Dance Education M.A.
Degree: Master of Arts
https://www.towson.edu/cofac/departments/dance/programs/dance-education/
Program Director: Jaye Knutson
Phone: 410-704-2770
Email: jknutson@towson.edu
Towson University’s award-winning dance department has built upon its leading undergraduate dance education program with a new Master of Arts in Dance Education. The 36-unit program provides flexible, part-time graduate study for certified dance educators looking to deepen their practice and qualify for the Maryland State Department of Education's advanced professional certification. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), it’s the first and only master of arts program in Maryland designed specifically for dance educators.
The program’s focus on existing dance education professionals sets it apart from other programs aimed at people looking to change careers or focus on dance education. This program is for a professional to examine their own pedagogical practices and then place it within a more globally informed and theoretically rich context. Study starts from a global perspective then moves to an individualized one, examining the personal pedagogy of each candidate and their interests. Finally, the focus expands back to a broader application that is synthesized in an action research-based project and thesis.
The program connects students with nationally recognized, award-winning faculty mentors and access to state-of-the-art practice and performance spaces and prepares graduates for a variety of career options as teacher-leaders or doctoral candidates.
Admission Requirements
Application deadlines and a full listing of materials required for admission can be found on the website.
Prerequisites for Admission
Completion of a minimum of 20 hours of Introduction to Laban Movement Analysis by approval of program director.
Degree Requirements
Enrollment in and completion of the Master of Arts in Dance Education does not lead to state teacher certification / licensure. Students interested in the state teaching certificate should consult with the Department of Dance for information regarding certification requirements.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| DANC 600 | GLOBAL PEDAGOGY IN DANCE EDUCATION | 3 |
| DANC 700 | CULTURE OF THE LIVED BODY | 3 |
| DANC 745 | PERSONAL PEDAGOGIES: EMBODIED PRACTICES | 3 |
| DANC 845 | ACTION RESEARCH IN PEDAGOGICAL INQUIRY | 3 |
| DANC 897 | THESIS 1 | 6 |
| or DANC 898 | THESIS | |
| IDFA 609 | ARTS INTEGRATION CAPSTONE PROJECT | 3 |
| IDFA 703 | INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
| Micro-credentials for Creative Classrooms Requirement 2 | ||
| Electives | 12 | |
| Select one course from each of the three Dimensions of Learning listed below. Then select one additional course (3 units) from any of the three Dimensions of Learning. Students interested in taking alternative elective courses are to seek prior approval of Dance Department. | ||
| Theory & Critical Studies in Practice | ||
| COMMUNITY-BASED ARTS TEACHING | ||
| TEACHING THINKING THROUGH ARTS | ||
877.615 | Mind, Brain & Teaching (JHU Course) 3 | |
| Dance Pedagogy as a Global Phenomena | ||
| METHODS FOR TEACHING DANCE: POLICY AND ADVOCACY | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL ACTION | ||
| Embodied Practices | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN SOCIAL ACTION (second attempt must be different topic) | ||
| ARTS ACROSS THE CURRICULUM | ||
| INTERDISCIPLINARY SEMINAR IN THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS | ||
| Total Units | 36 | |
- 1
Students must complete 6 total units of thesis: DANC 897 for 6 units in one term or DANC 898 for 3 units in two terms
- 2
Enrollment in the MSDE Micro-Credential for Creative Classrooms is a non-credit bearing requirement that introduces students to a state-wide, interdisciplinary arts community of teachers engaged in sharing the intersections between their disciplines and the creative process. Students will receive guidance on completing this requirement from their program director and, once complete, will have the milestone in their Academic Requirements completed by the department.
- 3
Courses completed at other institutions must be approved through the graduate transfer credit process prior to registration in order to have courses posted to the TU graduate record. Students taking courses through University System of Maryland schools may be eligible to use inter-institutional registration to simplify the registration process.
Suggested Plan of Study
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisite | ||
Introduction to Laban Movement Analysis Option A (20 hours by approved program) | ||
| Summer 1 | ||
Maryland Centers for Creative Classrooms | ||
| DANC 570 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN DANCE | 1-3 |
| GLOBAL PEDAGOGY IN DANCE EDUCATION | ||
Introduction to Laban Movement Analysis Prerequisite Option B (20 hours by approved program) | ||
| Fall 1 | ||
| INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH METHODS | ||
| Winter 1 | ||
| CULTURE OF THE LIVED BODY | ||
| Spring 1 | ||
Elective | ||
Elective | ||
| Summer 2 | ||
| PERSONAL PEDAGOGIES: EMBODIED PRACTICES | ||
| ACTION RESEARCH IN PEDAGOGICAL INQUIRY | ||
| Fall 2 | ||
Elective | ||
IRB Approval | ||
| Winter 2 | ||
| ARTS INTEGRATION CAPSTONE PROJECT | ||
| Spring 2 | ||
| THESIS | ||
Elective | ||
| Summer 3 | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN DANCE | ||
| THESIS | ||
Thesis Presentation / Oral Defense | ||
- Examine current trends and confront ethnically diverse perspectives in dance education.
- Create dance pedagogies derived from personal values, experiences and interests.
- Transform the standards of dance practice through field study.
- Model professional excellence as an educator in the classroom and community.
- Utilize appropriate technology to enhance learning.
- Develop collaborative partnerships that enrich the educational experience.