Faculty of the Dance Program are also members of the Five College Dance Department, which combines the dance faculties and programs of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith Colleges with those of the University. The educational and artistic mission of the Five College Dance Department is to champion the imaginative, expressive powers of human movement. The curriculum emphasizes in-depth study of a broad spectrum of dance as an art form, including technical, creative, historical, cultural, and scientific perspectives. Students are encouraged to balance performance and creative studies with a comprehensive understanding of the historical and cultural context of different dance traditions. They may shape their major studies in either traditional or interdisciplinary ways - reflecting a wide range of career options and new directions of the contemporary field.

The Five College Dance Department faculty operates as a consortium, coordinating curricula, performances, and services. The Department supports a variety of philosophical approaches to dance and provides an opportunity for students to experience a wide spectrum of performance styles and techniques. Course offerings are coordinated among the campuses to facilitate registration, interchange, and student travel; students may take a dance course on any of the five campuses and receive credit at the home institution.

Dance library collections are found on all five of the campuses comprising the Five College Dance Department. Through interlibrary loan, University students have access to all the collections, including an extensive video library. A free bus system links the five campuses.