Performing Arts

The Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts Major is designed for the student who seeks to go beyond a strong foundation in their craft to build an additional skill set necessary for today’s performing arts world. Students’ courses in their area of concentration - dance, music or theater - will completely prepare them for graduate work or careers on the stage or backstage. Meanwhile, their courses in performing arts will give them the skills and language to collaborate, innovate and create with other artists and/or manage the productions of tomorrow.

For the performing arts major, students will obtain 39 credits in common classes. These courses explore collaborative performance work; common historical themes; analytical skills; business acumen; marketing strategies; and technical arts. Students of this program also engage in qualitative research strategies in aesthetics, programming, and critiquing. Students additionally will complete 28 credits in their chosen concentration of dance, music, theater, or an individually designed major, delving deeply into the history, theory performance, and practice of their genre. Finally, students will earn the standard 29 credits in the core curriculum, and 36 in general education requirements. The total number of 132 credits is in keeping with the higher numbers of credits in conservatory programs for which many one-credit courses in specific skills must be taken.

Students who wish to design their own concentration will submit a proposal to the department chair and dean for guidance and approval by the end of their first year. The proposal will specify the courses to be taken to total 28 credits and describe how they reflect the student’s academic and professional goals.

Recent Performing Arts internship sites include:

Boston Children’s Chorus,
Boston Ballet
Stage 284,
Theatre Workshop of Nantucket,
Urbanity Dance
Island Theatre Workshop,
Peabody Essex Museum,
Gloucester Public Schools
MTV,
Rockport Music, and
Improv Boston.

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts, students will be able to:

Perform showing originality and innovation in their chosen discipline at a level of professional competency, including collaborations with others in different art forms.
Demonstrate understanding of theoretical concepts in their chosen discipline.
Identify, describe and analyze well-recognized genres, artistic eras, areas of thought, and specific works in their chosen discipline as well as in dance, music, and theater.
Display a working knowledge of technical practices and equipment used in the performing arts.
Exhibit an understanding of business practices in the performing arts: grant writing, copyright law, budgeting, and contracts.
Show the ability to speak, write, and advocate for performing arts.
Demonstrate the ability to promote and market events and organizations in performing arts.
Become employed as performers, support crew, or support staff at performing arts organizations at local, state, national, or international levels, including in educational settings.