The College of the Arts Introduces New Low-Residency MFA in Dance

Starting June 2016

The Montclair State University Board of Trustees has approved a new Master of Fine Arts degree program in Dance, which will be offered by the Department of Theatre and Dance in the College of the Arts, effective June 2016. 

“I am pleased to announce this exciting new degree program,” said Montclair State University President Susan A. Cole. “The new MFA program is a 60-credit terminal degree that uses a ‘low residency’ structure to support student progression.”

As an innovative low-residency degree, it is the first of its kind in the New York metropolitan area and one of only a handful of low-residency MFA degree programs in dance in the nation. “The program will allow mid-career dancers to comfortably balance rigorous graduate study with ongoing performance, travel, and teaching demands,” explained College of the Arts Dean Daniel Gurskis.

Because the program is geared toward mid-career dance artists, teachers, and other dance professionals in transition, it targets those who are interested in thinking about the future of the dance field and the shape of the discipline of dance. “The program will offer a great service to professionals who are ready to progress into new areas of dance, such as teaching in higher education,” said Theatre and Dance Professor Lorraine Katterhenry.

Students will begin their studies by spending four weeks in the summer on the University campus. They will complete the subsequent fall and spring semesters online, return for a second four-week on-campus summer session, and then complete their degree through fall and spring online coursework.  Students will be admitted to the program every two years and will complete the degree as cohorts.

By virtue of the University’s proximity to New York City, students will study closely with world-renowned artist-teachers, and University faculty, and receive the guidance and support as they develop as leaders and innovators in the field of dance. They will continue their growth as artists through the study of creative practices, pedagogy, dance technology, history and criticism, as well as through individualized research which will allow them to cultivate and express their own creative and pedagogical voices.

Learn more about the new MFA in Dance program.