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

The BA in PreK-12 Dance Education leads to initial certification as a 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 Pre K-12 schools. Teacher candidates will take a specified sequence of education courses in addition to fulfilling of 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 42-credit Dance major. BA in Dance Education students are considered double-majors in Dance and Education.

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

Declaring the Dance Education (PreK - 12) Major

Before you can declare a School of Education major as part of your bachelor’s degree, you must complete 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 an Education program should meet with the AGDEP Director as early as possible in the semester prior to the one in which they plan to enroll. 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 Major

Minimum of at least 60 credits but no more than 90 credits completed by the first semester in the education program
A Hunter College Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or better
Evidence of advanced writing ability through a review of English composition and writing intensive coursework
Formal declaration of a major in Dance
Completion of internal application and participation in an interview

Undergraduate 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 test (EAS) and the appropriate Content Specialty Test (CST) of the New York State Teacher Certification Exams prior to student teaching

Course of Study

Academic Plan: DANCAE-BA & MHCDAAE-BA

Electives: 3

Total credits required: 67-71

Click Here to Learn More about Undergraduate Admissions

Dance Major Course Requirements

The BA Dance Degree Curriculum is divided into 4 areas of study:

Dance Technique and Performance (20-24 credits)
Creative work: Improvisation, choreography, performance (11 credits)
Dance Studies (8 credits)
Electives (3 credits)

1. Dance Technique and Performance (20-24 credits)

Must complete four credits minimum of any style at level 1 (or the appropriate level for the ability of the student as determined in the placement class) (4)
Must complete four credits of dance technique in any style in level 3 (4)
Must complete eight credits of dance technique in any style at level I or higher (8)
Must complete two credits of Repertory DAN 43200 (1) and DAN 43300 (1)

*Students who do not place into a dance technique level 1 class must take DAN 10100 Fundamentals of Contemporary Dance Technique and/or DAN 10500 Fundamentals of Ballet (0-3)

2. Creative Work (11 credits)

DAN 12400 Production Crew (.5 x 2)*
DAN 22100 Improvisation (1)
DAN 22400 Stagecraft (1)
DAN 32100 Composition I (2)
DAN 42100 Composition II (2)
DAN 42200 Dance Workshop (2)
DAN 42400 Production (2)

*Please note that DAN 12400 Production Crew must be taken twice to complete the major.

3. Dance Studies (8 credits)

DAN 21300 Basic Musicianship for Dancers (2)
DAN 23200 Global Dance History (3)
DAN 35000 Anatomy and Kinesiology for Dancers (3)

4. Electives (3 credits)*

Dance Technique Electives

DAN 15100 Global Dance 1
DAN 25100 Global Dance 2
DAN 25200 Special Topics
DAN 35200 Special Topics

Other Electives

DAN 34200 Teaching Dance
DAN 25500 Dance Pedagogy
DAN 46100 Seminar in Dance
DAN 48000 Independent Study in Dance
DAN 49000 Honors in Dance
DAN 49800 Internship

*Dance Technique and Creative Work courses are repeatable for elective credit.

Note: All required classes are not offered every semester. Annual meetings with dance advisers are essential for both majors and minors in order to ensure that the required coursework will be completed in time for graduation.

Required Education Courses

Education Requirements (25 credits)

SEDF 20300 Social Foundations of Education, Grades 7-12 (3)
SEDF 20400 Adolescent Development (2)
SEDF 42000 Educational Psychology: Learning and Motivation (3)
EDUC 22500 DASA, Health and Safety in Birth through 21 (1)
SPED 30800 Teaching Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings (3)
SEDC 21000 Building the Foundations of Literacy in Grades 7-12 (3)
EDUC 41500 Supporting Multilingual Learners Across the Curriculum (3)
DANED 30200 Methods 1 (3)
DANED 30300 Methods 2 (3)
SEDC 30800 Clinical Experience 1 (0)
SEDC 30900 Clinical Experience 2 (0)
DANED 45600 Student Teaching in Dance, Grades PreK-12 (5)

School of Education Exit Standards

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

Have 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.

Photo by Nir Arieli

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