Schools
COD Dance Students Can Now Earn Associate in Arts Degree Starting Fall 2025
The program is designed to develop versatile, multi-faceted dancers prepared to succeed in academic, creative and professional settings.
Beginning in fall 2025, students in College of DuPage’s Dance program will have the opportunity to earn a general Associate in Arts degree. The new academic path is available to both current and incoming students.
COD’s Dance program offers a comprehensive education grounded in rigorous training, creative research, body mechanics and diverse aesthetics. The program is designed to develop versatile, multi-faceted dancers prepared to succeed in academic, creative and professional settings.
“Our goal is to provide students with a strong foundation in dance while supporting their broader educational goals,” said COD Dance Adjunct Faculty Member Jessica Kondrath. “With the Associate in Arts degree option, students can continue their dance studies while earning a degree that supports transfer and career flexibility.
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Students train and perform under the guidance of COD faculty who are active in the Chicago, national and international dance communities. The program’s fall and spring concerts feature original works for the stage and screen created by faculty, students and guest artists. Performances take place in the Belushi Performance Hall at the McAninch Arts Center, offering students the experience of dancing in a professional-grade venue with full lighting and costume support.
The Dance program also collaborates with COD’s Theater, Art, Fashion and Music programs, giving students access to a wide range of interdisciplinary skills that can expand their career options.
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Courses include dance appreciation, ballet I/II, jazz I/II, modern I/II, tap I, hip hop, choreography and composition I/II, dance technology, pedagogy, and production and performance.
COD is currently the only community college in the area to offer a course in dance technology, a class where students can learn and utilize motion capture technology, explore music software to score their own work and create dance films.
“Screendance is a rapidly expanding and popular genre, and we are so thrilled to offer this class to our students," said Kondrath. “We welcome all movers of any ability into the Dance program.”
COD's fall 2025 semester begins Monday, Aug. 25, with additional late-start sessions beginning Sept. 22 and Oct. 20.
