Minors in the School of Theatre & Dance

Our minors programs offer students from every part of the University a solid background in performance and practical production skills that can be leveraged in a wide variety of fields and circumstances. From improvisation skills to project management to sticking to deadlines and budgets, performing arts students have an advantage in collaborative group settings no matter what careers they might pursue post-University. Plus, the opportunity to cultivate artistic passion in an educational environment can plant the seeds for a lifelong relationship to and appreciation for the arts and the creative process.

A group of dancers in earth-toned clothing and a pool of light pose in a circle with their hands in the air

The 18-unit minor in Dance consists of 9 units of core courses and 12 units of electives on advisement. Emphasis area courses in dance should be chosen according to career goals in consultation with an adviser. Students may elect to complete a minor in Dance if it is possible to complete the minor and major within 120 units.

New majors and minors are advised to participate in the placement audition scheduled at the beginning of each semester. The date and time for the audition is typically posted on the School of Theatre & Dance main webpage. New minors and majors should also anticipate enrolling in DANC 170.

The 18-unit minor in Theatre Arts is intended to give the student an opportunity to pursue an interest in theatre arts on an organized basis. Students may elect to complete a minor in Theatre Arts if it is possible to complete the minor and major within 120 units. 

The minor is not a requirement for any credential or degree. 

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Students will develop competence at thinking conceptually and critically about text, performance and production.

2. Students will demonstrate foundational knowledge of the historical and cultural dimensions of theater, including the works of leading playwrights, actors, directors, and designers both past and present.

3. Students will demonstrate foundational knowledge of a wide selection of theatre repertory including principal era, genres and cultural sources.

4. Students will demonstrate the ability to develop and defend informed judgments about theatre.

The Minor in Global Dance and Music provides educational resources for those students interested in global perspectives of music and dance for varying careers as well as for personal enrichment. The subject is interdisciplinary and, in addition to music and dance, includes artistic, historical, geographical, political, humanistic, cultural, and social aspects organized under an overreaching core with allowance for focused, in-depth study. Students are introduced to a variety of relevant disciplines, including ethnomusicology and dance ethnology.

The program consists of 12 units. Each student’s course of study is individualized according to their particular goals within the minor. Every interested student should see a designated faculty advisor for information, selection, and sequencing of courses, as well as for written approval of transfer equivalents and course substitutions. Contact the appropriate faculty member or the School of Theatre & Dance or the School of Music office for the faculty member’s office hours.

A minimum of 6 upper-division units are required to complete the minor.

All coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.

The minor is not a requirement for any credential or degree. 

Program Learning Outcomes

·         Situate dance and music practices within social, political, and historical contexts.

·         Participate in dance and music as cultural practices. 

·         Think critically and creatively about the creation of dance and music as pluri-disciplinary projects.