The Department of Dance offers curricula leading to bachelor of arts (B.A.) or bachelor of science (B.S.) degree. The goal of the department is to provide comprehensive dance training within the liberal-arts framework of the university. The serious study of dance involves intellectual, artistic, and physical development. The Department of Dance emphasizes all three areas of growth, a commitment made possible by the breadth of its curricular offerings and the depth of faculty expertise.

Facility with oral and written communication is one goal of a liberal-arts education. Therefore, dance majors pursue a course of study to acquire a firm intellectual grasp of the theoretical, historical, and creative forces that shape dance as an art form.

Dance, unique in that it is also a physical form of communication, requires continual experience in its technical foundations. Students are expected and encouraged to experience a variety of forms of dance training and idioms. Production and pedagogy are also integral to the undergraduate core, because many students find careers in theater and teaching.

Admission
Students eligible for admission to the university may apply to be admitted as dance majors. Entering freshmen should have a basic knowledge of dance and music as art forms and technical training in dance. Students transferring from two-year colleges must have at least a 2.75 cumulative grade point average (GPA); in addition, they should have met the university's writing requirement and completed a majority of the university's group requirements. The 2.75 GPA includes all graded credits. Any deficiencies in lower-division dance courses must be met either by proficiency examination or by completion of these core courses at the first opportunity. During their first four terms, beginning and transfer students must pass Looking at Dance (DAN 251) and Fundamentals of Rhythm (DAN 252) to be eligible to continue as dance majors.

The faculty reviews each student for continuation as a dance major upon completion of the following requirements:

Passing DAN 251 and 252 with grades of C- or better 

Passing with grades of B (above B-) or better the ballet and modern technique courses (DAN or DANC) in which the student was placed upon entry into the program 

Satisfactory progress toward the degree must be maintained. Progress is monitored every term by faculty advisers. Students who receive grades of D or F or marks of W (withdraw) or I (incomplete) in courses required for the major are placed on departmental probation and must repeat the courses for passing grades. Students placed on departmental probation, for any reason, have one term to achieve the goals they agreed upon with their academic advisers. While students are on probation, they receive guidance to help them achieve satisfactory progress toward the degree. A student who fails to fulfill the probation contract is dropped from the major.

All courses required for a dance major or minor must be taken for letter grades when that option is available. Each letter-graded course must be passed with a grade of C- or better. A grade of P must be earned in courses designated pass/no pass (P/NP) only. The P/N option should be exercised sparingly by students who plan to pursue a graduate degree in dance.

Advising
Students admitted as majors or minors must meet with a dance faculty adviser prior to registration each term. These meetings inform students about prerequisites and progress toward the degree. Appointment schedules for advising are posted by each adviser. Students must have a signed advising contract in their departmental academic file before they may register each term using DUCKWEB. Students without signed advising contracts in their files are dropped from the dance major.

Placement of Majors and Minors
Placement classes are held the week before fall-term classes begin and during spring term. Faculty adjudicators observe and place students according to the student's knowledge and skill level. Entering freshmen planning to attend IntroDUCKtion in July should attend the spring-term placement class. Incoming students who register in the fall should attend the placement class during Week of Welcome. Students who want to enter professional-level (DAN) technique courses winter or spring term should request a placement decision. More information is available from faculty members. Write, call or email the department office for dates of placement classes.

Honor Society and Scholarships
Pi Delta, the University of Oregon's chapter of Phi Beta, is a professional fraternity for the creative and performing arts. Membership in the collegiate category is open to majors and minors in dance. Pi Delta has active alumni and patron memberships that award yearly scholarships to talented student performers or choreographers. Applicants for the scholarships must be upper-division undergraduate majors or minors who have been at the university for at least a year.

Fees
Majors in the School of Music pay a term fee of $75. In the Department of Dance, this fee helps to pay expenses associated with dance studio activities, such as class accompaniment and unusually demanding maintenance of the facilities and studio theater. This fee exempts dance majors from paying the per-course fee for DANC courses when they are taken for credit.