School of Performing Arts
Give Your Talent a Little More YES
Our School of Performing Arts offers a rigorous, supportive and forward-thinking education for students pursuing music, dance and arts administration. Many UA faculty are sponsored artists, bringing current, real-world expertise into studios, rehearsal spaces and classrooms.
Music
Study composition, performance, music education, jazz studies, or general studies with a business cognate—while performing, collaborating, and learning from experienced faculty and visiting artists.
Dance
Choose from a Bachelor of Fine Arts or a Bachelor of Arts with a business cognate, combining intensive technical training with preparation for performance, teaching, leadership and professional pathways.
Arts Administration
At the graduate level, students gain hands-on experience supporting performances, events, media, and organizational leadership — developing the skills that keep the arts thriving.
Don’t Wait To Be Discovered
UA performing arts students train with purpose, perform with confidence, and prepare for careers that demand both creativity and discipline.
On Stage
Perform where it counts. UA students take the stage at major venues like E.J. Thomas Hall and The Akron Civic — gaining professional performance experience in spaces that demand confidence, precision, and presence.
In Studios
Move with meaning. From recording and dance studios to state-of-the-art Steinway Spirio pianos and an in-house publicity office, students refine their craft using industry-level tools that connect their work to audiences around the world.
In the Community
Create beyond campus. UA performing arts students bring their talent into the community — performing in jazz clubs, cultural spaces, schools, and professional settings — building experience, connection, and impact along the way.
Alligned With Excellence
Professional partnerships give UA students an advantage.
Partnership with The Joffrey Ballet School
Our exclusive partnership with The Joffrey Ballet School in New York City opens exceptional pathways for dance students.
Through this collaboration, Joffrey Akron, a prestigious summer intensive, brings elite dancers to Guzzetta Hall each year, and Joffrey company students complete UA coursework while training in New York.
The UA Arts Academy
Located within The University of Akron’s modern campus, the Arts Academy brings excellence in K-12 dance, theatre, music, and visual arts programming to the community through classes, workshops, exhibits, and performance opportunities.
Home of National Center for Choreography–Akron (NCCAkron)
Based in Guzzetta Hall, NCCAkron is a nationally recognized creative center. Students benefit directly from learning alongside leading choreographers, observing new work developed on campus, and engaging in ongoing educational and professional opportunities.
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