How Do I Get a Bachelor of Dance Degree?

There are several ways to get a Bachelor of Dance degree, as well as several types of the degree available. The process depends upon the type you wish to earn and the type of institution you wish to earn it from. You will need to ensure that you meet the admission requirements of the college or university that you wish to study at and to perform the necessary research to ensure that the institution you apply to meets your needs. Once accepted into a bachelor's degree program, the process for completing the degree will differ depending upon what type of degree you wish to complete.

Regardless of the type of Bachelor of Dance degree you wish to earn, you must complete approximately 60 hours of lower division, general education coursework that focuses on subjects other than dance and performance art. You may be able to take several proficiency tests to satisfy the most basic requirements in math, science, and language. Once you have completed the lower division coursework, you will move on to the upper division segment of the Bachelor of Dance degree.

If you wish to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance, your upper division coursework will focus on workshops that refine your dance form as well as lectures and seminars that instruct you on the more theoretical, abstract concepts related to dance and other performing arts. If you wish to complete a Bachelor of Contemporary Art (BCA), more of your coursework will be done in the classroom, studying current elements in dance and performance. A BCA is less oriented toward practical application of dance technique in than a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance.

You may also structure your upper division coursework to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in dance performance, which is somewhat similar to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree but focuses more on the actual dance performance. You can also work toward completing a Bachelor of Dance Education, which will prepare you to teach others the fundamentals of dance in addition to other aspects of dance and performing arts. A Bachelor of Dance Education emphasizes the basics of teaching a performance art to students of various skill levels in numerous types of dance, from ballet and ballroom to modern and interpretative.