
Arnhold Graduate Dance Education Program
MA in Dance Education
The MA in Dance Education is designed to prepare dance artists and educators for the demands of teaching the history, culture, and practice of dance in Pre-K-12 curricula, and to provide students with the coursework required for professional certification for dance teaching in New York State.
The central tenet of this program is that the best educators of the arts must be expert scholars and practitioners in order to be effective in the classroom. The PreK-12 environment deserves an infusion of educators with global understandings and expertise with the art form itself as well as its pedagogy.
Designed with both licensed teachers and newcomers to the field in mind, the MA offers three distinct tracks to meet the needs of a variety of students:

Track 1
Track 1 is a 48-credit course of study designed for students seeking initial New York State teacher certification in Dance Education. A Track One student enters the program with a minimum of 34 credits in dance and a liberal arts Bachelor’s degree that satisfies the general education requirements in the Graduate School of Education at Hunter College.
If you are missing prerequisites, please click here for more information on making up the necessary courses and admission with conditions.

Track 2
Track 2 is a 30-credit course of study designed for students who already have New York State initial Pre-K-12 teacher certification in dance education and are seeking their Master's for professional certification. Track 2 students take graduate courses in the Dance Program to enhance their knowledge of dance as a content area as well as School of Education courses in the methods of teaching dance, designed to deepen students' teaching practice.

Track 3
Track 3 is a 30-credit course of study designed for students
who already have New York State initial Pre-K-12 teacher
certification in an area other than dance and are seeking certification
in dance education. Track 3 students take graduate courses in the Dance
Program as well as School of Education courses in the methods of teaching dance.
Admission Requirements:
Applications are reviewed yearly by a committee of AGDEP faculty, staff, and alumni. Applications for the MA in Dance Education are accepted each spring for a fall start. Applicants must have:
-
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of at least 3.0.
-
A minimum of 34 credits in Dance with a GPA of at least 3.0 in Dance.
-
Track 2 only: NYS teaching certification in Dance.
Track 3 only: NYS teaching certification in a subject area other than Dance. -
Links to up to three clips of your creative work, between 5 and 15 minutes in total. These videos should include both your professional creative work as well as your dance performance work. These links should be embedded into your Curriculum Vitae or resume.
-
At least two professional reference letters.
-
A 500-word written statement outlining your interest in the program and future goals as they relate to Dance Education.
-
An interview with AGDEP Director, Ana Nery Fragoso, held via Zoom.
Required Coursework
1. Dance and Dance Education Courses (30 credits)
Tracks one, two, and three are required to take the full sequence of Dance and Dance Education Courses.
-
DAN 70100 Embodied Research Practices (2 x2)
-
Must be taken twice for credit.
-
-
DAN 70500 Maintenance of the Dancer’s Instrument (3)*
-
DAN 73000 Studies of Forms (3)
-
DAN 73500 Performance and Presentation (1)
-
DAN 74000 Aesthetics and Contemporary Issues (3)
-
DAN 74200 Dance History (3)*
-
DAN 74600 Special Topics: Graduate Repertory (3)
-
DANED 76000 Methods 1 (3)
-
DANED 76200 Methods 2 (3)
-
DANED 76605 Student/Supervised Teaching Seminar (4)
*DAN70500 and DAN74200 are currently only offered during the Summer session.
2. Education Courses (18 credits)
-
SEDF 70300 Social Foundations of Adolescent Education (3)
-
SEDC 71000 Building the Foundations of Literacy in Adolescent Education (3)
-
CEDF 71300 Child and Adolescent Development (3)
-
EDUC 70800 Clinical Experiences 1/50 hours of fieldwork (0)*
-
EDUC 71500 Supporting Multilingual Learners Across The Curriculum (3)
-
SPED 70800 Teaching Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings (3)
-
EDUC 70900 Clinical Experiences 2/50 hours of fieldwork (0)*
-
SEDF 72000 Educational Psychology; Learning and Motivation (3)
-
EDUC 72000 DASA, Health & Safety in Birth through 21 (0)
*Required to be taken by track one, two, and three students. All other School of Education courses are required for track one students only.