Department of Dance
Graduate Admission Information
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Selection Criteria |
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Responsibilities
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Notification |
Application Forms
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Admissions
There are two parts to the application, one part for review by the Graduate School and one part for review by the Dance Department. All the necessary forms are available online. Note that the Graduate School portion of your application can be submitted online, while the forms for the Dance Department should be printed and sent with other required application materials.
You must complete both parts for your application to be valid. The two web addresses you need to visit to apply are listed below.
Graduate School Application:
- A completed Graduate School application form
- Two copies of the official transcript from all former undergraduate and graduate degree programs. All records must be in English.
- GRE scores for general test
- Three letters of recommendation
- Non-refundable $45.00 application fee
These materials should be sent to the UNCG Graduate School, which forwards application files to the Dance Department as soon as they are complete. All graduate students should submit all application materials by December 1. Applications for Teaching Assistantships are due at the same time. Distance MA in Dance Education students and resident MA in Dance Education students who do not want a teaching assistantship apply on a difference schedule. Please see Dance Education application materials for further information.
In rare instances, we can admit someone who applies after the December 1 deadline, but applications received after April 1 cannot be fully processed prior to fall semester. If an admitted applicant does not register for the term specified in the application, he or she must formally request a later admission date from the Department and the Graduate School. Admission may be subject to subsequent review.
Send all of these materials to:
The Graduate School
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
241 Mossman Building, Greensboro,
NC 27402
336.334.5596
Dance Department Application:
A. For programs other than the MA in Dance Education.
- A completed Dance Department Information Form (A)
- Responses to the questions on the Information Form (A)
- A resume detailing dance training and experience not reflected by official transcripts
- A videotape or portfolio as indicated below. (If you are applying for more than one concentration, you must send required materials for each of these.):
MFA or MA in Choreography: a VHS videotape of two pieces of your choreography,
one of which must have two or more dancers
MFA or MA in Design: a portfolio which documents your work in dance
design and production
MA in Dance Theories and Practices: a sample of written scholarship
(This could be a paper written for an undergraduate or graduate class
at another institution; the paper may be on any topic.)
B. For an MA in Dance Education, please see MA in Dance Education Application for details.
Teaching Assistantship Application (if desired):
- A completed Graduate Teaching Assistant Application Form (B)
- Responses to the questions on Form (B)
- Two letters of reference should include discussion of your work and/or promise as a teacher
Send all of these materials to:
Department of Dance
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
PO Box 26170 Greensboro, NC 27402-6170
336.334.5570
After a careful review of application materials, selected students will be invited to campus to continue the admissions process with an audition and interview.
Admissions Criteria
GRADUATE SCHOOL
Please look carefully at Graduate School Admissions criteria, especially
requirements for undergraduate grade average and entrance exams, and
information for applicants who are not residents of the United States
and did not graduate from an undergraduate school conducted in English.
DANCE DEPARTMENT
All Master's applicants are expected to have completed an undergraduate
major in dance, or to have acquired equivalent experiences. All students
should have had at least one college level course in dance history,
body science (anatomy and kinesiology for dance), dance composition,
and dance production.
- Artistic Work: Admission to the MFA in Dance requires that students demonstrate ability adequate for successful participation in graduate level practica in the areas of concentration. Students must have taken initial work at the undergraduate level. Video records submitted as part of your application should present your best work. For admission to a concentration in choreography, clear documentary recordings showing the whole stage are preferred. You must include two pieces, at least one of which has two or more dancers. The choreography will be evaluated by the graduate faculty in dance, using the following criteria: clarity of intent, maturity of content, choreographic cohesiveness, successful integration of content and form, appropriateness and sophistication of choreographic craft, depth and clarity of performance. We also welcome students whose work is based in improvisatory techniques, Butoh, technology/dance or theatre/dance hybrids, and other approaches. Feel free to add written explanation that will help us look carefully at your work.
- Writing: At UNCG, we believe that all graduate students, including those in studio concentrations, need to be able to communicate well in writing. Some writing is required in all courses, whether it is reflective journal writing about one's own artistic work or a formal research paper. For this reason, we ask for enough writing in your application so that we can adequately assess your skill level. See Form A for specific questions. Writing will be evaluated based on the maturity of your thinking; how well you state, illustrate and support your ideas; and the readability of your work. Criteria for evaluation will include clarity, organization of ideas, mechanics, and word choices.
MORE ABOUT THE GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN DANCE - Provisional Admission
Promising applicants will be accepted with deficiencies in required areas of study and permitted to make up work in those subjects. All special conditions attached by either the Graduate School or the Dance Department must be met no later than upon the completion of the first year of graduate study. A graduate student admitted provisionally in not eligible for appointment to an assistantship or fellowship until full graduate standing is achieved.
Transfer Credit
Transfer credits from other institutions are limited by the University to 1/3 of one's course work. Credits taken for MA, MS, or MEd degrees do not necessarily apply toward completion of the MFA, which is considered a terminal degree. Individual circumstances will be evaluated.
Course Load
Recommended course load for all programs is 9 to 12 hours per semester. Full-time students may register for a maximum of 15 hours each semester. Teaching Assistants are normally limited to a maximum of 10.
MORE ABOUT ASSISTANTSHIPS
Selection Criteria
Assistants must meet admission standards for full acceptance in a Master's degree program. Successful applicants must have a 3.0 or better GPA in previous undergraduate and/or graduate studies. Normally, assistantships are granted only to the most outstanding applicants. Since all assistants are required to fulfill a particular role in the department, evidence of experience and expertise is expected in one or more of the areas indicated on the graduate assistantship application form.
While TAs are generally awarded to excellent students, they are not necessarily given to those with the most teaching experience. Little teaching is done the first year and we mentor teaching through DCE 661: Pedagogy in Higher Education, DCE 662: Teaching Practicum, and through experience teaching Dance Appreciation. Assignments to teach particular classes are based on experience and ability, but most graduate assistants have other assigned duties in addition to teaching.
Students who are not awarded Teaching Assistantship may also take DCE 661 and 662 to gain teaching experience.
Notification
Applicants will be officially notified by the Graduate School if they are to be appointed as Graduate Assistants. Unofficial phone calls will be made by the graduate coordinator to confirm interest and the nature of the appointments before recommendations are forwarded to the Graduate School. Applicants not selected will be notified in writing. The notification process is usually completed by April.
Responsibilities
Graduate Assistants in dance may teach two 3-credit lecture courses, three 1-credit technique courses, or a combination of these. Often the teaching load is reduced and other assignments in the department are made, such as production support, administrative duties or faculty research assistance. Non-teaching assignments are based on 20 hours per week as a full load. For example, a graduate student teaching one 3-credit course would be assigned 9-10 hours of additional duties per week. All assignments are made by the department head. Graduate Assistants are considered half-time faculty, and are expected to carry a full course load of 6-10 semester hours. Graduate Assistants must complete DCE 661 in the first year of their assistantship. Outside employment while holding an assistantship is forbidden by the Graduate School.
Application Forms:
The UNCG Graduate SchoolDance Department Graduate Application (Form A) - MFA and MA
Dance Department MA in Dance Education Application
Graduate Assistantship Application (Form B)
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