Hi, I am Professor Roberto Varea. On behalf of all of us in the Performing Arts and Social Justice program, we are excited to welcome you into the major.

Like many of us, you have probably chosen Performing Arts and Social Justice because you have a passion for the arts, care deeply about addressing inequities and injustices in our world, and seek ways to actively work for positive change. You likely already recognize that the arts are a powerful means of doing so, and can make a tremendous difference in our own lives and in the lives of others. 

At the moment, with the world around us in tremendous flux, there is a great opportunity to envision and create alternate futures.

This is the crux of a Performing Arts and Social Justice education at USF?voicing, discussing, imagining, exploring, experimenting, sharing, and then actively working through artistic theory and practice to create more equitable, just, and resilient structures that can support and bring about deep connections and social change.

As a Performing Arts and Social Justice major, you will be working alongside a diverse population of peers, faculty, staff, and members of the local arts community. You will engage in a combination of courses that include studio practice, production, performance, history, theory, and community engagement. These courses will provide a solid foundation and individualized options for your trajectory through the major. You will also be prepared for jobs or graduate school upon graduation. Some of our alumni have become teachers, performers, artistic directors of their own companies, community organizers, arts managers, and pursued graduate degrees.

Whatever your interests and path through the major, we look forward to supporting you on your journey at USF and beyond.

This slideshow will help you select courses to register for as a Performing Arts and Social Justice major, depending on your concentration in Dance, Music, or Theater, and depending on whether you enter the major in the Fall or Spring semester.

Please take note that in the schedule of classes you will find some courses under P.A.S.J. or PASJ for Performing Arts and Social Justice, and other courses under DANC for Dance, AND THTR for Theater. As an incoming first year or transfer student, you will register for foundational courses in Performing Arts and Social Justice and in your concentration.

A student typically registers for 16-18 credits or units per semester.  These include courses in the Major, the Core, Language, and 1 or 2 credits of supplemental courses. Your USF tuition covers 18 units.
Let us start with the PASJ courses:
* If you are entering in the FALL semester, students of all concentrations should register for PASJ 110: Introduction to Performing Arts and Social Justice for 4 units.
* If you are entering in the SPRING semester, students of all concentrations should register for PASJ 120 Workshop in Stage Production for 2 units. You may also wish to take the PASJ Lab elective offered this semester, also for 2 units. A different Lab elective is offered each semester and you are required to take 2 during your time in the program.

Now for the Concentrations: 

[DANCE]
* If you are entering as a Dance concentration in either the FALL or SPRING semester, you should register for two Dance Technique classes for 1-2 units each for a total of 2-4 units. We suggest a DANC 200/300-level class in Contemporary, Hip Hop, Ballet, or African Dance Forms. You should place yourself at the technique level you believe is most appropriate. During the first week of classes your instructor will confirm that you are in the correct technique class.
* SPRING Semester entries should also register for DANC 181 Dance and Social History OR a DANC Core F performance and culture course for 4 units. 
* We encourage you to perform your first semester. Consider auditioning for the USF Dance Ensembleãwhere you will work with recognized choreographers from the San Francisco community or USFês intergenerational dance company, the Dance Generators. Auditions are held the second week of each semester in the Kathi Gallagher Dance Studio in the Koret Center. If you are cast in a piece you will receive units through DANC 480 Workshop in Dance Production.


[Theater]
* If you are entering as a Theater concentration in either the FALL or SPRING semester, you should sign up for THTR 110 Acting Foundations for 4 units.
* SPRING Semester entries should also register for THTR 182 Theater and Social History for 4 units. 
* As a Theater concentration student, you are required to participate in 2 theater productions. If your schedule allows, we encourage you to audition for the fall or spring main stage theater production. There are auditions every semester, and if you are cast or are assigned a backstage role, you'll be able to sign up for THTR 372 Workshop in Play Production.
* Theater students are also encouraged to take Theater Special Topics courses offered each semester.

In addition to your PASJ and Concentration-specific courses, which total 6-8 units your first semester, you should also plan to enroll in several CORE courses selected from Rhetoric, Foreign Language and Subject Areas. 

Consider registering for a rhetoric and composition course. Developing good writing skills is essential to your success in all the classes you will take at USF. You should know which class to register for based on completing the directed self placement. All first-year students and any transfer students who have not yet completed a course that fulfills the Core A1 Public Speaking requirement can enroll in THTR 201 Speech for Performance if it is offered this semester.

All university students are required to demonstrate third semester proficiency in a foreign language to graduate. If you intend to continue the foreign language you studied in high school, we suggest registering for a course in that language during your first or second semester at USF, while it is still fresh in your mind. Or, you can begin a new language. If you are already proficient in a language, we recommend that you take the proficiency test to fulfill this university requirement early, rather than waiting until graduation. 

In addition to PASJ and Concentration courses, RHET courses, and Language courses, you can also choose a Subject Area course that fulfills a Core requirement such as History, Theology and Religious Studies, Ethics, Science or Math. For Subject Areas, consider enrolling in either a First Year Seminar or a Transfer Year Seminar course. These special courses are only offered during your first year at USF and are designed to give you an intimate introduction to the academic environment at the university and will fulfill one of the Core requirements. Please choose any except for Core F, the Arts core, since you will full your Arts Core within the PASJ major.

The Performing Arts and Social Justice department also offers certain Core courses that are aligned with the major. We advise that you elect from these offerings when available: Classical Dramatic Literature (Core C1 literature), Anthropology of Music (Core E Social Science), Speech for Performance (A1 Public Speaking), and offerings from Critical Diversity Studies. 

If you are a transfer student, it is important to review your degree evaluation with your advisor to determine which courses you need to complete. 

Once you have selected your classes, your schedule should resemble something like this
For Dance
PASJ 110 Introduction to Performing Arts (4 units)ãFALL
	DANC 181 Dance & Social History/Dance & Culture course (4 units)ãSPRING
DANC 200/300 technique course (2 units)
First Year Seminar (4 units)
RHET 110 Written Communication I (4 units)
Core Course/Language (4 units)

for Theater
PASJ 110 Introduction to Performing Arts (4 units)
	THTR 182 Theater & Social History (4 units)ãSPRING
THTR 110 Acting Foundations (4 units)
First Year Seminar (4 units)
RHET 110 Written Communication I (4 units)

Please spend some time looking over the Schedule of Classes to familiarize yourself with the layout, offerings, and your interests. Look for courses that you would like to register for, including specific sections, in order to craft a schedule that works for you. If you need help, please contact us by emailing performingarts@usfca.edu or call 415.422.5979.

We look forward to meeting you during Orientation, when we will review the major requirements and you will have the opportunity to meet faculty and fellow students.


Welcome to USF!