Arnhold Graduate Dance Education Program
BA in Dance Education (PreK-12)

The BA in PreK-12 Dance Education leads to initial certification as a dance teacher in New York State. The undergraduate programs in adolescent education are designed to prepare prospective teachers to serve as high-quality educators for students in PreK-12 schools. Teacher candidates take a specified sequence of education courses in addition to fulfilling the CUNY Common Core Requirement and the requirements of their liberal arts or sciences major. These programs include fieldwork in New York City Public schools.

The Dance Education course of study is a 25-credit sequence that students usually complete over four semesters in addition to the 47-51 credit Dance major and the CUNY Common Core Requirements.

Email: grddance@hunter.cuny.edu Phone: (212) 396-6643

How Do I Declare the BA in Dance Education Major?

Before you can declare a School of Education major as part of your bachelor’s degree, you must have already enrolled at Hunter College, declared the BA in Dance major, and completed an interview with the Director of the Arnhold Graduate Dance Education Program (AGDEP). All interest should be directed to grddance@hunter.cuny.edu.

Students interested in the BA in PreK-12 Dance Education should meet with the AGDEP Director as early as possible to discuss their individual course of study. Transfer students should seek advisement about declaring a School of Education major as soon as they have been admitted to Hunter. The School of Education does not accept non-degree or second-degree students.

Requirements to Declare the Dance Education Major:

Minimum of at least 60 credits but no more than 90 credits completed by your first semester declared in the BA in Dance Education program
A Hunter College GPA of 3.0 or better
Previous formal declaration of a major in Dance
Completion of internal application and participation in an interview with the AGDEP Director

Academic Progress Standards:

Students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 throughout their studies
Any student who receives a grade of B-, C+, C, or D in a course with fieldwork or student teaching must apply to the department chairperson for permission to re-register for that course, which may be repeated only once
Any student who receives a grade of D in an education course will be required to repeat that course; Students are permitted to repeat a course only once
Any student who receives a grade of F in any education course will not be permitted to continue in the program
Take and pass both the Educating All Students (EAS) and the Dance Content Specialty (CST) New York State Teacher Certification Exams prior to enrolling in SEDCP 45600: Student Teaching in Dance

Click Here to Learn More about Undergraduate Admissions

Required Coursework: Dance Major

All Dance majors are required to earn 47 credits minimum in DAN courses and complete all requirements including:

Be registered in at least one dance technique course every semester in order to remain a Dance major in good standing, unless granted exemption by the department;
Perform in a minimum of 2 student choreographed pieces during their studies at Hunter College;
Earn a C grade or better in all courses required for the major (grades below C will not count toward the major).

Foundational Courses (0-4 credits)

Students who do not place into a dance technique level 1 class must take DAN 10100 Fundamentals of Contemporary Dance (2 credits) and/or DAN 10500 Fundamentals of Ballet (2 credits).

Movement Practices (16 credits)

16 credits from the following techniques with a minimum of two courses from each genre. These courses may include but are not limited to the following:

Traditional African and Diasporic Forms
Contemporary/Modern Forms
European Dance Forms

Production, Performance, and Creative Work (18 credits)

all courses required

DAN12400 Production Crew (1)
DAN22100 Improvisation (2)
DAN22400 Stagecraft (2)
DAN32100 Composition I (2)
DAN42100 Composition 2 (2)
DAN42200 Capstone Project (3)
DAN42400 Production (2)
DAN43200 Repertory (2)* Required to be taken twice

Contextual Dance Studies (13 credits)

all courses required

DAN 20000 First Year Workshop (1)
DAN 23200 Global Dance History (3)
DAN 23300 Introduction to Critical Dance Studies (3)
DAN 25500 Dance Pedagogy (2)
DAN 35000 Anatomy and Kinesiology for Dancers (2)
DAN 46100 Seminar in Dance (2)

*Movement Practices courses are repeatable for elective credit.

Note: All required classes are not offered every semester. Annual meetings with dance advisers are essential to assure that required coursework will be completed in time for graduation.

Required Coursework: Education

Education Courses (28 credits)

SEDF 20300 Social Foundations of Education, Grades 7-12 (3)
SEDF 20400 Adolescent Development (2)
SEDC 21000 Building the Foundations of Literacy in Grades 7-12 (3)
DANED 30200 Methods 1 (3)
SEDC 30800 Clinical Experience 1 (0)
EDUC 41500 Supporting Multilingual Learners Across the Curriculum (3)
EDUC 22500 DASA, Health and Safety in Birth through 21 (1)
DANED 30300 Methods 2 (3)
SEDC 30900 Clinical Experience 2 (0)
SPED 30800 Teaching Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings (3)
SEDF 22000 Educational Psychology: Learning and Motivation (3)
SEDCP 45600 Student Teaching in Dance, Grades PreK-12 (4)

School of Education Exit Requirements

Students must meet the following criteria in order to graduate with a School of Education major or minor:

Maintain an overall GPA of at least 3.0
Complete the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) anti-bullying workshop. The DASA workshop is required for all students in a NYS certification program at the School of Education. The workshop requires six clock hours of coursework or training.

Photos by Nir Arieli

Arnhold Graduate Dance Education Program BA in Dance Education (PreK-12)