Dec 08, 2024  
2008-2009 University Catalog 
    
2008-2009 University Catalog [Archived Catalogue]

College of Performing Arts


Richard Lawn
Dean
rlawn@uarts.edu
215-717-6126

Krishna Dunston
Assistant Dean
kdunston@uarts.edu
215-717-6156

Marianne Mele
Assistant to the Dean
mmele@uarts.edu
215-717-6127

Office
website
215-717-6125

The School of Dance  offers Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Ballet, Modern, Jazz/Theater Dance, and Dance Education, as well as a two-year Certificate in Dance.

The School of Music  offers the Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Vocal Performance  , Instrumental Performance with a jazz/contemporary focus  , and Composition  . In addition, a four-year Undergraduate Diploma and two-year Certificate in Dance or Music are offered. The School of Music offers minors in E-Music  and Music Education .

At the graduate level, the School of Music offers the Master of Arts in Teaching in Music Education  and the Master of Music in Jazz Studies .

The School of Theater Arts  offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater Arts  , with majors in Acting , Musical Theater , Theater Design and Technology , and Theater Management and Production  .

The College offers a cross-disciplineminor in Musical Theater , which is open by audition to Voice, Dance, Acting, and Theater Management and Production majors.

The College of Performing Arts (CPA) is comprised of the Schools of Dance  , Music  , and Theater Arts . Its curricula combine the performance emphasis of the traditional conservatory, stressing individualized training, practice, and discipline, with a liberal arts education.

Founded in 1870 as the Philadelphia Musical Academy and merged with the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music in 1962, the College has long been regarded as one of America’s foremost professional schools of higher education. In 1976, the institution was renamed the Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts, thereby signaling its intention to expand its program to include all three of the performing arts disciplines – Music, Dance, and Theater.

In 1977, The Philadelphia Dance Academy joined the College to become the School of Dance. Founded in 1947, The Philadelphia Dance Academy was one of the foremost conservatories of dance in the nation and one of the first three institutions in the country to grant a degree in dance. The School of Theater was initiated in 1983.

The College of Performing Arts thus became Pennsylvania’s first and only independent college dedicated exclusively to the performing arts and one of the first of its kind in the United States. Its philosophy is founded on the principle that there is a common bond among artists, whatever their discipline, and that artists must interact with each other for their inspiration and growth. Indeed, many of the College’s students have developed interdisciplinary careers that require familiarity with all the performing arts, as well as the visual and media arts.

Programs of Study

School of Dance (Link) 

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Dance

Certificate in Dance (two-year program) 


School of Music (Link) 

Undergraduate Programs

Graduate Programs

Areas of Concentration in the School of Music

  • Flute
  • Clarinet
  • Saxophone
  • Woodwinds
  • Trumpet
  • Trombone
  • Tuba
  • Guitar
  • Electric and/or Upright Bass
  • Violin
  • Cello
  • Percussion
  • Drums
  • Piano
  • Voice
  • Composition

School of Theater Arts (Link) 

Undergraduate Programs

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Theater Arts


Minors in the College of Performing Arts