Prospective Students - Graduate

Dance

Areas of Study and Research

The MFA is recognized as the terminal degree in the creative and practical areas of dance. The program provides the opportunity for students to develop expertise in the areas of choreography, performance and teaching through an integration of theory and practice. It is designed to accommodate a variety of students, ranging from the recent BA/BFA graduate to the practicing professional desiring a graduate degree. The program focuses on performance, choreography and a secondary area of specialization. Possible areas of specialization include: somatics, interdisciplinary performance, film/video, cultural studies, music, improvisation, and criticism. The MFA will develop students' creative, performance, and scholarly work and position them for teaching careers in higher education as well as a variety of other careers in the field of dance.

Degrees Offered

MFA
A minimum of 60 credit hours is required. At least 30 of these must be taken in dance at the 5000 level or above. The degree is based on a required core of courses including physical training, history, choreography, readings in dance, seminars in dance and music, research strategies, methods of teaching, and a creative project or thesis. At least 6 credit hours must be taken outside of dance in an approved allied field.

Admission

Graduate School Minimum Admissions Standards
Individual graduate departments may have additional or more restrictive standards by which they evaluate graduate applicants. However, the Graduate School at CU-Boulder has established minimum standards for graduate admission. Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, or have done work equivalent to that required for such a degree.
   
2. Show promise of ability to pursue advanced study and research, as judged by the student’s scholastic record.
   
3. Have adequate preparation to enter graduate study in the chosen field.
   
4. Have at least a 2.75 (2.00=C) undergraduate grade point average. Note: Applicants who cannot meet this undergraduate standard may still secure regular admission if they have completed 9 semester hours of relevant graduate course work with at least a 3.25 average.
   

Dance Admissions Requirements
Applicants must:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree in dance or equivalent dance experience with a degree in another field and have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75.
2. Demonstrate proficiency in dance performance and choreography.
3. Complete an on-campus audition including performance of your own choreography (3 minutes long) and classes in modern, West African, improvisation, and Ballet (expertise in all four forms is not required).
4. Submit four letters of recommendation.
5. Provide a current CV or resume, and an 8x10 photo of yourself (in any pose) with the face showing clearly.
6. Provide a 2-3 page sample of academic writing. This can be an essay written expressly for the purpose of this application or a copy of a paper (or portion thereof) written in the last two years. Content need not be dance related.
7. GRE scores are not required for MFA applicants.

Financial Support Available
Fellowships, scholarships and Graduate Part-time Instructorship.

Application Information and Deadlines     Fall admission Yes Fall 2010 audition February 5-6, 2010 Application deadline December 15 International application deadline December 1 Financial assistance application deadline December 1 GPTI application deadline December 1 Spring admission No   Summer admission No

Contact Information

University of Colorado at Boulder
Department of Theatre and Dance
Theatre C132
261 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0261
Phone: 303-492-7356
Fax: 303-492-7722
E-mail: thtrdnce@colorado.edu
Website: www.colorado.edu/TheatreDance