Dance to a Different Beat

Approved as a program in 2009 by the University System of Maryland (USM), the Dance major focuses on technical, cultural and performance education. Our students look at the art form through a critical and creative lens in ways that prepare them for real life dance experiences. We also focus on expanding our students' understanding of dance as an art form, engaged practices, mode of healing, and as areas of interdisciplinary research and creation.

Faculty support students academically and professionally, and encourage conversation around professional opportunities in dance education, performance, and choreography. We also encourage our students to pave their own paths and study a complementary field like English, History, Drama, Urban Arts, Black Studies, Film, Global Studies, Political Science, Marketing, Arts Administration, Education, or Technology. The possibilities for interdisciplinary work are encouraged in our Liberal Arts Dance Program. 

The Program organizes masterclasses, workshops and performance opportunities, both on and off campus.

Incoming Dance Major Requirements

Welcome to Coppin Dance! We are excited to welcome you into a program committed to preparing you for a career in dance. Here’s what every hopeful student must know before officially declaring as a dance major:

• Incoming dance majors and minors should contact the Dance Coordinator immediately upon entering the University for a movement placement audition. This audition is required prior to registering for courses.
• Dance majors must register for dance technique courses immediately after declaring as a dance major.
• All dance majors must complete all major courses with a grade of C or higher.
• Dance majors with prior movement training (i.e. dance, gymnastics, etc.) may register for 200+ level movement technique courses. Upper-level movement technique courses require a registration permission code. Contact the Dance Coordinator for more information.
• Dance majors must also complete DANC 226 Introduction to Choreography with a grade of C or higher.

Undergraduate Courses and Program Requirements

The Dance program offers a Bachelor of Science degree requiring 120 credits for graduation. We structure classes to be relatively small so dance faculty can work closely with each student. Our broad range of movement courses include African Dance, Caribbean Dance, ballet, jazz, hip hop, yoga, somatic, and contemporary dance. Our well-rounded program engages students in dance studies, improvisation, choreographic practices, production, and opportunities to present dance work.

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Dance, you must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among:

• General Education Requirements, or GERs

• Required Theory courses

• Core Movement Technique courses

• Dance Performance courses

• Professional Development and Internship courses

Required Theory Courses (12 credits)

All dance majors must complete DANC 325 and an additional 9 credits from the following courses:

Core Movement Techniques Courses (33 credits)

Dance majors must complete 33 dance technique credits. At least 15 credits of these credits must be completed at the 300 or 400 level. Students can petition for faculty approval to register for courses aligned with prior training or level of proficiency. Students may repeat these courses for credits toward graduation up to a maximum.

Dance Performance Courses (9 credits)

Any student, including majors and non-majors, taking a dance performance course must also register to take at least one dance technique course at the same time.   

All dance majors must complete the following courses to satisfy dance performance course requirements: 

• DANC 425 (Professional Outreach Workshop) or DANC 426 (Dance Production)

        and 

• 4 credits of 300-400 Dance Company courses from this list or through substitution as determined with your advisor:

Students may repeat Dance Company courses for credits toward graduation up to a maximum.

Professional Development and Internship Courses (6 credits)

All dance majors must complete these courses: 

Repeat Course Policy for Dance Majors

As a dance major, you may repeat movement technique and dance company courses. You may be able to apply repeated major coursework toward graduation in accordance with our departmental policy:

• 1 credit courses may be repeated for up to 3 credits towards graduation
• 2 credit courses may be repeated for up to 6 credits toward graduation
• 3 credit courses may be repeated for up to 9 credits toward graduation

Dance majors can meet upper level course requirements by repeating the following courses in accordance with departmental policy:

• DANC 320
• DANC 321
• DANC 322
• DANC 323
• DANC 325
• DANC 328
• DANC 329
• DANC 420
• DANC 421
• DANC 422
• DANC 423
• DANC 427
• DANC 440
• DNC 441
• DANC 499
• All core movement technique classes
• All performance courses
• All theory courses

Create, Inspire, and Engage Communities

With exposure to an interdisciplinary curriculum, you’ll learn how to create, present, respond, and connect your ideas to communities across visual and performing arts mediums. You’ll learn how to: 

• Research, organize, and develop artistic ideas and work 

• Create and refine artistic works with relevance to audience and/or location 

• Analyze, interpret, and curate artistic selections for public presentation and community engagement 

• Develop and refine artistic presentations to align with relevant urban issues 

• Perceive, analyze, and interpret meaning of artistic work 

• Identify and use environmental resources to create masterworks 

• Inform the creative process with personal knowledge and experience 

• Make meaningful connections between ideas and works with other contexts 

In addition to those learning outcomes listed above, students pursuing the arts administration concentration, also learn how to: 

• Communicate and engage in groups, as team member and manager 

• Connect and communicate value of artistic ideas and works to other industries, like business  

This interdisciplinary program pulls from visual and performing arts, communication, economics, and urban sociology to prepare students to meaningfully engage in planning and redevelopment of urban areas. We lay the foundation for students to join community organizations that sponsor, create, exhibit, perform, and share visual and performing arts programming to improve urban environments, as well as inspire their residents. 

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Urban Arts, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among: 

• General Education Requirements (GERs)  

• General electives  

• Major courses 

• Concentration requirements 

Core Courses (6 credits)

Urban arts majors must take 6 core courses. The remaining requirements may vary by concentration. 

*Capstone course for all Urban Arts majors

How to Choose a Concentration

All Urban Arts majors are welcome to choose a concentration. We recommend you tell the department as soon as possible, so we can assign an advisor to help you design your course schedule based on your different concentration requirements. 

Remember, you must earn a grade of C or higher in any courses required for the Urban Arts major—that includes your concentration courses as well. 

Each section below details the specific concentration requirements. 

Arts Administration Concentration Courses

This concentration requires 33 credits.

Theatre Concentration Courses

This 33-credit concentration prepares students for careers in the theater arts and related performing arts spaces.  

Learn more about the Theatre concentration

Required Concentration Courses

This concentration requires 27 credits.  

Minor Requirements

To graduate with a minor in History, students must complete a minimum of 18 credit hours with a grade of “C’ or better in each minor course. You may choose from pre-approved courses or petition the History Department to consider additional courses. Approved courses include:

Survey Courses (6 credits)

Upper Level Electives (12 credits)

All history minors must complete 12 hours in 300 and 400 level courses, as discussed with departmental advisor.

You’ll learn how to: 

• Think critically about American history 

• Appreciate African Americans’ contributions to the development of American society 

• Value history and culture of other countries 

• Analyze, synthesize, and interpret historical events 

• Understand the impact of the past on the present 

• Use research methods to collect, analyze, and evaluate historical data

Study the Past, Change the Future

Choose 1 of 4 history concentrations: 

• African American history 

• African history 

• History/social studies education 

• United States history 

Regardless of your chosen concentration, our history degree prepares you for graduate or professional school, teaching, or any other career with research or analytical responsibilities. Students interested in a specific concentration should notify their advisor as early as possible, so the department can assign an advisor.

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Science in History, you must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among:

• General Education Requirements, or GERs

• General electives

• Major courses

• Concentration requirements

General Education Requirements (12 credits)

All history majors must take a pair of GER courses for 6 credits. Choose from the following groups:

Note: Students may not mix courses from different groups.

How to Choose a Concentration

All history majors may choose a concentration, if desired. We recommend you tell the department as soon as possible, so we can assign an advisor to help you design your course schedule based on your different concentration requirements. 

Each concentration has the same section requirements: 

• Survey courses 

• Upper level courses

• Departmental electives 

Remember, you must earn a grade of C or higher in any courses required for the history major—and that includes your concentration courses as well. 

Each section below details the specific concentration requirements. 

Minor Requirements

To graduate with a minor in African-American studies, students must complete 21 interdisciplinary credit hours with a grade of “C’ or better in each minor course. Students may choose from pre-approved courses or may petition the History Department to consider additional courses. Approved courses include:   

Minor Requirements

In additional to minor courses, lectures and workshops on important international themes and topics are crucial to gaining a foundational understanding of global trends. To satisfy minor requirements, you must earn a grade of C or better in each of the minor courses: 

Study Abroad Opportunities

We encourage students studying Global Studies to broaden their global thoughts and perspectives through field experiences and/or study abroad trips to foreign nations. Any students interested in travel study should reach out to the Study Abroad Coordinator to learn more about the structured and academically meaningfully experiences of traveling and studying in another country.

The Global Studies program focuses on learning outcomes across 4 key areas:

• Recognizing global perspectives
• Analyzing global affairs
• Communicating ideas
• Learning a second language

Specifically, you’ll learn how to: 

• Identify and describe global cultures and societies 

• Describe and analyze global economies and political systems, foreign policies, and their philosophical foundations 

• Conduct authoritative research 

• Prepare written and oral compelling arguments about global affairs 

• Communicate in a second language at an intermediate level   

Go beyond the classroom with a Global Studies degree. Learn about international study abroad and internship opportunities, and prepare for a career in foreign affairs, intelligence, health, development, law, and social services.  

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among:

• General Education Requirements, or GERs (60 credits)

• College requirements (12 credits) 

• Core courses (33 credits) 

• Foreign language requirements (3-12 credits depending on placement results or transfer credits) 

College Requirements (12 credits)

Core Courses (33 credits)

Foreign Language Requirements (3-12 credits)

You may need to take anywhere from 3-12 credits depending on your language placement results or transfer credits.  

Capstone Requirements (3 credits)

Minor Requirements

To graduate with a minor in English, students must complete 18 credit hours with a grade of “C’ or better in each minor course:

Be the Author of Your Own Story

You'll learn from a firm English and liberal arts curriculum and graduate ready to pursue graduate or professional school, or a wide variety of careers in media, law, education, politics, creative writing, or public relations, among others.

Program Requirements

To graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in English, students must complete 120 credit hours. These credit hours split among:

• General Education Requirements, or GERs (40 credits)
• Core English Courses (48 credits)
• Electives (32 credits)

Core English Courses

All English majors must successfully complete all core courses regardless of concentration.

Literature in History (9 credits)

• ENGL 201 British Literature I or ENGL 202 British Literature II
• ENGL 205 American Literature I
• ENGL 206 American Literature II

Critical Methods (6 credits)

• ENGL 208 Critical Writing
• ENGL 210 Introduction to Literary Genres

African-American Literature (6 credits)

• ENGL 235 Literature of the Black American I or ENGL 236 Literature of the Black American II
• ENGL 338 Studies in Black American Literature

Upper-Level Writing (3 credits)

• ENGL 305 Advanced Expository Writing or ENGL 307 Technical Writing or 300-level Creative Writing (CRWR) or Journalism (JRNL) course

Program Electives (12 credits)

• At least four 300-level English (ENGL), Creative Writing (CRWR), Philosophy (PHIL), Journalism (JRNL), or World Literature (WLIT)

Bachelor of Arts Requirements (9 credits)

• 300-level Philosophy (PHIL)
• At least two 200-level Spanish (SPAN), French (FREN) or Latin (LATN) or WLIT 207 World Literature Ancient to Post-Modern plus WLIT 386 Modern Literature: Africa, Asia, and Latin America or SPAN 303 Survey of Spanish Literature I or SPAN 304 Survey of Spanish Literature II

Capstone Assignment & Senior Colloquium (3 credits)

• ENGL 496 Senior Colloquium 

Additional Requirements

• English majors must successfully complete all core courses with a C grade or higher.
• English majors must earn a C grade or higher in a GER Philosophy course.
• English majors must pass the Departmental Assessment, which is a capstone thesis paper.
• Students who earn two or more grades below C in any single semester in Core English Courses may not be allowed to continue as English majors.

How to Stay an English Major

We strongly recommend you continuously work with your academic advisor through your program journey. Here are some important things you need to know about how to stay an English major in good academic standing:

• Complete all major and minor courses with a C or better.
• Maintain a cumulative 2.5 grade point average (GPA) in major courses and non-major courses taken to satisfy English major requirements.

Please note, students who receive 2 or more grades below C in any 1 semester in major courses and program non-major courses are not allowed to continue as English majors.