Can Dancers Double Major in College? What Families Need to Know

Yes—Many Dancers Successfully Double Major

One of the most common questions parents ask is whether dancers can realistically double major in college. The short answer is yes— at the right schools, with the right planning. And this planning has to start early on, especially if you aren’t totally sure what that secondary area is.

Double majoring as a dancer can provide:

• Career flexibility

• Income diversification

• Reduced pressure on performance-only outcomes

• Greater long-term stability

Why Double Majors Matter for Dancers

Dance careers are often nonlinear. Many dancers perform, teach, choreograph, transition careers, or combine multiple income streams over time. Our sister program Career Strategy for Dancers introduces dancers to this planning.

A double major allows dancers to:

• Develop secondary interests

• Build transferable skills

• Explore academic passions alongside dance

We never use the term “backup plan” EVER! All our possibilities as dancers, movers, thinkers and doers are all interconnected. We work with dancers to identify secondary areas of study and to understand all the ways their two interests overlap.

Where Double Majors Work Best

Not all colleges support double majors equally.

Double majors are most feasible in:

• BA dance programs

• Liberal arts colleges

• Universities with flexible curriculum structures

They are harder but doable in.

• Highly structured BFA programs

• Conservatory-style programs with rigid schedules

• Note that programs that “don't allow” double majors are usually quite straightforward about that

What It Takes to Double Major Successfully

Successful double majors require:

• Careful school selection

• Early planning

• Strong time-management skills

• Honest assessment of workload tolerance

• Evaluation and connection to academic advisors in both areas of study.

Trying to “force” a double major at the wrong school often leads to burnout or unnecessary stress.

Common Double Major Pairings for Dancers

There’s no best pairing for a dance degree! The best match is what you are interested in. Okay, okay the best match is a secondary field that you are interested in and has more stable job opportunities than dance alone.

• Dance + Psychology

• Dance + Business

• Dance + Communications

• Dance + Education

• Dance + Health Sciences

I always keep it honest, there are some majors that aren’t compatible with dance BFAs, in my experience namely engineering majors and direct entry nursing majors. With these we often take a good look at how you want dance to function in your life. If you really want both, we plan for a longer college experience. But it’s also okay if your time working with us uncovers that you want for instance a school where you can get a killer engineering degree and be allowed to to take ballet and variations classes. We can work with you to create a college experience that works for you.

Planning Ahead Makes All the Difference

Our college counseling for dancers should always include conversations about how dance fits into a larger life plan. And, you know we are dancers who love making weird shapes with our bodies while hurtling through space so it’s not going to be a one-size fits all kind of conversation :)