Dance Education, M.A.

What You’ll Learn

• You’ll study dance education as a field of the creative unified arts, distinct from other subjects through an emphasis on applied and consequential learning. 
• You’ll gain both an understanding of the discipline of education and a practical grasp of professional practice in dance education. Topics include development across diverse populations, inclusive practice, critical, creative, and inventive thinking, multi-modal literacy, and equity pedagogy. You’ll learn what distinguishes the performance arts as a specific field of social and applied learning.  
• You’ll develop empathy, persistence, and belonging, and help your students do the same. You’ll pursue ongoing personal growth through reflection and goal setting. 
• You’ll be equipped to advocate for inclusion and equity, embrace difference, and promote social justice by becoming a knowledgeable professional with the courage to pursue a classroom experience that supports every student.  

Outside the Classroom, In the Community 

Two practicums and, for new teachers, a full-time, semester-long internship will give you the experience necessary to enter the profession with comprehensive preparation. You’ll develop knowledge of the social influences affecting schools and classroom settings in order to build a more equitable learning environment.

This program is approved by the Vermont Standards Board for Professional Educators (VSBPE). Graduates will be eligible to add a dance education endorsement to their license or earn an Initial Educator’s License with a dance education endorsement (PK-12).