Step-by-Step Advising Guide & FAQ For All Undergraduate Dance/Theatre Majors
The School of Theatre & Dance has two types of Advising Worksheets:
- Degree Planning Worksheet (DPW): The DPW is designed to help you plan and track your degree progress as you meet with your faculty advisor.
- Advising Roadmap/Focus Area Advising Sheet: The Roadmap/Advising Area Sheets is a guide on the order you need to take the core curriculum and suggestions based on a student's focus area.
Before meeting with your advisor:
- Fill out your personal information at the top of the worksheet.
- Make sure the Theatre & Dance courses you have already completed have been recorded and checked off on your DPW.
- You can check the DPW against your unofficial transcript, which can be found in your Student Center.
- If you are meeting with an advisor about waiving a course using Community College coursework, be sure to bring information about that course (syllabus, or bulletin description) and be ready to share what you learned in that class.
You will also use the DPW to track your course waiver/transfer approvals for Theatre & Dance courses. Do not list transfer courses that have not yet been approved. Course transfers can be discussed with your advisor but the person who teaches the course at SF State must give final approval. Students transferring from Community Colleges within California can see courses that automatically articulate/transfer by viewing the Transfer Credit Report found in the Academic drop-down menu in your Student Center or at assist.org.
Update your Degree Planning Worksheet every semester.
Each semester, take an updated worksheet and a recent unofficial SF State transcript when you meet with your advisor. Please follow your advisor’s advice.
Ideally, all new students should contact a major advisor as soon as possible. You can find your advisor on our Advising page. General advice for new students can be found on the SF State Advising Hub. The information posted on the Advising Hub comes directly from the School of Theatre & Dance. The only advice that supersedes the information on the Advising Hub is advice directly from your major advisor.
If the advice from the Undergraduate Advising Center (UAC) contradicts the Advising Hub information, contact your major advisor or the Director of the School of Theatre & Dance immediately.
Advising Hub for Dance Freshman and Transfers
Advising Hub for Theatre Arts Freshman and Transfers
Dance Majors
ALL Newly enrolled students should take the following courses when entering the program:
- DANC 170 Integrated Dance Technique: This is a gateway course that is required of all new Theatre students. Course Waivers or Substitutions are not accepted for this course.
Freshmen should enroll in the following courses for Fall 2022:
- DANC 208: Cultural History of Dance (Topic: Tap)
Other core requirements to consider if your schedule permits:
- DANC 123: Music Fundamentals for Theatre & Dance Artists
- DANC 311: Alignment/Pilates I
- TH A 302: Foundational Skills in Theatre and Dance Productions
or
- TH A 303: Production Support
Junior Transfers should enroll in the following courses for Fall 2022:
- DANC 232: Dance Composition: Choreography I
- DANC 301 GWAR: Dance Research Methods and Theory
- DANC 311: Alignment Pilates I
Other core requirements to consider if your schedule permits:
- DANC 123: Music Fundamentals for Theatre & Dance Artists
- DANC 350: Dance Aesthetics
- TH A 302: Foundational Skills in Theatre and Dance Production
or
- TH A 303: Production Support
Theatre Arts Majors
Newly enrolled students should take the following courses when entering the program:
- TH A 101 Orientation to Theatre Arts: This is a gateway course that is required of all new Theatre Arts students and should be taken your first semester. Not taking this class in your first semester will impede on your degree progress. Course waivers or substitutions are not accepted for this course.
- TH A 130 Acting Workshop I: This is a core course that is required of all new Theatre students regardless of area of focus. It is recommended you take this class your first semester. If you have already taken a college-level Acting course for 3 units or more you may be able to waive this course.
- TH A 302 Foundational Skills in Theatre & Dance Production: If you are interested in technical, management, or design fields, take this course as soon as you are able.
Freshmen should enroll in 2 Theatre Arts courses.
- If you are performance-minded:
- TH A 101: Orientation to Theatre Arts
- TH A 130: Acting Workshop I
- If you are management/tech/design-minded:
- TH A 101: Orientation to Theatre Arts
- TH A 302: Foundational Skills in Theatre and Dance Production
Junior Transfers should enroll in 3-5 Theatre Arts courses.
- TH A 101: Orientation to Theatre Arts
- TH A 130: Acting Workshop I (if you have not yet taken a similar CC course)
- TH A 302: Foundational Skills in Theatre and Dance Production (if you have not yet taken a CC "tech" course)
- Major electives - based on your interests within theatre
The courses you need may not be offered every semester or the schedule may not work for you. Additionally, some courses have strict pre-requisites. Use the roadmaps and degree planning worksheets along with regular meetings with your major advisor to determine the correct order to take courses. If you do not follow this guidance, you will probably not be able to graduate in the the semester you planned and will have to return to school to take any required core courses. Heed your advisor's guidance and the guidance provided on the School of Theatre & Dance roadmaps. Prioritize and take courses in the suggested order first!
Yes you do! Read below
Who is my Advisor?
ALL Dance & Theatre Arts B.A. degree students have an allocated advisor. You can find a list of our Faculty Advisors under our Advising section of our website.
Do I have to see an Advisor?
Yes! Your advisor will help you plan your major—and graduate on time.
How often should I see my Advisor?
Visit your advisor once a semester, ideally before you register for classes for the upcoming semester.
When can I visit my Advisor?
You can meet with your advisor during drop-in office hours or make an appointment. Drop-in hours for each advisor will be posted in the School Office (CA 103) and can be found on the People section of our website, after the 3rd week of the semester. If there are no office hours posted email your advisor to find out their office hours or other they are available to meet with you. Take your updated Degree Planning Worksheet and unofficial transcripts with you for all meetings with your advisor.
First...check your Transfer Credit Report in your Student Center to see if any courses have automatically articulated. Confirm that by checking to see if that requirement is marked with a green check mark on your Degree Progress Report (DPR) in your Student Center.
Meet with your advisor first to discuss these courses. They will help you determine if you need to meet with other instructors. Typically to gain a course waiver you must meet with the faculty member who teaches the SF State course you wish to waive. You will likely need to bring printed copies of your transcripts from both SF State and your previous school and any information you have about the previously completed course (e.g. syllabus, course description, etc.). If approved, faculty can submit an 'Advisor Request' through your Student Center to complete the process.
No, all Community College courses are LOWER division. SF State lower division courses are DANC/THA 299 or below. Upper division courses are numbered DANC/THA 300 and above. Ask your advisor for help with transfer courses + take printed copies of your transcripts from your previous institution.
No. Each area of study has its own list of 45 units of required core and electives. Please see your advisor to make sure you are on track. You can also find degree planning worksheets and major roadmaps on the Advising Worksheet section of our website.
120 units in total, but they must meet all major, general education and University requirements. Therefore, make sure to visit the ARC (Advising Resource Center), the GE advising hub for our college as well as meeting with your major advisor. The Theatre Arts and Dance B.A. degrees both have 45 required units in the major. Most students meet GE requirements within 65 units. NOTE: You can satisfy the major requirements (45) AND the GE requirements (65) and NOT be eligible for graduation. ALL students must have earned 120 units to graduate.
- For General Education Advising: First-year Students are advised by the Undergraduate Advising Center.
- For Major Advising: ALL levels of students are advised by major advisors and can be found on our Advising page.