Degrees in Dance

Students in the UC Irvine Department of Dance engage in an educational experience where performance, creative exploration, and scholarly inquiry are deeply interconnected. The department fosters a supportive and inclusive environment where students create, perform, analyze, and examine dance through historical, cultural, philosophical, and scientific lenses.

The Dance Graduate Program offers the Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Dance, an intensive, interdisciplinary course of study that integrates studio practice with academic research. Students pursue individualized areas of interest through a culminating thesis project in the second year. Thesis work may take the form of creative projects or written research in a range of areas, including—but not limited to—choreography, dance pedagogy, dance media and technology, dance training, dance science, and dance studies.

At the undergraduate level, the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Dance provides a broad foundation in the arts, supporting a wide range of career paths or graduate study in related fields. The Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) in Dance, with specializations in Performance and Choreography, offers a focused and rigorous program for students seeking intensive preparation for professional careers in dance creation and performance.

Please refer to the UCI Catalogue for detailed degree requirements and course offerings.

Pictured: Tong Wang, Dance Visions 2018. Picture by Rose Eichenbaum