Currently, the Department is the only department in Tanzanian universities that has the longest history in offering degree programs in various art forms including fine arts, music, and theatre and film studies. The degree programs offered include: BA (FPA), MA (Fine Art), MA (Music) and MA (Theatre). The department also offers PhD degrees in these three fields. BA (FPA), i.e. Bachelor of Arts in Fine and Performing Arts is a three-year degree program. A student joining this program selects one of the three fields of study: Fine Arts, Music, Theatre and Film studies.

The program is designed to provide students with wide variety of practical skills and in-depth theoretical knowledge in each of these art forms. Hence, the program prepares its students as competent performing artists (musicians, filmmakers, actors etc), fine artists (graphic designers, painters, sculptors etc.) and academicians.

Courses in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts can also be studied as core or optional courses by students from other degree programs such as BA (Culture and Heritage), BA (Education), BA (Archaeology) and B.Sc (Engineering, Computer Science etc.