All Masters applicants are expected to have completed an undergraduate major in dance, or to have acquired equivalent experiences. All students should have had at least one college level course in dance history, body science (anatomy and kinesiology for dance), dance composition, and dance production.

Prospective graduate students should apply by clicking here to be redirected to UNCGs Graduate School pages.

You should be ready to submit the following materials with the Graduate School application, along with the supplemental materials listed based on the program(s) you have selected (MA/MFA/Teaching Assistant):

• $65 application fee
• Transcripts from all institutions where coursework was completed
• Three (3) letters of recommendation from professors, employers, or persons well-acquainted with the prospective student’s academic and/or performance potential
• Personal statement – This statement should address the following (1,000 words maximum):
  • Your previous dance training and reflections on your current dance practice.
  • Your goals as a dance artist, dance scholar, and/or dance teacher
  • The reasons you decided to apply to graduate school, and to UNCG’s Master of Arts in Dance program in particular.
  • Your research interests and possible topics to be explored during your graduate studies.
• Writing sample: Submit a paper written for a class at another institution, or a sample of your publication, if available.
• Resume
  • Include any dance training and experience not reflected on official transcripts.

Teaching Assistant Application

Teaching Assistant positions are available for both MA and MFA candidates. Most TAs will not teach very much during the first year of graduate work. Responsibilities can include the following over the course of a three-year program: assisting faculty with research, assisting with departmental administration, assisting with production work in the Dance Theater, and teaching in the following areas: modern dance, ballet, jazz, social and folk dance, improvisation, dance appreciation, and dance education supervision (North Carolina A Certification required).

If you wish to apply for a Teaching Assistant position, please also attach the following materials:

• Links to video of you teaching a class, either in studio or classroom setting. If in the studio, please include warm-up, center, across the floor movement. If in a classroom, please include moments of student comprehension, discussion, and/or questions. Videos should run from 15-20 minutes in length.
• In a short one-page narrative, address the following:
  • List all significant dance teaching experiences or positions you have held. Identify your experiences fully, giving names of employing institutions and names of immediate supervisors, and list places, dates, and the scope of your responsibilities. You may attach a professional vita or resume if one is available.
  • List other significant experience that you feel directly relate to your ability as a teacher.
  • List any significant experiences in areas such as dance production, grant writing and/or arts administration, or office management.
  • List any studio classes you are prepared to teach, identifying specific levels you feel comfortable teaching and dance styles of expertise.)

Applications are due no later than November 15.

All Masters applicants are expected to have completed an undergraduate major in dance, or to have acquired equivalent experiences. All students should have had at least one college level course in dance history, body science (anatomy and kinesiology for dance), dance composition, and dance production. Please note that the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is not required for entrance into the MFA program in Dance.

Prospective graduate students should apply by clicking here to be redirected to UNCGs Graduate School pages.

You should be ready to submit the following materials with the Graduate School application, along with the supplemental materials listed based on the program(s) you have selected (MA/MFA/Teaching Assistant):

• $65 application fee
• Transcripts from all institutions where coursework was completed
• Three (3) letters of recommendation from professors, employers, or persons well-acquainted with the prospective student’s academic and/or performance potential

• Personal statement – This statement should address the following (1,000 words maximum):
  • Your previous dance training and reflections on your current dance practice.
  • Your goals as a dance artist, dance scholar, and/or dance teacher.
  • The reasons you decided to apply to graduate school, and to UNCG’s Master of Fine Arts in Dance program in particular.
  • Your research interests and possible topics to be explored during your graduate studies.
• Writing sample: Submit a 1,000 word essay where you reflect on dance as an art form and its relationship to culture, politics, and society.
• Resume
  • Include any dance training and experience not reflected on official transcripts.
• Supplemental materials listed below – Please note the following video or portfolio requirements:

Artistic Work sample: Video links of two pieces of your choreography, one of which must have two or more dancers. Clear documentary recordings showing the whole stage are preferred.

The choreography will be evaluated by the graduate faculty in dance, using the following criteria: clarity of intent, maturity of content, choreographic cohesiveness, successful integration of content and form, appropriateness and sophistication of choreographic craft, depth and clarity of performance. We also welcome students whose work is based in improvisatory techniques, Butoh, technology/dance or theatre/dance hybrids, and other approaches. Feel free to add written explanation that will help us look carefully at your work.

Teaching Assistant Application

Teaching Assistant positions are available for both MA and MFA candidates. Most TAs will not teach very much during the first year of graduate work. Responsibilities can include the following over the course of a three-year program: assisting faculty with research, assisting with departmental administration, assisting with production work in the Dance Theater, and teaching in the following areas: modern dance, ballet, jazz, social and folk dance, improvisation, dance appreciation, and dance education supervision (North Carolina A Certification required).

If you wish to apply for a Teaching Assistant position, please also attach the following materials:

• Links to video of you teaching a class, either in studio or classroom setting. If in the studio, please include warm-up, center, across the floor movement. If in a classroom, please include moments of student comprehension, discussion, and/or questions. Videos should run from 15-20 minutes in length.
• In a short one-page narrative, address the following:
  • List all significant dance teaching experiences or positions you have held. Identify your experiences fully, giving names of employing institutions and names of immediate supervisors, and list places, dates, and the scope of your responsibilities. You may attach a professional vita or resume if one is available.
  • List other significant experience that you feel directly relate to your ability as a teacher.
  • List any significant experiences in areas such as dance production, grant writing and/or arts administration, or office management.
  • List any studio classes you are prepared to teach, identifying specific levels you feel comfortable teaching and dance styles of expertise.

Applications are due no later than November 15.

Prospective graduate students should apply by clicking here to be redirected to UNCG’s Graduate School pages.

Based on the program(s) selected above, you should be ready to submit the following materials with the Graduate School application:

• a $65 application fee
• transcripts from all institutions where coursework was completed
• three (3) letters of recommendation from professors, employers, or persons well-acquainted with the prospective student’s academic and/or performance potential

Master of Arts in Dance Education (Distance Learning) – Application Deadline March 15 of alternate years. Applications are currently being accepted for Summer 2024 admission. The MA in Dance Education, with or without the advanced North Carolina M (advanced) license in dance, is designed for public school dance educators. The degree may be completed only through part-time study, combining online courses at UNCG, summer study on campus, and selected courses taken on campus or online from other institutions. Admittance into this program occurs only in alternate (even) years.

Supplemental Materials needed:

1. Personal Statement – address the following (1000 word maximum) What are your goals as a dance educator? The reasons you decided to apply to graduate school, and to UNCG’s Master of Arts in Dance program in particular. Why have you decided to pursue a Master’s degree now?
2. Resume of teaching experience and any professional preparation that does not appear on your transcript. Include professional training or experiences in other fields through which you have gained skills and insights which have strengthened you as a student and/or dance educator.
3. Links to sample videos showing you demonstrating at least 32 counts of dance for your students. This does not need to be advanced technique: We are more interested in seeing your sense of vitality and physicality as a mover, and your skill in demonstrating dance movement for your students.
4. A unit plan in dance that you have taught to your students at the K-12 level, accompanied by a 3-page reflective essay evaluating your teaching of this unit and how it reveals your strengths and limitations as a dance educator. (Please note that we will be looking at the unit plan to see how you approach the teaching of dance as more than steps, exercises, and combinations. We will be looking at your reflective essay to see your ability to think critically about your own work.)
5. A copy of the previous year’s teaching evaluations completed by your supervisor.

Prospective graduate students should apply by clicking here to be redirected to UNCG’s Graduate School pages.

Based on the program(s) selected above, you should be ready to submit the following materials with the Graduate School application:

• a $65 application fee
• transcripts from all institutions where coursework was completed
• three (3) letters of recommendation from professors, employers, or persons well-acquainted with the prospective student’s academic and/or performance potential

Supplemental Materials needed:

1. Personal Statement – address the following (1000 words maximum): What are your goals as a dance educator? The reasons you decided to apply to graduate school, and to UNCG’s Master of Arts in Dance program in particular. Why have you decided to pursue a Master’s degree now?
2. Resume of teaching experience and any professional preparation that does not appear on your transcript. Include professional training or experiences in other fields through which you have gained skills and insights that have strengthened you as a student and/or dance educator.