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Graduate Program in Dance (MFA) Faculty of Graduate Studies
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Guidelines, Policies & Forms

Graduate students may audit studio/theory undergraduate courses free of charge. If you wish to participate in a technique class on a regular basis, please contact the course instructor to ensure that the class is an appropriate level for you. Once you have decided on the classes you plan to attend on a regular basis, please fill out an Audit Form, available at the Department of Dance front desk. Drop-in participation is not allowed.

The Graduate Programs in Dance offer Directed Reading courses in both full (6.0 credits) and half (3.0 credits) course versions. Directed Reading courses are primarily intended to facilitate independent, yet closely supervised study of subjects not covered elsewhere in the Program’s course offerings that are relevant to a student’s research interests. The following procedures for the proposal and approval of a Directed Reading course must be followed:

Responsibility for the course design lies with the student, although faculty will assist by offering both bibliographic advice and suggestions regarding appropriate work plans and projects. A proposal for a Directed Reading course for the Fall term must be submitted to the GPA or GPD by September 15th. For a Winter term course, the proposal must be submitted by January 15th. For a Summer term course, the proposal must be submitted by April 15th. The proposal should consist of the following:

  • Description of the subject(s) or material(s) to be studied and an explanation of the relevance these have for the proposed research. This description should be one or two pages in length.
  • Bibliography and/or filmography as relevant to the subject matter.
  • Work plan indicating an approximate schedule of work, as well as the nature of projects, note-taking to be done, and meetings with the supervisor. While there is more flexibility in the meetings with a Directed Reading course supervisor than there is with other course offerings, we strongly recommend that a student is in contact no less than every 2-3 weeks.
  • Indication of the means by which the coursework should be evaluated.
  • Signature or email confirmation from the supervising faculty member. This indicates support for the project as proposed and agreement to supervise and evaluate the work.

The GPD and full-time faculty members for the Graduate Program in Dance will review the proposal and either Approve, Reject, or Conditionally Approve Pending Revisions. Enrolment in GS/DANC 5100 6.0 and/or GS/DANC 5110 3.0 is blocked until the proposal has been approved and permission has been mounted by the GPA.

Directed Reading course numbers are occasionally used to enable an MA or MFA student to take a relevant fourth-year undergraduate course. In this case, the graduate student is expected to complete the undergraduate work as well as some additional work (usually additional reading and a larger term project/essay) to justify the graduate-level credit. The undergraduate course director would normally act as supervisor for the Directed Reading course. If the undergraduate course director is not a member of the graduate faculty, the Directed Reading course must be co-supervised by a member of the graduate faculty.

Faculty are happy to provide letters of recommendation and introduction to graduate students. When requesting letters, please remember to provide in writing the name of the addressee, the complete address, key points that should be mentioned and any other information that will help us write effective letters on your behalf. In consideration of faculty members’ schedules, a request should be made well in advance and never less than one week before the date required. Requesting a letter to be written within a day or two is an imposition.

At the end of each academic year, all graduate students and their supervisors are required to complete a Progress Report. These serve as important records for the department and FGS to have on file so as to help ensure as straightforward and peaceful a degree completion path as possible for both students and faculty members. If in-person meetings are not possible, email signatures are perfectly fine.

Progress Reports are mandatory for all graduate students and are due annually by April 30th. The process is as follows:

  • Dance Graduate Student Progress Report
  • Student completes first 2 items, then sends a report to supervisor
  • Supervisor completes and signs their sections of the report
  • Supervisor and student meet (in-person or via electronic means) to discuss supervisor’s comments, student has the option to reply to comments
  • Student signs
  • Supervisor submits completed and signed report to GPA

Faculty of Graduate Studies Forms

The following forms can be found on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website:

  • Academic Affairs
  • Student Affairs
  • Thesis and Dissertation
  • Student Finances
  • Graduate & Postdoctoral Professional Skills (GPPS)
FGS Forms

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Note for International Applicants: There are currently no funded positions. Should you still wish to apply, you will be considered for a non-funded position during the duration of the program.

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The Graduate Program in Dance at York is an exciting environment to pursue innovative, socially engaging, career-ready education. Contact our Graduate Program Assistant to learn more.

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