Pair | Shape | Create
Pair your passion. Shape your future. Create careers that don't exist yet.
Wichita State University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), reflecting our commitment to nationally recognized standards of excellence in dance education, artistic practice, and professional preparation.
Where Can This Degree Take You?
The Dance BA prepares you to do more than choose a career. It prepares you to design one. The careers are as dynamic and interdisciplinary as your interests. Through the Performing Arts Core, you develop skills in performance, choreography, collaboration, arts leadership, digital marketing, entrepreneurship, community engagement, research, grant writing, and ethical practice. These experiences come to life through opportunities in dance concerts, films, musicals, plays, community projects, and interdisciplinary creative work. By connecting dance with other fields of study, you'll develop the skills, experiences, and perspective to pursue emerging opportunities and create pathways that are uniquely your own.
- Performance
- Choreography
- Dance production
- Creative direction
- Filmmaking
- Arts management
- Community arts programming
- Interdisciplinary artistic practice
- Arts management
- Fundraising and development
- Event production
- Marketing and communications
- Grant writing
- Creative entrepreneurship
- Community arts programming
- Youth development initiatives
- Cultural organizations
- Advocacy and outreach
- Community leadership
- Dance and wellness programming
- Somatic practice
- Recreation programming
- Community health initiatives
- Movement-based approaches to health and well-being
- Community arts education
- Arts integration
- Studio instruction
- K–12 teaching pathways (with appropriate licensure requirements)
- Graduate study
- Dance/movement therapy (with graduate study)
- Counseling pathways
- Psychology
- Social work
- Community mental health
- Human-centered professions that integrate movement, communication, and relationship-building
- Content creation
- Social media management
- Digital storytelling
- Arts marketing
- Interdisciplinary work connecting movement and technology
The interdisciplinary structure of the BA in Performing Arts - Dance provides excellent preparation for graduate study across a wide range of fields. By combining dance with other academic interests, students develop skills in creativity, communication, collaboration, leadership, and critical thinking while gaining valuable experience connecting movement-based learning to broader professional and scholarly pursuits.
Graduates pursue advanced study in the areas below and other fields where innovation, human connection, and interdisciplinary thinking are valued.
- Dance
- Education
- Health professions
- Psychology
- Communication
- Business
- Arts administration
The flexibility of the degree allows students to tailor preparation for graduate and professional programs that align with their unique combination of interests and career goals.
Why Dance BA in Performing Arts at Wichita State?
The Dance BA is designed for students who want to combine their passion for dance with other academic and career interests. With flexibility to pursue a second major, minor, or certificate, students develop artistic, creative, and leadership skills while exploring connections between dance and a wide range of disciplines.
Apply your training through dance concerts, interdisciplinary productions, film projects, community performances, and student-led creative work. Students have opportunities to perform, choreograph, teach, and collaborate while exploring how dance intersects with other areas of study. Whether combining dance with business, health sciences, education, psychology, communication, or other fields, students discover new ways to create, connect, and contribute through movement.
The BA in Dance combines artistic training with interdisciplinary learning that prepares students for a variety of professional paths. Through coursework and creative experiences, students develop skills in communication, leadership, collaboration, community engagement, digital portfolio and website development, and creative problem-solving. The flexibility of the degree encourages students to connect dance with other academic interests, creating individualized pathways that support diverse career and graduate study goals.
Employers value professionals who can think creatively, collaborate across disciplines, communicate effectively, and adapt to change. Through dance training and interdisciplinary study, students develop transferable skills in leadership, teamwork, critical thinking, project management, and presentation. Graduates leave prepared to apply these skills in the arts, education, health and wellness, business, communication, community engagement, and many other fields.
At Wichita State, the BA in Performing Arts - Dance allows you to pair your passion for dance with your broader academic and professional goals. Through interdisciplinary learning, creative exploration, and collaboration across the School of Performing Arts, you'll develop skills that prepare you for meaningful contributions in the arts and beyond.
Bartlett PhotoArt
Bartlett PhotoArtThe Impact of a Performing Arts Degree in Dance
"Studying fine arts and earning my degree in dance has had a positive impact on my nursing career. Through performing and collaborating with other dancers, I developed teamwork skills that I can directly apply into working with other nurses and healthcare professionals. My dance training also taught me to remain confident under pressure. Both dance and nursing involve high-stakes situations that require calm, thoughtful decision-making. The skills I developed through dance have provided a strong foundation for my success as a nurse!"
~ Alexandria Nickel (Spring 2024 alumna)
