Dance, BFA

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance offers a rigorous immersion in the performing art with the goal of providing professional training to young dancers as movers, makers, technicians and thinkers as they evolve as whole artists. At the heart of the curriculum are daily courses in technique, which includes contemporary dance, ballet, hip hop, tap, jazz and West African; rigorous bi-weekly choreographic application of ideas of space, time and form; and near-daily rehearsal in the University Dance Theater (UDT). Through the support of the department’s professionally active and diverse faculty, UDT functions as a laboratory where dancers wrestle with new movement idioms or choreographic methods, and are given the chance to push their dancing to new heights. At the same time, the program’s academic coursework in history, dance cultures, pedagogy, and kinesiology provide students an intellectual foundation to understand the body as historical, cultural, and material.

Auditions are required for admission.

Program Learning Outcomes

Summary of Degree Units

University Graduation Requirements	42
Major Preparation	11
Major Requirements	64
University Electives	3
Total	120

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

University Requirements

Students must satisfy all of the major and Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements , which includes unit, GPA, and residency requirements as well as the below identified General Education , American Institutions, Graduation Writing Assessment, and Physical Education requirements. Courses that meet Undergraduate University Graduation Requirements are noted with an area designation (see Course Abbreviations ).

Core Lower Division General Education (30 units)

Of the 39 units required by the university, 9 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Courses that meet GE Areas A1, A2, A3, B4, or F must be passed with a “C-” or better to meet the requirement. Consult with a major advisor for details.

Upper Division General Education (6 units)

Of the 9 units required by the university, 3 units may be satisfied by coursework outlined below. Consult with major advisor for details.

American Institutions (6 units)

Complete one 6-unit sequence of American Institutions (US123) courses, which also satisfies GE Area D. Students may also satisfy the American Institutions Requirement with other courses, but these may not satisfy other GE areas.

The American Studies sequence (AMS 1A /AMS 1B ; 12 units) or Humanities Honors course (HUM 2B ; 6 units) satisfies the American Institutions Requirement and additional GE Areas (see course descriptions for details).

Consult with a major advisor to select the appropriate sequence.

U.S. History and Government (6 units)

Complete One US1: US History Course

AMS 10 - Stories that Make America 3 unit(s) (C2+US1)
HIST 15 - Essentials of U.S. History 3 unit(s) (D+US1)
HIST 170S - Topics in American History: American Identities and Institutions 3 unit(s) (S+US1)

Complete One US23: US Constitution and California Government Course

AMS 11 - Visions of Democracy 3 unit(s) (D+US23)
POLS 15 - Essentials of U.S. & California Government 3 unit(s) (D+US23)
POLS 16 - Power and Ideas in American Politics 3 unit(s) (C2+US23)
POLS 170V - American Politics in Global Perspective 3 unit(s) (V+US23)

Physical Education

The Physical Education Requirement is waived for this major. See the Exceptions for University Graduation Requirements .

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement

At SJSU, students must pass a Writing in the Disciplines (100W) course with a grade of C or better (C- not accepted) to meet graduation requirements. For this major, the Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) is satisfied by a course in the major.

Major Preparation (11 units)

DANC 43 - Dance Improvisation 1 unit(s)
DANC 75 - Rhythm and Dynamics in Dance 1 unit(s)
MUSC 10A - Music Appreciation 3 unit(s) (C1)
MUSC 100W - Written Communication II 3 unit(s) (WID) (TA 100W also accepted)
DANC 102 - Dance in World Cultures 3 unit(s) (V)

Major Requirements (64 units)

Dance Technique, Performance and Choreography (53 units)

Freshmen must perform at level II in area of option. Minimum of one technique class daily required each semester at SJSU. Level I is prerequisite if unable to perform at level II or higher in Modern, Jazz, Ballet or Tap.