The Department of Dance offers curricula leading to Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees. The goal of the department is to provide comprehensive dance training within the liberal arts framework of the university. The study of dance involves intellectual, artistic, and physical development. The Department of Dance emphasizes all three areas of growth, a commitment made possible by the breadth of its curricular offerings and the depth of faculty expertise. 

Facility with oral and written communication is one goal of a liberal arts education. Therefore, dance majors pursue a course of study to acquire a firm intellectual grasp of the theoretical, historical, and creative forces that shape dance as an art form. Dance, unique in that it is also a physical form of communication, requires continual experience in its technical foundations. Students are expected and encouraged to experience a variety of forms of dance training and idioms. Production and pedagogy are also integral to the undergraduate core, because many students find careers in theater and teaching.