Experiential Learning Opportunities

Our classroom learning is complemented each academic year by a full season of plays, musicals, dance concerts, and experimental performance work. Graduate students are able to take advantage of numerous opportunities within the department to work as directors, choreographers, designers, technicians, performers, dramaturgs, and managers, including through funded opportunities for student directed productions and research opportunities. 

To help graduate students immerse themselves in their disciplines and broaden their exposure to the performance communities, while building a strong network of contacts, the department encourages participation in national conferences along with our active faculty. Students are mentored in writing for publication, and encouraged to submit current scholarly research and critiques to relevant outlets. 

UB Dance is a hub for interdisciplinary work on campus. Students gain literacy in theatre, dance and related technologies through curriculum and collaborative opportunities that engage musicians, designers, new media artists, and researchers in the digital humanities and STEM fields. Each year, additional performance and production opportunities arise as the result of interdisciplinary collaborations, faculty research and creative activities, and visiting guest artists. As a result, Theatre and Dance students are exposed to a breadth of artistic styles, forms, and techniques, from classical to cutting edge. Past guest artists include: Bill T. Jones, Jose Limon Co., Momix Dance Co., Pilobolus, avant-garde theater pioneer Richard Foreman, Broadway director Marcia Milgrom Dodge, and Beijing Olympic Designer Han Lixun.

The University at Buffalo is also home to the Humanities Institute and the PLASMA speakers series which offer numerous opportunities for students to interact with and learn from world-renowned artists and scholars across artistic disciplines.

The Department of Theatre and Dance encourages students to attain internships as relevant to their course of study. We have numerous partnerships and connections with local professional companies, as well as within the larger regional and national theatre and dance communities.   These experiences help students gain valuable, real world skills to build resumes and expand their network with working professionals, and can also be utilizied to support the development of current research or projects. 

Internships are credit bearing opportunities, and may be applied to course requirements as determined by your faculty advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Students identify a faculty member to sponsor their internship, and work with the organization and faculty to determine the appropriate number of credits.