Dance Movement Studies

Types of Degrees Dance Movement Studies Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many general dance graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	2,549
Master’s Degree	244
Associate Degree	162
Basic Certificate	65
Undergraduate Certificate	41
Graduate Certificate	13
Doctor’s Degree	7

What Dance Movement Studies Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, dance movement studies majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Dance Movement Studies Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Fine Arts - Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Communications and Media - Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Skills for Dance Movement Studies Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to dance movement studies:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Dance Movement Studies Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a dance movement studies student include the following:

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Dance Movement Studies Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with dance movement studies:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Art, Drama, and Music Professors	12.0%	$69,960
Choreographers	2.9%	$47,800
Dancers	4.4%	NA

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Dance Movement Studies?

The major attracts more women than men. About 90% of the recent graduates in this field are female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of dance movement studies majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	99
Black or African American	275
Hispanic or Latino	354
White	1,529
International Students	57
Other Races/Ethnicities	235

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Dance Movement Studies. About 2.2% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Dance Movement Studies

Some degrees associated with dance movement studies may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for dance movement studies careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	7.9%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	13.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	2.7%
Some College Courses	7.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	14.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.4%
Master’s Degree	31.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	2.1%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	1.2%
Doctoral Degree	18.0%

Online Dance Movement Studies Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	8	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	1	0
Associate’s Degree	81	0
Bachelor’s Degree	9	1
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	56	1
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	3	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Dance Movement Studies

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to dance movement studies.

Major	Number of Grads
Other Dance	109
Ballet	43

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Jazzart Dance Theatre under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.