School of Music, Theatre and Dance

207 VARNER HALL
(248) 370-2030
Fax: (248) 370-2041

Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences, and Director, School of Music, Theatre and Dance: Jacqueline H. Wiggins

Associate Director: Kerro Knox 3

School Office:

Manjit Gill, Budget Manager; Carly Uhrig, Marketing Manager; Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator, Deneen Stapleton; Communications Associate, Gillian Ellis.

Production Office:

Katherine Boersma, Production and Facilities Manager; Terry Herald, Audio/Video Services Manager; Megan Herald, Assistant Production and Facilities Manager; Brittany Spindler; Box Office Manager.

Technical Support:

Joseph Beck, Theatre Technical Director; Christa Koerner, Costume Shop Manager; Chad Rasor, Assistant Technical Director; Shirleen DiFonzo, Costume Shop Assistant; Christy Heussner, Costume Shop Assistant; Cal Schwartz, Costume Shop Assistant.

Programs Offered

The School of Music, Theatre and Dance offers liberal arts programs in the performing arts, programs designed to prepare students for professional careers in the performing arts, and advanced programs designed to enhance and extend the professional knowledge of performing arts professionals.

In the liberal arts programs, a student can earn a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in:

music
theatre
dance

Undergraduate professional preparation programs include:

Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance
Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre with a major in acting
Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre with a major in musical theatre
Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre with a major in theatre design and technology
Bachelor of Music with a major in music education
Bachelor of Music with a major in music education and performance
Bachelor of Music with a major in voice, piano, or instrumental performance

Graduate programs for music professionals include a Doctor of Philosophy in music education and a Master of Music with a major in performance, pedagogy, conducting or music education.

Non-degree programs include Graduate and post-master’s certificates in performance, conducting or music education, performer’s certificates in undergraduate and graduate piano, and liberal arts minors in music, theatre or dance, and minors in jazz studies and world music.

The school offers student performance opportunities in dramatic and musical theatre productions, dance performances, music ensembles and recitals. Most performance opportunities are open to all qualified students.

All programs offered by the School of Music, Theatre and Dance are fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the National Association of Schools of Theatre and the National Association of Schools of Dance.

Outreach, Partnerships and Opportunities

Affiliated professional organizations

Take Root (dance company in residence)
Eisenhower Dance (in residence)
Patterson Rhythm Pace Dance Company
Meadow Brook Theatre Ensemble
Oakland Symphony Orchestra

Partners in the performing arts

Chamber Music Society of Detroit
Synergy on Stage
Oakland Youth Orchestras (OYO)
Oakland University Cooperative Orchestral Library (OUCOL)

Professional internship opportunities

Oakland Symphony Orchestra
Eisenhower Dance apprenticeships
Take Root apprenticeships
Meadow Brook Theatre Ensemble apprenticeships
Student Teaching in regional K-12 schools

Study abroad opportunities

Classical Theatre Study in Greece
Traditional Music and Dance in Ghana
Dance Study in Berlin, Germany

Center for Applied Research in Musical Understanding

The mission of the Center for Applied Research in Musical Understanding (CARMU) is to:

transform practice in music education;
build and advance a research-based pedagogy of teaching for musical understanding;
support preK-12 music educators in Michigan, the United States, and internationally;
demonstrate how research informs professional practice in music education;
seek national and international eminence in applied research in musical understanding at Oakland University;
support faculty, graduate and undergraduate research in musical understanding.

The Center hosts biannual international conferences on music learning and teaching and publishes materials that support the work of music educators. Visit CARMU.

Music Preparatory Division

The Department of Music offers programs to the community through the Music Preparatory Division (302 Varner Hall, 248-370-2034). The Prep Division offers private studio lessons in voice, piano, guitar, and all orchestral instruments for elementary and secondary school students and adults as well as classes in music theory and early childhood music classes. The Music Prep Division also provides lessons for undergraduate students who wish to study an instrument or voice but do not have enough prior experience to study for college credit.

School Honors and Awards

The school offers honors and awards for students, alumni, and community supporters. School honors are awarded for a combination of academic achievement (minimum 3.30 GPA), artistry in the major area of study and contribution to the operations of the department or school. Alumni Arts Achievement Awards are presented in dance, music and theatre. The school also awards a Distinguished Community Service Award and an Outstanding Student Service Award.

The Department of Music confers a Distinguished Musicianship Award as the department’s highest honor in music and Outstanding Student Awards to students who distinguish themselves in performance, music education, chamber music and jazz. The Joyce Weintraub Adelson Memorial Award for Piano Ensemble honors the memory of an Oakland University piano instructor and the Jennifer Scott Memorial Award honors the memory of an Oakland University piano student.

The Department of Theatre confers Outstanding Student Awards in acting, musical theatre, theatre design and technology. The Gittlin Theatre and Gittlin Achievement Awards are scholarships offered to theatre students of promise and outstanding ability.

The Department of Dance confers a variety of awards, including Outstanding Student Awards in choreography and dance performance. Maggie Allesee Summer Study Awards provide students opportunity to study at summer dance workshops and festivals.

Schedule of classes

Specific offerings for each semester may be found in the Schedule of Classes.

Courses

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