careers as licensed physical therapists working across a range of settings, including hospitals, rehabilitation and treatment centers, schools, and private practice. Students pursuing this pathway complete the BS in Dance through the Department of Performing Arts, supplemented by recommended physical therapy prerequisites. Upon completion of the undergraduate degree, students continue into a three-year graduate program in the College of Nursing and Health Professions, earning a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and meeting the requirements for professional licensure.

The fourth option, custom design, allows students to work closely with faculty to create a personalized career in dance. Many students in this focus select performance, which prepares them to work as performers and/or choreographers in a variety of settings. Students interested in the performance option will complete the four-year BS degree in dance, with an emphasis on collaborative and interdisciplinary work. Students in this track often utilize the vast resources of Westphal college to personalize their experience. 

The student who enters the dance major at Drexel University is an academically achieving student who has a deep curiosity for non-traditional careers in the field of dance. He or she is looking for extensive experiences 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 major, visit the Westphal College's Dance webpage.

Degree Requirements 

*

NFS 100 and NFS 101 must be taken together to earn credit.

**

1.0 credit course repeated for a total of 3.0 credits

***

 For DANC 131: Sections 001, 005, 006, 007, 008 ONLY

1.0 credit course repeated 9 times for 9.0 credits in DANC 131 or DANC 133

Optional Concentrations

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 the free electives to complete the major.  Dance majors who wish to pursue the Physical Therapy concentration should expect to use all 8.0 credit hours of natural science elective and 49.0 free elective credit hours, plus an addition of 10.0 credit hours to fulfill the science course requirement.

Dance Education-PK-12 Licensure Concentration:

Dance/Movement Therapy Concentration:

Physical Therapy Concentration:

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

Sample Plan of Study

On Campus Full Time students with no concentration:

*

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

On Campus Full Time students with Dance Education-PK-12 Licensure Concentration:

*

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to takeCOOP 001n place ofCOOP 101.

On Campus Full Time Students with Dance/Movement Therapy Concentration:

*

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

On Campus Full Time students with Physical Therapy Concentration:

*

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

Co-op/Career Opportunities

The dance major is designed for students to focus on one of four career options. Several of the concentrations lead to graduate study at Drexel or may be completed at the end of four years. Each also includes a co-op experience that allows for extended interaction with professionals in dance therapy, physical therapy, education, and performance. Students wishing to change career focus throughout the course of the undergraduate curriculum will have the option to do so.

Students focusing on dance/movement therapy participate in a six month co-op experience during the spring and summer terms of their junior year. These students may participate in co-op with a practicing dance/movement therapist, community dance artist, or mental health professional in a mental health, social service, rehabilitation, medical, special education or community arts setting.

Students focusing on physical therapy, will participate in a six month co-op in which they work in a setting with a physical therapist, such as a hospital, treatment center, school, or private practice. Co-op experiences where students are able to work with physical therapists working on dancers as clients will be encouraged. 

Students focusing on dance in education participate in after school dance programs, artist in residence school partnerships and auditorium lecture demonstration programs as part of a touring dance company run by the dance program at Drexel, or other dance education focused activities in a school or studio setting, during the fall and winter of their junior year as their co-op experience.

Students focusing on custom design or performance may participate in a six month co-op including performance, administration, production, event planning and grant writing. Students interested in performance will work with professional choreographers to experience multiple aspects of creating a sustainable life in performance and/or choreography. 

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.  

Program Level Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, graduates will be prepared to:

Dance Faculty