The EdM dance education program community understands artistry and teaching as symbiotic by nature. Grappling with how to transform artistic knowledge into meaningful learning experiences for diverse K–12 students with respect to abilities as well as social, economic, and cultural backgrounds is at the heart of graduate study in our program.
The EdM dance education program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD) and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). Students finish the program with a solid education degree, a teaching portfolio, the option for K–12 dance-teacher certification, and multiple career options or advancement within dance and the education field, making this program a model of excellence for the preparation of dance educators.
Mason Gross School of the Arts in partnership with the Graduate School of Education offers the following programs:
- BFA/EdM Teacher Education Five-Year Program: Bachelor of fine arts (BFA) in dance and master of education (EdM) in dance studies
- EdM Dance Education Post-Baccalaureate Program: EdM with certification in dance education
- EdM Professional Teacher Advancement: Master of education (EdM) in dance studies
The EdM Program in Dance Education is a partnership between the Rutgers Graduate School of Education (GSE) and the Dance Department at Mason Gross School of the Arts. It is part of the GSE’s Urban Social Justice Teacher Preparation Program, which aims to develop a generation of teachers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to teach and advocate for all students and learn from the communities they serve. It prepares teacher candidates to effectively teach diverse learners by fostering a deep understanding of students from historically marginalized linguistic, economic, and cultural backgrounds and communities.
The goal of the Dance Education Program is to prepare individuals with the knowledge, skills, and disposition needed to be effective dance educators. This is nurtured through coursework, peer collaboration, continued opportunities for developing artistry, service to the community, independent projects, fieldwork, and mentored internship.