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Drama & Dance Education

A program that prepares individuals to teach drama and/or dance programs at various educational levels.

Types of Degrees Drama & Dance Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Drama & Dance Education may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Bachelor’s Degree	159
Master’s Degree	120
Doctor’s Degree	4

What Drama & Dance Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in Drama & Dance Education build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Drama & Dance Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Drama & Dance Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 5.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Communications and Media — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Sociology and Anthropology — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set developed in a Drama & Dance Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Speaking — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Drama & Dance Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Drama & Dance Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.7 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.4 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.3 / 7
Working with Computers	4.0 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Drama & Dance Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Desmos	Analytical or scientific software	—
DOC Cop	Information retrieval or search software	—
Desire2Learn LMS software	Computer based training software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Drama & Dance Education graduates include:

• Educator
• College Professor
• Associate Professor
• Adjunct Lecturer
• Adjunct Instructor
• Instructor
• Assistant Professor
• Professor
• Art Instructor
• Orchestra Teacher
• Music Educator
• Art Educator
• Band Teacher
• Violin Teacher
• Choral Teacher

What Can You Do With a Drama & Dance Education Degree?

Graduates with a degree in Drama & Dance Education commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Education Teachers, Postsecondary	2.4%	$98,329	$80,157–$116,500
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary	9.1%	$46,983	$40,423–$53,543

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Drama & Dance Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Doctoral degree	43.1%
Bachelor’s degree	28.7%
Master’s degree	18.2%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	5.5%
Less than a high school diploma	1.8%
Post-master’s certificate	1.7%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Drama & Dance Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 79.9% of Drama & Dance Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	226	79.9%
Men	57	20.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Drama & Dance Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	206	72.8%
Asian	4	1.4%
Hispanic or Latino	27	9.5%
Black or African American	14	4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.7%
Two or More Races	14	4.9%
Race Unknown	6	2.1%
International Students	10	3.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Drama & Dance Education Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Drama & Dance Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,919
4 years	$50,204
5 years	$56,331

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $56,331 — roughly 13% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Drama & Dance Education Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Drama & Dance Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	4	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Drama & Dance Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Drama & Dance Education graduates earn a median of $50,204 four years after completion — roughly 32% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas	39,881
Secondary Education and Teaching	10,594
Teacher Education, Multiple Levels	8,732
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching	6,964
Reading Teacher Education	5,986
Music Teacher Education	4,544
English/Language Arts Teacher Education	3,018
Mathematics Teacher Education	2,993
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching	2,976
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas, Other	2,352
Social Studies Teacher Education	1,963
Art Teacher Education	1,860

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.