Performing Arts at Wagner College
About Wagner
Wagner College, a four-year private college, is known for its innovative curriculum connecting liberal arts education to practical learning experiences throughout New York City. Set on a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and New York Harbor, Wagner’s 105-acre park-like campus is only a ferry ride away from the cultural, intellectual, and professional heart of America—Manhattan.
At Wagner, students “learn by doing” through a challenging, broad-based liberal arts curriculum that is anchored in the real world. Through the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, students become involved in fieldwork directly related to their courses in their very first semester. Learning communities help students connect to their studies, to their professors, and to each other. Internships—required for all students—provide valuable real-world experience before graduation. Wagner’s small class sizes and experienced professors, who teach both introductory and upper-level courses, are other features of its nationally acclaimed curriculum.
Beyond the classroom, Wagner offers a full spectrum of student activities—including more than 90 student clubs and organizations—that not only enrich the undergraduate years but also serve to prepare students for the challenges of life after graduation. As an NCAA Division I institution, Wagner offers 11 men’s and 15 women’s sports. Intramural programs and the College’s 93,000- sq. ft. sports and recreation center provide all students with athletic opportunities.
Performing Arts Programs at Wagner
Arts Administration, BS
Arts Administration is a multi-disciplinary major that combines courses in Business Administration with intensive study in the Arts. Students complete a set of foundational courses in Arts Administration, a series of Business courses, and a series of courses in their chosen Art field. Toward the end of their time at Wagner, students complete a full-time, semester long internship in Arts Administration.
Dance Education, BS
The Dance Program offers a Minor in Dance and a Major in Dance Education. The Dance Program works to foster excellence in dance and the best values of a citizen-artist.
The program offers study in a range of disciplines, including Ballet, Jazz, Modern, and Tap, as well as courses in Pedagogy, Movement Analysis, Choreography, History, and Criticism. Professional dancers and choreographers regularly offer guest workshops and are hired to participate in the program.
The Major in Dance Education cultivates dance artists of the highest caliber who will be multidimensional in their scope of dance studies and pedagogy, and who will work towards building a diverse and inclusive dance community. The student will master the clear and defined fundamental knowledge of Dance Studies, Somatic Studies, Dance Education and Dance Pedagogy.
Theatre, BA
Theatre at Wagner College provides students with a broad liberal arts background combined with intensive training, particularly in Musical Theatre, through a rigorous combination of classes and public performances. By linking theory with practice, the department seeks to foster leadership, a sense of community, artistic integrity, intellectual expertise, and the best professional values to serve students in their chosen profession.
Wagner offers a BA in Theatre and Speech. Students can elect to concentrate in Performance, Design/Technology/Management, and Theatre Studies, or complete a Dual Major in Theatre and Education. The Performing Arts Department is also home to Bachelor of Science programs in Arts Administration and Dance Education.