At the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the MFA in Dance fosters choreographic research and creative inquiry at the highest level, spanning stage, screen, community spaces, and beyond. Through individual movement research, collaborative experimentation, and interdisciplinary dialogue, students develop unique artistic processes that build bridges across disciplines and contribute to dance as a cultural and intellectual asset.
The Dance Department offers a Master of Fine Arts in Dance with two named options: 1) Screendance and 2) Creative Research, Culture and Practice. This is a 60-credit, 2 year program with a summer term between academic years.
Both named options share a 28-credit core curriculum, with an additional 23 credits specific to each named option. The remaining 9 credits allow students flexibility to tailor their studies to their individual interests.
The curriculum emphasizes collaborative projects, interdisciplinary learning, and community engagement, and direct research opportunities with faculty. Students will explore dance in various social, cultural, political, and historical contexts, both nationally and internationally, fostering real-world applications of their artistic practice.
The MFA thesis research project—whether a suite of screendance works, choreographic compositions, or hybrid dance-based projects—is developed through a scaffolded curriculum and faculty mentorship, culminating in a final presentation by the end of the candidate’s study.
This program prepares students to be curious, open-minded, focused, and interdisciplinary, equipping them to thrive in academic, artistic, and professional settings. Graduate students will be equipped with theoretical tools, technical strategies, performance skills, and creative methodologies to innovate in dance. Upon graduation our students will emerge ready to navigate and contribute to a rapidly evolving global arts landscape, where dance plays a vital role in addressing cultural, social, and technological shifts.
MFA in Dance Named Options
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ADMISSIONS
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School and the Dance Department’s requirements. All prospective Dance MFA students must apply directly to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School. The Dance Department requires a separate application.
Deadlines
Sep 3: Application Opens
Dec 1 : Application Closes
Mid-Jan: Finalist Candidate interviews
Feb 1: Offers made, waitlisted candidates also notified
April 15: Deadline to accept
The program does not offer admission in the spring or summer.
Application Requirements
Graduate School Application
Transcripts
2 letters of recommendation
Application Fee
Test scores* (if applicable, see below)
Dance Department Application:
Artist Statement
Portfolio
Resume or CV
*English Proficiency
Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not exclusively in English, must provide an English proficiency test score earned within two years of the anticipated term of enrollment, see Minimum Requirements for Admission policy.
*GRE
NOT required
FUNDING
Students entering the UW–Madison MFA in Dance program are offered tuition remission, generous monthly stipends, access to UW–Madison health benefits, and other annual funding opportunities. Students are assigned assistantships within their first year of study, which may be a Teaching Assistantship (TA) or Lecturing Student Assistantship (LSA) or Project Assistantship (PA).
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Demonstrate a range of familiarity with creative methodologies in dance, (e.g., improvisation, scoring) and apply them in flexible and adaptable ways to meet project- and problem-specific needs.
- Formulate an individual artistic vision in balance with critical analyses, historical perspectives, and curatorial lenses.
- Cultivate and practice collaborative skills across disciplines using a variety of in-person and virtual (synchronous and asynchronous) modes of communication and collaboration.
- Investigate dance in diverse community settings and in social, cultural, political, and historical contexts, nationally and internationally.
- Develop and practice a critical vocabulary for communicating about one’s own work and that of others.
CONTACT
Li Chiao-Ping
Professor & MFA Faculty Director
cli5@wisc.edu
(608) 263-5735