Dance Studies, M.A.

About the Dance Studies Master’s Program

The emphasis of the online Master of Arts in Dance Studies at Texas Tech University is to prepare the dance educator for teaching and scholarship. This program offers investigation into a range of disciplinary practices and includes in-depth study of dance histories, arts advocacy, pedagogies, and critical reading and writing. Students also investigate movement practices in the contexts of choreography, anatomy and kinesiology, somatics, and collaboration. Completion of a written thesis or thesis project in a specialized area is required. The online Master of Arts in Dance Studies requires a minimum of 36 semester hours of graduate-level course requirements, normally constituting a three-year course of study. The curriculum includes 15 credit hours of face-to-face instruction offered in summer terms and 21 credit hours of online coursework offered during fall and spring terms. The program is designed for working professionals who are encouraged to complete one online course each fall and spring in addition to the summer face-to-face components. It is expected that accepted students will have an undergraduate degree in dance or will have experience in dance (e.g., professional performance, choreography, training, and/or criticism) substantial enough to adequately prepare them for the required curriculum. 
 
Upon completion of this degree, students will be able to: 

• Engage in rigorous investigation of dance in diverse artistic, cultural, and educational contexts.
• Synthesize and demonstrate the creative, physical, and intellectual skills needed to research, write about, discuss, teach, and practice dance at the graduate level.
• Distinguish and analyze individual areas of interest relative to the student’s professional goals in the form of a thesis project.