BFA in Dance
The BFA in Dance offers two concentrations one in Dance Studies and Choreography, and another in Performance. The Concentration in Dance Studies and Choreography focuses student to study in areas of dance scholarship, dance making, and dance production as opposed to an emphasis on stage-based performance study. The Concentration in Dance Studies and Choreography provides students with a strong basis for work in dance research, commercial choreography, dance production, and dance as it impacts our practice of social justice and community building.
BFA graduates can find career opportunities as craft or fine artists, multimedia artists, actors, art directors, art teachers, managers, marketing associates, sound and light engineers, carpenters, editors, or writers. The average yearly salary for BFA graduates is $56,063.
Marketable Skills
Students will develop:
- Confidence: Be self-assured through appreciating your own talents, abilities, skills, and qualities
- Global awareness: Understand and appreciate people, cultures, and ideas from around the world that impact our community
- Leadership: Step up, think, and act critically and creatively to bring others together to accomplish a common task
- Social responsibility: Act ethically and responsibly for the benefit of society and the public good
- Teamwork: Participate as an effective, efficient member of a group in order to meet a common goal
- Time management: Prioritize goals and organize time to be more productive and efficient.
Additionally, students will learn:
- Conflict resolution
- Creative problem solving
- Empathy
- Entrepreneurship
- Pedagogy: specifically radical, embodied and empathic pedagogy
There are two bachelor of Fine Arts concentrations students may choose from: BFA in Dance with concentration in Performance, and the BFA in Dance with concentration in Dance Studies and Choreography. All Dance majors must take a minimum of 120 credits to graduate, 48 of which must be at the 3300-4300 level. Outside of the required Dance credits in the concentrations, all dance students must take 42 credits to satisfy the University Core requirements.
Degree Plan
Required Credits: 120
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete the University Core Curriculum requirements. | 42 | |
| Dance Major | ||
| Foundations (33 Credit hours): | ||
| DANC 1151 | Dance Performance (Complete 3 credits) | 3 |
| DANC 2301 | Improvisation | 3 |
| DANC 2341 | Ballet Foundations I | 3 |
| DANC 2342 | Ballet Foundations II | 3 |
| DANC 2345 | Contemporary Foundation 1 | 3 |
| DANC 2346 | Contemporary Foundation 2 | 3 |
| DANC 3303 | History of Dance as a Perf Art | 3 |
| DANC 3305 | Dance Production | 3 |
| DANC 3349 | American Dance Forms Hip Hop | 3 |
| DANC 3363 | Somatics | 3 |
| DANC 4394 | Dance Pedagogy | 3 |
| Choose one concentration | ||
Concentration
Dance Studies and Choreography
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Embodied Studio Practices (Choose 12 credit hours) | 12 | |
| Dance Theatre Lab (Zero credit course- 4 semester required) | ||
| Intermediate Ballet I | ||
| Intermediate Ballet II | ||
| Intermediate Contempor Dance 1 | ||
| Intermediate Contempor Dance 2 | ||
| American Dance Forms - Jazz | ||
| American Dance Forms Hip Hop | ||
| Selected Topics in Dance | ||
| Advanced Ballet I | ||
| Advanced Ballet II | ||
| Advanced Contemporary Dance 1 | ||
| Advanced Contemporary Dance 2 | ||
| Embodied Theory Practices (27 credit hours) | ||
| Dance Theory and Composition | ||
| World Dance | ||
| Dances of Mexico and Spain | ||
| Performance Activism | ||
| Choreography | ||
| Choreography II: Group Forms | ||
| Seminar | ||
| Performance Studies | ||
| Performing Arts Management | ||
| Upper-Elective (Choose 6 credit hours) | 6 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Performance
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Embodied Studio Practices (Choose 24 credit hours) | 24 | |
| Intermediate Ballet I | ||
| Intermediate Ballet II | ||
| Intermediate Contempor Dance 1 | ||
| Intermediate Contempor Dance 2 | ||
| American Dance Forms - Jazz | ||
| American Dance Forms Hip Hop | ||
| Selected Topics in Dance | ||
| Advanced Ballet I | ||
| Advanced Ballet II | ||
| Advanced Contemporary Dance 1 | ||
| Advanced Contemporary Dance 2 | ||
| Embodied Theory Practices (Choose 18 credit hours) | 18 | |
| Acting Fundamentals | ||
| Dance Theory and Composition | ||
| World Dance | ||
| Choreography | ||
| Choreography II: Group Forms | ||
| Seminar | ||
| Performance Studies | ||
| Electives (Choose 3 credit hours) | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
| 1 Although the UTEP choice is larger, these choices satisfy the requirements of both the core and the major. | ||
University Core Curriculum
The department may make specific suggestions for courses which are most applicable towards your major.
All courses require a C or better
I. Communication (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on developing ideas and expressing them clearly, considering the effect of the message, fostering understanding, and building the skills needed to communicate persuasively. Courses involve the command of oral, aural, written, and visual literacy skills that enable people to exchange messages appropriate to the subject, occasion, and audience. | ||
| Select six hours of the following: | 6 | |
| For students whose secondary education was in English: | ||
| Written and Oral Communication | ||
| Writing About Literature | ||
| Rhetoric & Composition I | ||
| Rhetoric & Composition 2 | ||
| Rhetoric, Composition & Comm | ||
| For students whose secondary education was not in English: | ||
| Expos Engl Compos-Spkr Esl | ||
| Res & Crit Writng Spkr Esl | ||
| Total Hours | 6 | |
II. American History (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on the consideration of past events and ideas relative to the United States, with the option of including Texas History for a portion of this component area. Courses involve the interaction among individuals, communities, states, the nation, and the world, considering how these interactions have contributed to the development of the United States and its global role. | ||
| HIST 1301 | History of U.S. to 1865 | 3 |
| HIST 1302 | History of U.S. Since 1865 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 6 | |
III. Language, Philosophy & Culture (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on how ideas, values, beliefs, and other aspects of culture express and affect human experience. Courses involve the exploration of ideas that foster aesthetic and intellectual creation in order to understand the human condition across cultures. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Intro-African Amer Studies | ||
| Latina/o Presence in the U.S. | ||
| English Literature | ||
| English Literature | ||
| Intro to American Fiction | ||
| Intro to American Drama | ||
| Intro to American Poetry | ||
| Making of the "Other" Americas | ||
| World History to 1500 | ||
| World History Since 1500 | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| Ethics | ||
| Introduct to Religious Studies | ||
| Seeing & Naming: Conversations | ||
| Introduction to Womens Studies | ||
| Global Feminisms | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
IV. Mathematics (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on quantitative literacy in logic, patterns, and relationships. Courses involve the understanding of key mathematical concepts and the application of appropriate quantitative tools to everyday experience. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| College Algebra | ||
| Trigonometry and Conics | ||
| Math in the Modern World | ||
| Math for Social Sciences I | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| Precalculus 1,2 | ||
| Math for Social Sciences II | ||
| Statistical Literacy | ||
| Elementary Statistical Methods | ||
| 1 A higher-level course in the calculus sequence can be substituted. | ||
| 2 TCCN MATH 1314 will also satisfy this requirement. | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
V. Life & Physical Sciences (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on describing, explaining, and predicting natural phenomena using the scientific method. Courses involve the understanding of interactions among natural phenomena and the implications of scientific principles on the physical world and on experiences. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 1-4 | |
| Astronomy Lab I | ||
| Elem Astronomy-Solar System | ||
| Elem Astr Stars & Galaxies | ||
| Introductory Biology Lab | ||
| Human Biology Laboratory | ||
| Topics in Study of Life I | ||
| Organismal Biology Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Biology | ||
| Human Biology | ||
| General Biology | ||
| Organismal Biology | ||
| Human Anat/Physio Lab I | ||
| Human Anat/Physio Lab II | ||
| Human Anat/Physiology I | ||
| Human Anat/Physiology II | ||
| Laboratory for CHEM 1305 | ||
| Laboratory for CHEM 1306 | ||
| Intro General Chemistry Lab | ||
| Intro Organic & Biochem Lab | ||
| General Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry | ||
| Intro to General Chemistry | ||
| Intro Organic & Biochemistry | ||
| Environmental Sci. Lab | ||
| Non-major Lab for ESCI 1301 | ||
| Intro to Environment Science 2 | ||
| Intro to Environmental Sci | ||
| Laboratory for GEOG 1306 | ||
| Physical Geography | ||
| Lab for GEOL 1313 | ||
| Lab for GEOL 1314 | ||
| Principles of Earth Sci - Lab | ||
| Laboratory for Geology 1212 | ||
| Principles of Earth Sciences | ||
| Principles of Earth Science | ||
| The Blue Planet | ||
| Natural Hazards | ||
| Intro to Physical Geology | ||
| Intro to Historical Geol | ||
| Fundamentals of Nutrition | ||
| Wellness Dynamics | ||
| Microorganisms and Disease | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| Laboratory for PHYS 2320 | ||
| Laboratory for PHYS 2321 | ||
| Introductory Mechanics | ||
| Introductory Electromagnetism | ||
| Total Hours | 6 | |
VI. Political Science (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on consideration of the Constitution of the United States and the constitutions of the states, with special emphasis on that of Texas. Courses involve the analysis of governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations. | ||
| Required Courses: | ||
| POLS 2310 | Introduction to Politics | 3 |
| POLS 2311 | American Gover & Politics | 3 |
| Total Hours | 6 | |
VII. Social and Behavioral Sciences (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on the application of empirical and scientific methods that contribute to the understanding of what makes us human. Courses involve the exploration of behavior and interactions among individuals, groups, institutions, and events, examining their impact on the individual, society, and culture. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Intro-Phys Anth/Archeolog | ||
| Intro-Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| Intro to Linguistics | ||
| Econ for Engrs & Scientists | ||
| Asian American Studies | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Mass Media and Society | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Introduction to Ed Psychology | ||
| Action Research in Classrooms | ||
| Introduction to Linguistics | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| Community Service | ||
| An Intro. to Linguistics | ||
| Lang. Inside & Out: Sel Topics | ||
| Introduction to Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
VIII. Creative Arts (three hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in this category focus on the appreciation and analysis of creative artifacts and works of the human imagination. Courses involve the synthesis and interpretation of artistic expression and enable critical, creative, and innovative communication about works of art. | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Art Appreciation | ||
| History of Art I | ||
| History of Art II | ||
| Chicana/o Fine Arts Appreciat | ||
| Dance Appreciation | ||
| Intro-Art of Motion Pict. | ||
| Music Appreciation | ||
| Jazz to Rock | ||
| Music, Culture, and Society | ||
| Introduction to Theatre | ||
| Total Hours | 3 | |
IX. Component Area Option (six hours)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| a. A minimum of 3 SCH must meet the definition and corresponding Core Objectives specified in one of the foundational component areas. b. As an option for up to 3 semester credit hours of the Component Area Option, an institution may select course(s) that: (i) Meet(s) the definition specified for one or more of the foundational component areas; and (ii) Include(s) a minimum of three Core Objectives, including Critical Thinking Skills, Communication Skills, and one of the remaining Core Objectives of the institution's choice. | ||
| Intro to Global Business | ||
| Public Speaking | ||
| Business/Profession Comm | ||
| Intro-Computational Thinking | ||
| Computer Programming Sci/Engr | ||
| Eng Innovation and Leadership | ||
| Introduction to Leadership | ||
| Inquiry in Math & Science | ||
| Seminar/Critical Inquiry | ||
| Total Hours | 0 | |
4-Year Sample Degree Plan
BFA in Dance with a Concentration in Dance Studies and Choreography
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BFA IN DANCE WITH A CONCENTRATION IN DANCE STUDIES AND CHOREOGRAPHY | ||
| FRESHMAN | ||
| Fall | ||
| RWS 1301 | Rhetoric & Composition I | 3 |
| Core-Component Area Option | 3 | |
| DANC 1304 | Dance Appreciation | 3 |
| DANC 2301 | Improvisation | 3 |
| DANC 2341 | Ballet Foundations I | 3 |
| DANC 1151 | Dance Performance | 1 |
| Spring | ||
| HIST 1301 | History of U.S. to 1865 | 3 |
| RWS 1302 | Rhetoric & Composition 2 | 3 |
| DANC 2342 | Ballet Foundations II | 3 |
| DANC 2345 | Contemporary Foundation 1 | 3 |
| DANC 3303 | History of Dance as a Perf Art | 3 |
| DANC 1151 | Dance Performance | 1 |
| SOPHOMORE | ||
| Fall | ||
| Core - Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Core-Natural Sciences | 3 | |
| Core-Mathematics | 3 | |
| DANC 2346 | Contemporary Foundation 2 | 3 |
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| DANC 1151 | Dance Performance | 1 |
| Spring | ||
| HIST 1302 | History of U.S. Since 1865 | 3 |
| Core-Natural Sciences + Lab | 4 | |
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| JUNIOR | ||
| Fall | ||
| POLS 2311 | American Gover & Politics | 3 |
| Core-Component Area Option | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| DANC 3305 | Dance Production | 3 |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Spring | ||
| POLS 2310 | Introduction to Politics | 3 |
| Core-Language, Philosophy, & Culture | 3 | |
| DANC 3349 | American Dance Forms Hip Hop | 3 |
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| SENIOR | ||
| Fall | ||
| DANC 3363 | Somatics | 3 |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Upper-Division Elective | 3 | |
| Spring | ||
| DANC 4394 | Dance Pedagogy | 3 |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 121 | |
BFA in Dance with a Concentration in Performance
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BFA IN DANCE WITH A CONCENTRATION IN PERFORMANCE | ||
| FRESHMAN | ||
| Fall | ||
| RWS 1301 | Rhetoric & Composition I | 3 |
| Component Area Option | 3 | |
| DANC 1304 | Dance Appreciation | 3 |
| DANC 2301 | Improvisation | 3 |
| DANC 2341 | Ballet Foundations I | 3 |
| DANC 2345 | Contemporary Foundation 1 | 3 |
| Spring | ||
| HIST 1301 | History of U.S. to 1865 | 3 |
| RWS 1302 | Rhetoric & Composition 2 | 3 |
| DANC 2342 | Ballet Foundations II | 3 |
| DANC 3305 | Dance Production | 3 |
| DANC 2346 | Contemporary Foundation 2 | 3 |
| DANC 1151 | Dance Performance | 1 |
| SOPHOMORE | ||
| Fall | ||
| Social and Behavioral Sciences Area | 3 | |
| Life and Physical Science Area | 3 | |
| Mathematics Area | 3 | |
| DANC 3363 | Somatics | 3 |
| DANC 3349 | American Dance Forms Hip Hop | 3 |
| DANC 1151 | Dance Performance | 1 |
| Spring | ||
| HIST 1302 | History of U.S. Since 1865 | 3 |
| Life and Physical Science + Lab Area | 4 | |
| DANC 3303 | History of Dance as a Perf Art | 3 |
| DANC 1151 | Dance Performance | 1 |
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| JUNIOR | ||
| Fall | ||
| POLS 2311 | American Gover & Politics | 3 |
| Component Area Option | 3 | |
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Spring | ||
| POLS 2310 | Introduction to Politics | 3 |
| Language, Philosophy, and Culture Area | 3 | |
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Studios Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| SENIOR | ||
| Fall | ||
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Studio Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Spring | ||
| DANC 4394 | Dance Pedagogy | 3 |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Embodied Theory Practices Course | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 121 | |