The Master of Fine Arts program in dance offers two emphasis areas in choreography or performance. Students must first complete the online application and then be selected to interview and audition to be considered for admission.
Learning Outcomes
- Movement expertise: achieve professional-level expertise in contemporary movement practices and techniques as a means to advanced, body-based creative research and teaching.
- Creative research: establish individualized creative research trajectories that couple dance theories and practices and foster coherent aesthetic points of view in both scholarly and performative contexts.
- Communication: demonstrate skilled communication through artistic process and product, and through verbal, written, digital, pedagogical, and emerging artistic forms.
- Artistic citizenship: understand and develop the combined artistic, social, and organizational skills of the artist-citizen who, in humane ways, contributes to the local, national, and global dialogues about dance and contemporary culture, and to the evolution of the professional field.
- Career readiness and sustainability: understand the diverse and ever-changing nature of the field of dance and develop the relevant agility to hold significant roles in a sustained, lifelong career.
The Master of Fine Arts program in dance requires a minimum of 60 s.h. of graduate credit. The program is designed to be completed in four to six semesters in residence. Students must maintain a graduate program grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.00.
Students who demonstrate accomplishment in dance performance and/or choreography may apply for admission to the MFA program. Applicants select the choreography or the performance emphasis before they are admitted.
The MFA with a major in dance requires the following coursework.
Dance Core
A total of 29 s.h. of core coursework is required for students in each emphasis area.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| All of these: | ||
| DANC:4060 | The Contemporary Dance Scene | 3 |
| DANC:5060 | Theories of Dance and the Body | 3 |
| DANC:5545 | Teaching Dance in Higher Education | 3 |
| DANC:5880/THTR:5880 | Installations and Interactive Performance | 3 |
| DANC:6050 | Graduate Improvisation II | 3 |
| DANC:6060 | Graduate Seminar in Dance | 3 |
| DANC:6350 | Graduate Choreography III | 3 |
| DANC:7990 | Thesis (8 s.h. required) | 8 |
Movement Practices and Extended Techniques
Choreography emphasis students select 7 s.h. and performance emphasis students select 14 s.h. from the following. Performance emphasis students must satisfy at least half (7 s.h.) of their movement practice coursework in the ballet and contemporary movement practice curriculum (courses ending in 30 for ballet and 40 for contemporary movement). Other university courses outside the Department of Dance can satisfy the movement practices requirements with permission of the MFA advisor if they serve a student's embodied creative research objectives.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| DANC:3030 | Major Ballet I | 1-3 |
| DANC:3040 | Major Contemporary Movement Practices I | 1-3 |
| DANC:3851/MUS:3851 | Introduction to the Alexander Technique | 3 |
| DANC:3852 | Introduction to the Feldenkrais Method: Posture, Perception, and Pain Relief | 3 |
| DANC:3853 | Introduction to Klein Technique | 3 |
| DANC:4034 | Ballet Pointe | 3 |
| DANC:5085 | Graduate African Caribbean Dance Practices | 3 |
| DANC:5530 | Graduate Majors Ballet II | 1-3 |
| DANC:5540 | Graduate Contemporary Movement Practices II | 1-3 |
| DANC:6030 | Graduate Majors Ballet III | 1-3 |
| DANC:6040 | Graduate Contemporary Movement Practices III | 1-3 |
| DANC:6540 | Graduate Contemporary Movement Practices IV | 1-3 |
| DANC:7550 | Graduate Contemporary Movement Practicum | 2-3 |
| DANC:7560 | Graduate Ballet Technique Practicum | 2-3 |
Emphasis Courses
Students select courses from their chosen emphasis area.
Choreography Emphasis
Choreography emphasis students complete 12 s.h. from the following.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Both of these: | ||
| DANC:6450 | Graduate Choreography IV | 3 |
| DANC:6990 | Graduate Independent Projects (taken three times) | 9 |
Performance Emphasis
Performance emphasis students complete 14 s.h. from the following.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Both of these: | ||
| DANC:5055 | Embodying Voice/Performing Persona | 3 |
| DANC:6990 | Graduate Independent Projects (taken twice) | 6 |
| At least 5 s.h. from these: | ||
| DANC:3885 | Repertory Dance Company | 1-3 |
| DANC:6880 | Dance Gala Performance | 1-4 |
| DANC:6881 | Graduate Concert | arr. |
| DANC:6882 | Graduate/Undergraduate Concert | 1-4 |
| DANC:6883 | Faculty/Graduate Concert | 1-4 |
| DANC:6884 | Undergraduate Event | 1-4 |
| DANC:6885 | MFA Thesis Concert | 1-4 |
| DANC:6887 | MFA Event | 1-2 |
| DANC:6888 | Special Project Student Performance | arr. |
| DANC:6889 | Graduate Performance Credit | 1-3 |
Electives
Choreography emphasis students select 12 s.h. of electives; performance emphasis students select 3 s.h. of electives. Courses may be in dance or other departments and must be numbered 3000 or above. All students should consult their advisor for approval of elective coursework. Any courses in the requirements lists may count as electives if the requirements of the particular category are already satisfied. For example, choreography emphasis students may count additional courses from the Movement Practices and Extended Techniques curriculum as electives after they have completed their required 7 s.h. Additional dance courses that may count as electives are as follows.
| Course # | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| DANC:3050 | Body/Image: Dance and Media in Discourse and Practice | 3 |
| DANC:3060 | Western Concert Dance History: Romantic to Contemporary | 3 |
| DANC:3070 | Dance Kinesiology | 3 |
| DANC:3600 | Art, Feminist Practice, and Social Justice | 3 |
| DANC:3710/INTM:3700 | Topics in Intermedia | 4 |
| DANC:3875/THTR:3875 | Topics in Digital Performing Arts | 3 |
| DANC:3895/DIGA:3895/THTR:3895 | Performance, Art, and New Technologies in Society | 3 |
| DANC:4452 | MFA Independent Project Research Lab | arr. |
| DANC:4453 | MFA Thesis Research Lab | arr. |
| DANC:4454 | Faculty Creative Research Lab | arr. |
| DANC:4535 | Elementary Ballet Pedagogy | 3 |
| DANC:4545 | Teaching of Modern and Contemporary Dance Forms | 3 |
| DANC:5890/THTR:5890 | Producing and Directing Digital Video | 3 |
| THTR:3876/CINE:3876/DANC:3876/DIGA:3876/INTM:3876 | Video for Performance | 3 |
Admission is based on a review of submitted choreographic and performance work, letters of recommendation, transcripts, teaching application, statement of purpose, and curriculum vitae. Selected applicants participate in an interview and audition which includes a solo dance, a teaching audition, and when possible, an on-campus visit that includes advanced classes in ballet and contemporary movement practices to determine class placement level.
Demonstrated accomplishment in performance or choreography is a prerequisite for admission to the program. For more information, see Master of Fine Arts in Dance on the Department of Dance website.
Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Graduate College; see the Manual of Rules and Regulations on the Graduate College website.
Graduates establish successful, professional careers as professors in higher education and as dance-makers and artistic directors, performers in regional and national companies, writers who contribute to knowledge in the field, and teachers for the next generation of dancers.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans represent one way to complete a program of study. Actual course selection and sequence will vary and should be discussed with an academic advisor. For additional sample plans, see MyUI.
Dance, MFA
Choreography Emphasis
| Academic Career | ||
|---|---|---|
| Any Semester | Hours | |
| 60 s.h. must be graduate level coursework; graduate transfer credits allowed upon approval. More information is included in the General Catalog and on department website. a, b | ||
| Hours | 0 | |
| First Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| DANC:5060 | Theories of Dance and the Body c | 3 |
| DANC:6050 | Graduate Improvisation II c | 3 |
| DANC:6350 | Graduate Choreography III | 3 |
| DANC:6990 | Graduate Independent Projects d, e | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| DANC:6060 | Graduate Seminar in Dance c | 3 |
| DANC:6450 | Graduate Choreography IV d | 3 |
| DANC:6990 | Graduate Independent Projects d, e | 3 |
| Elective course f | 3 | |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| DANC:4060 | The Contemporary Dance Scene c | 3 |
| DANC:5545 | Teaching Dance in Higher Education c | 3 |
| DANC:6990 | Graduate Independent Projects d, e | 3 |
| Movement Practices and Extended Techniques course g | 1 | |
| Hours | 10 | |
| Spring | ||
| Movement Practices and Extended Techniques course g | 3 | |
| Elective course f | 3 | |
| Elective course f | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| DANC:5880 | Installations and Interactive Performance | 3 |
| Movement Practices and Extended Techniques course g | 2 | |
| Elective course f | 3 | |
| Hours | 8 | |
| Spring | ||
| DANC:7990 | Thesis h | 8 |
| Movement Practices and Extended Techniques course g | 1 | |
| Exam: Master's Final Exam i | ||
| Hours | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- a
- The program is designed to be completed in four to six semesters in residence.
- b
- Students must complete specific requirements in the University of Iowa Graduate College after program admission. Refer to the Graduate College website and the Manual of Rules and Regulations for more information.
- c
- Typically this course is offered every other year. Check MyUI for course availability since offerings are subject to change.
- d
- Choreography emphasis required course.
- e
- Complete a total of 6 s.h. (2 s.h. for each choreography project).
- f
- Complete at least 12 s.h. of electives. Work with faculty advisor to determine appropriate coursework and sequence.
- g
- Complete at least 7 s.h. of movement practices and extended techniques coursework. See the General Catalog for list of approved courses.
- h
- A minimum total of at least 8 s.h. of thesis credit is required.
- i
- Thesis defense.