Dance

About the Major

The dance major at Drexel University has a unique curriculum design and focus. Rather than focusing on training performers, this program combines rigorous academic coursework with extensive stage and studio dance experiences to prepare students for three possible career paths within dance: dance /movement therapy, dance in education and physical therapy. Students participating in this major will earn a BS degree in dance with an optional minor in psychology.

Students focused on dance/movement therapy will prepare for jobs as dance/movement therapists. These are psychological counselors working in a variety of settings including hospitals, out patient clinics and residential treatment centers. Students pursuing this option will earn a BS degree in dance at the Westphal College, through the Department of Performing Arts, for the first four years of study. They will then have the option to continue on to two years of study in the College of Nursing and Health Professions to earn an MA in Creative Arts in Therapy and become a licensed dance therapist.

The second career focus, dance in education, prepares students for jobs as elementary school teachers (grades Kindergarten through 6) who may also serve as school dance specialists. Students choosing this option will earn a BS degree in dance through the Department of Performing Arts and may elect to continue for a fifth year of study to earn anMS in the Science of Instruction through the School of Education. Students who successfully complete the five year BS /MS option in education will then be recommended to the State for a Pennsylvania Teaching Certificate in the area of Elementary Education for K-6 certification general education.

The third career focus, physical therapy, prepares students to work as physical therapists in a variety of settings, including hospitals, treatment centers, schools, and private practice. Students interested in the physical therapy option will complete the four- year BS degree in dance, along with a series of recommended electives in the physical sciences. After completion of the BS degree, students will continue their education for an additional three years in the College of Nursing and Health Professions to earn a DPT and become a licensed physical therapist.

The student who enters the dance major at Drexel University is an academically achieving student who has a passion for dance, but does not see him or herself as necessarily pursuing a career exclusively in performance. He or she is looking for extensive experiences to improve as a dancer, choreographer and performer while being stimulated academically. This student wants to study dance—-both physically and cognitively—in college while being offered the possibility of gainful employment after graduation.

For more information about this major, visit the Westphal College's Dance page.