Temple University
Department of Dance · Boyer College of Music and Dance
Philadelphia, PA
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About the Program
The Dance Department at Temple University, part of the Boyer College of Music and Dance, is committed to excellence in teaching, scholarship, and artistic practice. A founding member of the National Association of Schools of Dance, Boyer's Dance Department has provided a multi-layered creative, reflective, and inclusive dance learning environment for over fifty years. The BFA, MFA, MA, and PhD in Dance aim to develop outstanding performers, choreographers, teachers, and scholars — Temple offers one of the very few dance PhDs in the United States. BFA and master's students may work toward membership in Temple's chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts.
Degrees Offered
BFA in Dance
MA in Dance
MFA in Dance
PhD in Dance (4 to 7 years)
Concentrations
Coursework
Temple Dance faculty performing lineage includes Doris Humphrey Repertory Company, Martha Clarke, Martha Graham Dance Company, Metropolitan Opera Company, Reggie Wilson Fist and Heel Performance Group, Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company, and others.
Notable Faculty
- Jillian Harris (Interim Department Chair, MFA NYU Tisch)
- Mark Franko (Laura H. Carnell Professor Emeritus, Guggenheim Fellow)
Facilities
Conwell Dance Theater serves as the department's primary performance venue; the department is housed within the Boyer College of Music and Dance on Temple's Main Campus in Philadelphia.
Performance Opportunities
Conwell Dance Theater performances. Guest professional dance artists, scholars, and teaching artists collaborate with the department.
Rankings & Alumni
Rankings
NASD-accredited institutional member since 9/1/1982 — a founding member of the National Association of Schools of Dance. Faculty accolades include National Endowment for the Arts, Pew Foundation, Guggenheim, USA Artist Doris Duke fellowships; Fulbright scholarships; Dance Studies Association, National Dance Education Organization, and 'Bessie' awards (as of July 2026).
Alumni Outcomes
Graduates have performed in companies such as Ballet X, Streb, Dance Theater X, Kariamu & Company: Traditions, Koresh Dance Company, Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers, Philadanco, Rennie Harris Puremovement, and Urban Bush Women. They also become successful choreographers, artistic directors, dance educators, dance therapists, studio owners, dance administrators, dance writers, researchers and advocates.
Want to Learn More?
Continue on Temple University's official site.