5-Year Program with Certification in Dance Education (K-12)
- Degrees & Programs
- Download the program guide (includes course list and application requirements)
- Contact the program coordinator, Colleen Klein
Program Overview
Successful completion of the 5-year program with teacher certification in K-12 dance education, offered jointly by the GSE and Rutgers’ Mason Gross School of the Arts, leads to a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and initial teacher certification. Through guidance and instruction from expert faculty and backed by research-driven curriculum, the program prepares students to become culturally responsive practitioners within PK-12 schools and throughout the local and state communities they serve. Carefully curated coursework will equip students with the skills and experience needed to fulfill teaching and administrative roles in the arts and education.
To complete the program in 5 years, Mason Gross undergraduate students must complete specific, pre-admission coursework and field placements during their sophomore and junior years. Students then apply for the 5-year program before the Spring semester of their junior year and if admitted, enter the professional education sequence in the summer before senior year. After senior year, students qualify to have their bachelor’s degree awarded by Mason Gross and continue with the professional sequence in the summer after graduation. Students will return in the fall to complete a full-time student-teaching internship and continue with full-time graduate study, including a field-based research project in the spring.
After the master’s degree is awarded, the GSE will make a recommendation to the New Jersey State Department of Education on behalf of the graduate to receive their Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) as a teacher.
For more information about this program:
Program Details
Application Deadline
Feb 1 Junior Year
Entry Term(s)
Summer
Program Level
Masters
Program Type
Bachelor's Degree Master's Degree + Teacher Certification
Format
On-campus
Credits
30
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What You’ll Learn
Students enrolled in the 5-Year Program with Certification in Dance Education (K-12) can expect to develop their knowledge of dance-as-art within the contexts of educational practice and instruction, scholarly research, education policy, and communities of practice. They will examine the pedagogy of teaching in the discipline and the influence individual differences amongst children, including ability and social, economic, and cultural background, have on student learning and their relationship with dance and others. The program encourages students to consider dance learning contexts for their potential to nurture identity formation, engender empathy, embrace diverse perspectives, engage interdisciplinary inquiry, and shape social transformation. Graduates will exit the program armed with culturally responsive skills and dispositions in curriculum development, assessment, research, data-informed decision making, and leadership, and be empowered to strive and advocate for educational equity for all PK-12 students.
For more information about the courses in this program, please visit the course catalog and online schedule of classes.
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Program Requirements
- BFA Dance Major, Mason Gross School of the Arts, in their junior year.
- 27 Undergraduate Course Credits
- 9.5 Credits – Completed Pre-admission in Sophomore or Junior Year
- 6.5 Credits – Completed in the Fall of Senior Year
- 11 Credits – Completed in the Spring of Senior Year
- 1 no-credit Course Modules – Completed in the Summer Before Senior Year
- 35 Graduate Course Credits
- 8 Credits – Completed in the Summer Before the 5th Year
- 15 Credits – Completed in the Fall of the 5th Year
- 12 Credits – Completed in the Spring of the 5th Year
- Portfolio
- Students will archive artifacts from various GSE courses via an online instructional and evaluation system as directed by faculty
Graduates are expected to complete the required course sequence and satisfy their general education requirements and liberal arts credits, as well as complete HIB training, an edTPA performance-based assessment, and their portfolio concurrently through completion of their coursework.
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Careers and Outcomes
Completing the 5-Year Program with Certification in Dance Education (K-12) offers graduates the opportunity for employment as an educator, administrator, or specialist in dance, art, or related fields in New Jersey public, private, and charter schools. Students will also possess the ability to conduct high quality research and have demonstrated the competencies needed to pursue doctoral-level study and or careers at the post-secondary level.
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Admissions Requirements
- Personal Statement
- 3 Letters of Recommendation
- Passing Praxis Core Test Scores*
- or Minimum-Passing SAT Scores*
- or Minimum-Passing ACT Scores*
- or Minimum-Passing GRE Scores*
- Official Undergraduate Transcripts**
*Any test scores submitted must be less than 5 years old as of the application deadline
**The New Jersey Department of Education requires a minimum GPA of 2.75 to be admitted to a teacher education program
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How to Apply
- Collect the materials required for admission
- Submit your application online at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/
- Submit supporting materials online
- Any supporting materials that cannot be submitted electronically should be mailed to Graduate Admissions’ New Brunswick office. Their mailing address can be found here: https://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/about/contact-us
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Tuition & Financial Assistance
Tuition:
For tuition and fees information please visit the tuition landing page.
Financial Aid:
While students are encouraged to apply for federal student aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), there are a number of other merit- and need-based support options, including loans and college work-study programs within and external to Rutgers. For more information, please visit the Office of Financial Aid website.
Scholarships, Fellowships & Assistantships:
Generous GSE alumni, friends, and community members have established and continue to donate to more than one dozen fellowships and scholarships to help deserving students reach their goals. These awards are granted on the basis of academic achievement and or financial need. While these awards are competitive, interested students are encouraged to apply for consideration and submit the required materials. Students must also submit a FAFSA application to be eligible.
To review all current awards and learn more about the donors that established them, please click here.