Program Overview

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance

The Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance is a conservatory-level experience that combines broad-based education with intensive focus on choreography, performance, and technique. This program requires further immersion in performance, technique, and choice of choreography, pedagogy, or dance studies.

Admission Criteria

The criteria for acceptance into the BFA program include outstanding commitment, academic capability, advanced technical level, exceptional creativity, and professional promise. Prospective students must audition for admission to the BFA program by submitting the dance supplemental application online and either submitting videos or attending a Hawkeye Dance Day.

Program Requirements

The BFA in dance requires a minimum of 120 semester hours, including 86 semester hours of work for the major. In contrast to the BA, the BFA emphasizes choreography and performance through an additional 16 semester hours of choreography, performance, and technique. BFA students culminate their experience with senior projects in choreography, performance, or scholarly research. The senior project may also be taken for honors credit.

Degree Structure

• The program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in dance, including technique, choreography, and performance.
  • Students will take a minimum of 120 semester hours, including 86 semester hours of work for the major.
  • The program emphasizes choreography and performance through an additional 16 semester hours of choreography, performance, and technique.
• Students will culminate their experience with senior projects in choreography, performance, or scholarly research.
  • The senior project may also be taken for honors credit.

Conditional Status

Students admitted to the BFA program will be admitted under conditional status and will be eligible for regular status during the spring of their freshman year based on the above-mentioned criteria for the degree. Students already admitted to and enrolled in the BA program may apply for admission to the BFA program after they have achieved a Majors II Technique level and received an A- or higher.