Dance

Graduate Degree Program

The Department of Dance offers a graduate program leading to the master of fine arts degree.

Admission Requirements

Prerequisites for admission to the MFA program are: 1) An advanced choreographic ability and technical skill. Candidates are recruited based on outstanding choreographic potential, their ability to achieve technical proficiency, and for their potential for making a contribution to the department and to the field as a whole. 2) An undergraduate degree in dance comparable to that granted by the University of Illinois, or equivalent experience. Students who are deficient in undergraduate coursework will be expected to complete deficiencies on a remedial basis. 3) A minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4 point scale, computed from the last 60 hours of undergraduate work and any graduate work completed. International students must have a miniumum TOEFL score of 550. The GRE is not required. Enrollment during Spring semester is not recommended.

MFA Degree Requirements

Sixty hours and a residency requirement of three years (six semesters) are required for the MFA degree in Dance. For returning professionals the residency requirement may be two years (four semesters) determined on an individual basis based on background experience. Some degree of curricular flexibility is permitted depending on previous experience and current interests and goals. Coursework taken to complete undergraduate deficiencies will not receive graduate credit. Program requirements include 40 hours in the areas of technique, composition, special topics seminars, historical and theoretical studies, production, portfolio development, and administration; a 8 hour culminating creative project; and 12 hours of electives, which may be taken in dance or related areas of interest. Cross-disciplinary work and independent study in areas of interest are encouraged. The ability of the candidates to pursue graduate study is assessed at the midterm of the second semester in residence, at which time a decision is made regarding continuation in the program and the length of the residency requirement.

In rare cases, the department (in collaboration with the Graduate College) will waive up to a maximum of 12 hours of credit because of extensive prior experience which is defined by "exhibiting a large scope and depth of successful practice in the field of dance." These hours may be in one of or a combination of Composition, Performance, or Technique. This consideration for waiver of credit will not be made unless the prior dance experience is of the highest quality (on a national or international level) and has been sustained consistently over a number of years (at least a decade). This experience must be well documented and must be confirmed and demonstrated by the candidate's contributions to the department. Therefore, such waivers cannot be considered until well into the student's program of study.

Financial Aid

Four forms of financial aid are offered by the Department of Dance: resident and nonresident tuition scholarships; 25 to 33% time graduate teaching assistantships that include tuition waivers; fellowships in the amount of $8,000 for students from underrepresented populations (Black, Hispanic, Native American); and the Creative and Performing Arts Fellowship from the Graduate College, awarded to a graduate student who demonstrates outstanding choreographic and/or performance talent, which includes a $3,000 to $6,000 stipend and a tuition waiver. A limited number of other Graduate College fellowships are also available for talented students.