Departments, Programs and Divisions
Music
Our Master of Music (MM) degree program will have two divisions: Eastern and Western music, although we encourage students to study both Eastern and Western music. For both divisions, we anticipate students to take a minimum of credits of courses on Eastern and Western music. For the Eastern music major, we will have bamboo flute, pipa string, erhu string, zheng string, and zither concentrations, among others. For the Western music major, we will have composition, conducting, piano, violin, guitar, cello concentrations, etc.
Dance
Our Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program for dance will have two divisions: Eastern and Western dance, although we encourage students to study both Eastern and Western dance. For both divisions, we anticipate students to take a minimum of certain credits of courses on both Eastern and Western dance, to master two basic sets of choreographic skills, however their styles are different. For the Eastern dance major, our focus will be primarily on classical dance, the court style in particular, though we will teach heritage dance of Chinese minority groups as well. For the Western dance major, we teach both classical ballet and modern dance.
Drama
Drama is a composite art that integrates music, dance, and speech-action into a whole of stagecraft, particularly in the Chinese and East Asian theatre. For this consideration, we encourage students not only to study both Eastern and Western dance, but also to learn music and dance by taking courses from music/dance department, particularly those who major in Eastern drama. For both divisions, we anticipate students to take a minimum of certain credits of courses on both Eastern and Western drama, to understand the basic structure and operation of Eastern and Western theatre, as well as their stagecraft. For both majors, we have playwright program and acting program. For the Eastern drama divisions, we will have Peking opera and Kun opera concentrations. For the Western drama major, we will have classical and modern concentrations.
Fine Arts
Our Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree program for dance will have two divisions: Eastern and Western dance, although we encourage students to study both Eastern and Western dance. For both divisions, we anticipate students to take a minimum of certain credits of courses on both Eastern and Western fine arts, to master two basic sets of image-making skills, however their styles are different. For the Eastern fine arts major, our focus will be primarily on Chinese painting. For the Western fine arts major, we will have oil painting and sculpture concentrations.
Eastern Languages, Liberal Arts and Humanities
At the initial stage after founding our academy our Liberal Arts degree program will focus on majors directly related to the existing programs in performing arts and fine arts, such as Art History, Aesthetics, East-West Comparative Literature and Culture. We will also offer language and culture study concentration for students to learn Chinese and East Asian language and culture, both classical and modern.
Chinese and Oriental Medicine
Over the years, Chinese and Oriental medicine has gained great popularity in US. Recently, with the Medicare reform of the current administration, more and more health insurance packages started to cover oriental clinic practices of medicine and acupuncture. We intend to build an oriental medical school that not only trains students to get a license of acupuncture but also practices medicine in conjunction with eastern religious practice, meditation and Taiji in particular, towards the holistic medical practice.
High School of Arts and Cultures
We are very eager to nurture young genius in art for the next generation. Art education starting with the teenagers could help us to discover the precocious genius among them, and help them to develop their consciousness in exploring their own potentials for their artistic growth. For this consideration, we are committed to founding a high school for our pre-adult artistic training. Students graduated from our high school could be admitted to our bachelor’s degree program in the future.
Potential Human Resources
Many renowned artists from Asia and America, distinguished guests and participants of our past events, as well as presidents, chief administration heads, and professors of top-ranking Art Academies in Asia, would like to join our team of education. A couple of well-known professors and teachers in Art Academies or Department of Arts in California and the other parts of America will also be very delighted to join us.
Our goal is to build a first-rate institute, to educate the culture elites for the future. To ensure the best quality of our education, our selection of professors and teachers will have rigorous criteria. We will recruit only well-established professors, teachers and artists educated in top-ranking universities and art academies, in China, East and South Asian, as well as in America.
Student Recruitment
The Muses Institute will be fully engaged in recruiting students throughout the North America. We will also seek to recruit international student, particularly from Europe. Also, we are optimistic in recruiting the first-rate students graduated from the top-ranking universities in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other parts of Asia.