Department Website
Program Description
Drama therapy is the intentional use of theatre techniques to facilitate personal growth and promote health, thus treating individuals with a range of mental health, and cognitive and developmental disorders.
The MA program in Drama Therapy attracts theatre professionals and educators, therapists, and those working in the fields of medicine, healthcare, and special education. Students come from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds to study and do fieldwork and internships with leading professionals in the creative arts therapies. Classes are small and instruction individualized.
Tracks
The program offers two curricular options:
50-Credit Track
The 50-credit track (Drama Therapy (MA)) meets all requirements for licensure in New York State as a Licensed Creative Arts Therapist (LCAT) This includes required coursework in drama therapy and applied psychology with no electives. Those who intend to practice in New York only, and international students who will not require a license to practice, might prefer the 50-credit program.
60-Credit Track
The 60-credit track (Drama Therapy (MA), Alternate Licensure) allows students to do advanced training in Role Theory and Method, Psychodrama, Arts-Based Research, or pursue other electives in Applied Theater (e.g., Theater of Oppressed) or in Applied Psychology (e.g., Marriage and Family Counseling). This track meets the degree credit requirements for licensure in most states outside of New York. Those who intend to practice in states other than New York should consider the 60-credit option.
All students are required to complete fieldwork and 800 hours of internship with two different populations in selected clinical facilities, including such settings as hospitals and shelters, drug rehabilitation centers, prisons, and special facilities for the elderly, those with developmental disabilities, and the terminally ill, among others.
Special Opportunities
The program hosts an internationally recognized therapeutic theater series “As Performance.” This series investigates the nexus of therapeutic theater and arts-based research. Clinical drama therapists participate as artists, and artists explore a therapeutic process. Therapeutic theater is presented as a primary process where need transforms into action. Productions are made possible by an ongoing grant from the Billy Rose Foundation. As Performance seeks to explore the aesthetic, therapeutic, and ethical issues embedded in the process of making theatre.
Career Opportunities
Graduates are employed in a variety of therapeutic settings throughout the world, including public and private hospitals and mental health clinics, centers for adults with developmental disabilities, nursing homes, and drug rehabilitation centers. Drama therapists work in medical facilities as well as artistic ones, in social services as well as private practice. Drama therapy is practiced widely with a number of special populations: war veterans and those afflicted with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance abusers, mentally ill individuals, the elderly, and children who have experienced physical and/or sexual abuse. Drama therapists also treat dysfunctional families and, more generally, healthy individuals in need of exploring significant life problems.
Licensure and Accreditation
The program is approved by the New York State Department of Education and qualifies students for licensure in Creative Arts Therapy (LCAT) after graduation and 1,500 hours of postgraduate supervised practice.
Graduates of the program also meet the educational requirements for credentialing as a drama therapist with the North American Drama Therapy Association (NADTA).
The MA program in Drama Therapy has been continuously accredited by the North American Drama Therapy Association since 1989.
Admissions
Admission to graduate programs in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development requires the following minimum components:
- Résumé/CV
- Statement of Purpose
- Letters of Recommendation
- Transcripts
- Proficiency in English
See NYU Steinhardt's Graduate Admissions website for additional information on school-wide admission. Some programs may require additional components for admissions.
See How to Apply for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.
All students should have a solid, practical background in the art form of drama and theatre, including experience in improvisational drama and theatre performance. Candidates should also demonstrate a strong academic background in psychology or a related social science, including coursework in developmental and/or abnormal psychology. In certain exceptional cases, alternative experience relevant to drama therapy will be considered.
Sample Plan of Study
This sample plan is for a student in the 50-credit program. Students in the 60-credit program will take additional electives chosen in close consultation with an academic adviser.
Plan of Study Grid
| 1st Semester/Term |
|---|
| MPADT-GE 2114 |
Intro to Drama Therapy |
3 |
| MPADT-GE 2115 |
Psychodrama & Sociometry |
3 |
| APSY-GE 2138 |
Human Growth and Development |
3 |
| MPADT-GE 2131 |
Group Dynamics: Theory and Practice in Drama Therapy |
3 |
MPADT-GE 2133
|
Drama Therapy in Schools
or Drama Therapy and Aging: From Midlife to Elderhood |
3 |
| | Credits | 15 |
| 2nd Semester/Term |
|---|
| MPADT-GE 2109 |
Drama Therapy for Clinical Populations |
3 |
| APSY-GE 2657 |
Individual Counseling: Theory and Process |
3 |
| APSY-GE 2658 |
Lab in Individual Counseling Skills |
3 |
| MPADT-GE 2105 |
Cross-Cultural Awarness for Creative Arts Therapy/Arts Educ |
3 |
| | Credits | 12 |
| 3rd Semester/Term |
|---|
| MPADT-GE 2303 |
Internship and Seminar in Drama Therapy |
1 |
| | Credits | 1 |
| 4th Semester/Term |
|---|
| MPADT-GE 2117 |
Proj Techn Drama Therapy |
3 |
| MPADT-GE 2303 |
Internship and Seminar in Drama Therapy |
1 |
| MPADT-GE 2119 |
Adv Theory & Research in Drama Therapy |
3 |
| APSY-GE 2038 |
Abnormal Psychology |
3 |
| MPADT-GE 2136 |
Thesis Seminar in Drama Therapy |
1 |
| | Credits | 11 |
| 5th Semester/Term |
|---|
| MPADT-GE 2303 |
Internship and Seminar in Drama Therapy |
2 |
| MPADT-GE 2121 |
Advanced Practices: Theater Aesthetics and Therapeutic Theater |
3 |
| MPADT-GE 2135 |
Assessment in Drama Therapy and Psychodrama |
3 |
|
3 |
| | Credits | 11 |
| | Total Credits | 50 |
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Identify and apply theories and methods of drama therapy, psychology, and counseling in assessment, treatment, and health promotion.
- Identify, locate, evaluate, synthesize, and apply peer-reviewed research to inform practice.
- Demonstrate one's professional identity as a drama therapist and a future licensed professional in the mental health field.
- Exercise cultural and ethical responsibilities in clinical and community practice.
Policies
Department Policies
Academic Advisement
Academic advisement is a shared responsibility. As a student, you will be responsible for making decisions about your academic, professional, and personal path. You will work in partnership with your assigned advisor(s) to develop an academic plan and a course of study in alignment with your career goals. In particular, you will:
- Understand the philosophy that guides the discipline/major
- Learn about degree requirements, including prerequisites, electives, and course sequencing
- Develop and maintain an academic plan that meets the requirements for the successful completion of the degree and maintenance of good academic standing
- Plan a program of study that integrates other academic options and opportunities (e.g. study abroad, honors courses, co-curricular and professional activities, minors, etc.)
- Be aware of and adhere to the policies, procedures, and deadlines that guide undergraduate study (e.g. drop/add, registration, pass/fail option, etc.)
- Initiate meetings and actively prepare for advising meetings by bringing a planned schedule and concerns and/or questions for discussion
- Be familiar with school/university student services and resources and actively seek assistance when needed
- Pursue professional development opportunities by engaging with faculty, alumni/alumnae, professional organizations, and career resources on campus
Engaging with the above responsibilities requires checking your NYU email on a regular (i.e. daily) basis and responding to emails from your advisor in a timely manner. Students who have questions about their academic plan or how courses are falling in their Degree Progress Report should contact their advisors as soon as these questions arise to seek clarification and updates, if needed.
Add/Drop
Registration changes, including credit changes, must be completed before the end of the add/drop period. These dates may be found on the academic calendar. After the add/drop period is over, students may not change the number of credits for which they are registered in a variable credit course. After the end of add/drop, students may not drop a course but must withdraw. Withdrawing from a course is indicated by a “W” on a student’s transcript.
Attendance
Attendance is mandatory for Departmental courses. All students are expected to attend class regularly and to actively participate in class activities. Students who must miss class are required to notify the instructor in advance via email, and are responsible for all material covered during the missed class meeting.
Our Department does not permit students to “zoom” into in-person courses if they are ill. If a student is unwell and unable to attend class, they will be marked as absent and are responsible for missed course material.
Religious observance, illness, and family emergencies are grounds for excused absences. If a student cannot attend class for any of the above reasons, they must email the instructor in advance, and all assignments must still be submitted within 24 hours of the due date. If the nature of the absence prevents a student from sending advance notice, they must communicate via email with the instructor as soon as possible for the absence to be excused.
If a student misses more than one week of class or has repeated absences during the term, the instructor will use NYU Connect to notify the student’s advisor about attendance concerns so that the advisor can provide appropriate support to the student. Repeated absences may have an impact on the student’s participation grade.
Auditing
The Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions does not permit students to audit courses. Students must be registered for the course in order to be able to attend the course.
Change of Major
- Interested students may apply for Fall or Spring change of major.
- Students may not apply for a change of major before their second semester of study.
- At latest, students may begin study at a new NYU school/program as a first-semester junior.
- For Music Programs: Students must have completed, or placed out of, Music Fundamentals. If students have completed Theory and Practice 1 and Aural Skills 1, they must have received a passing grade. (Educational Theatre students do not require Music Core courses.)
- Students wishing to transfer into Music Technology must take MPATE-UE 1801 and MPATE-UE 1037/1047 before applying.
- Students wishing to transfer to Music Business must take MPAMB-UE 100 before applying.
- Students must complete an online application, submit a statement of purpose (a rationale for their request no more than 350 words), and provide one letter of recommendation from a professor or advisor.
- Applications must be received by March 1 for Fall changes of major and November 1 for Spring changes of major. Programs that require auditions are: Instrumental Performance, Music Education, Vocal Performance. Programs that require portfolio review are Music Technology and Music Composition. Decisions will be made by April 15 for Fall changes of major, and December 15 for Spring change of major.
- Internal Steinhardt students who are not MPAP majors, before following the above process, must contact the program advisor for the program to which they plan to apply:
- Music Business: Brennan Stack
- Music Technology: Heather Hardy
- Instrumental Performance: Chris Bush
- Music Composition - Screen Scoring: Sergi Casanelles
- Music Composition - Songwriting: Phil Galdston
- Music Composition - Concert Composition: Robert Honstein
- Vocal Performance: Monique Henry
- Piano Studies: Manuel Laufer Fair
- Educational Theatre: Nan Smithner and Joe Salvatore
Double Major
- Students requesting a Double Major in Steinhardt must complete the Non-Primary (Double) Major Declaration form. Detailed instructions are listed on the form.
- Students who wish to declare a Double Major in an MPAP program must meet with the advisor of that program and also the advisor for their primary major to discuss possible course schedule options. The student must then meet with a program representative of the MPAP program of their non-primary major.
- You must declare a non-primary major during or prior to the spring term of your junior year before you complete 96 points towards your degree.
- You must declare a non-primary major in a field of study different from your primary major.
- If you are pursuing a non-primary major you may need to earn units in excess of your degree requirements.
- Please note that adding a non-primary major does not mean that you will receive two degrees. You will receive only one diploma printed with the school name and the academic department name of the primary major, not the name of the major itself.
- Both primary majors, non-primary majors and minors appear on the transcript.
Incomplete Grades
Students can request an incomplete grade only:
- If a student is matriculated under exceptional circumstances
- At the discretion of the instructor
- If the student has already completed 50% or more of the coursework required
- It is at least the 9th week of the term
Note that visiting and/or non-degree students may not apply for an incomplete.
The instructor will determine the timeframe the student will have to complete the work, but it cannot be later than the last day of classes in the following term. If the student does not complete the outstanding work by the agreed date, the incomplete grade (I) automatically turns to an F.
Incomplete grades may result in failure to meet satisfactory academic progress by the Office of Financial Aid. Students need to submit a signed Incomplete Grade Agreement to their advisor when an Incomplete Grade is assigned.
Independent Study
An Independent Study is designed by the student and sponsoring faculty to investigate an area or field of specialization not normally offered in scheduled course offerings. It is an opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member to complete directed reading, a creative project and/or supervised research. Students must consult with their advisors before undertaking an Independent Study to understand program-specific requirements and policies.
- Only full-time faculty may sponsor an Independent Study.
- Only matriculated students are eligible to complete an Independent Study. Independent Study carries 1 to 6 units. The number of units will be determined by the work to be completed and should be comparable in rigor to that of a classroom course.
- Minimum hours required per unit: 45 hours of work per credits per term
- Maximum credits allowed: As part of specialization: as determined by each department/program
- Total allowed
- For undergraduate students, a maximum of 6 units over the course of the undergraduate career
- For graduate students, the number of units will be specified by the program
- Cannot be used to satisfy liberal arts requirements
- Registering for Independent Study: Students first meet with the academic advisors to determine if the student should undertake an Independent Study; they then meet with the sponsoring faculty to complete the NYU Steinhardt Independent Study form, obtaining the signatures of the sponsoring faculty member, the sponsoring faculty member’s department chair and the student’s advisor. Students should self-enroll in the course via Albert.
- Independent Study Title and Description: The title of an Independent Study will appear on the student transcript prefaced by the word “Independent Study”. The description of the Independent Study should include its theme which may be stated as a question or issue to be explored or creative technique to be examined; its type and scope, e.g. paper or special project. Students should use the Independent Study Form to have the correct title listed on their academic transcript. These forms should be submitted via email to: steinhardt.advisement.registration@nyu.edu.
International Students
International students should review information on the OGS webpage to understand their legal requirements. International students should make sure to register for full-time enrollment every fall and spring semester, and also not begin any work before receiving authorization. International Students are expected to work closely with their academic advisor to ensure that they are meeting their degree requirements. Any questions regarding immigration and visa support can be directed to the Office of Global Services.
Mental Health and Wellness
For students experiencing undue personal and/or academic stress during the semester that may be interfering with their ability to perform academically, the NYU Wellness Exchange (212 443 9999) offers a range of services to assist and support. The Wellness Exchange offers drop-in services on campus on a regular basis. Information may be found at https://www.nyu.edu/students/health-and-wellness/wellness-exchange.html.
Minor in Music in Global Communities
For the 2023-2024 academic year, any students who declared the previous MPAP music minor may permit the following exceptions in counting their courses towards the new minor curriculum: we will accept any previous Music Theory coursework towards the new minor’s theory requirements, and any other Steinhardt music classes for the music electives. These exceptions will not be permitted following the end of the Spring 2024 semester.
NYU Email
All student, faculty, and administrative communications must be done using NYU email addresses, not personal email addresses. Anyone who experiences issues with their NYU email may find more information here.
Pass/Fail Grading Option
MPAP follows NYU Steinhardt’s policy on the pass/fail grading option. Undergraduate MPAP students are permitted to request pass/fail grades for courses satisfying their CORE liberal arts requirements (with the exception of Expository Writing courses) so long as they meet the other requirements noted in Steinhardt’s policy. MPAP programs have differing policies regarding other classes part of a student’s Program of Study that may be eligible for the pass/fail grading option (such as electives) - students who have questions about pass/fail course eligibility must speak with their academic advisor for more information on program-specific policies.
Private Lessons
Students may find more information about private lessons via the Major Lesson Information Sheet and the Non-Major Lesson Information Sheet.
MPAP Majors may only take one secondary lesson per semester, and it must be for 2 credits if they are already taking a 3-credit lesson. Students may not take primary and secondary lessons through the Theory and Composition program in the same semester.
Non-Majors may register for only one private lesson course per semester. (This does not include Group Lessons). Non-majors who do not abide by this policy will be dropped from all private lessons.
Student Accessibility
New York University is committed to providing equal educational opportunity and participation for all students, and academic accommodations are available for qualified students who disclose their disability to the Moses Center. Students requesting academic accommodations are advised to reach out to the Moses Center for Student Accessibility as early as possible in the semester for assistance (telephone: 212-998-4980 / website: www.nyu.edu/csa / email: mosescsa@nyu.edu)
Study Away
MPAP majors who are interested in studying abroad may find more information here. Important dates for study abroad may be found here. NYU Global policies and procedures can be found here. Students seeking study away opportunities should also consult with their academic advisor for program-specific policies.
Studying away is a program requirement for undergraduate Music Technology students. Music Technology students who are requesting to waive this requirement due to personal, academic, or financial hardship must first meet with the academic advisor for Music Technology to discuss their rationale and to review resources that may be in place to address these concerns. Following this discussion, students must submit a written petition that clearly states the reasons for their request via email to Paul Geluso, program director for Music Technology, who will review and approve or deny the request.
Technology in the Classroom
Each instructor may decide the extent to which students in their classes may be permitted to use their mobile phones or laptops. Instructors must communicate this policy to students clearly, preferably in their syllabus, letting students know what they can and cannot use, and why.
Students who require accommodations to use technology in the classroom – for example, students with dyslexia, ADHD, or visual impairments who use computers to take notes and access cloud-based assistive technologies – may contact the Moses Center. Students requesting academic accommodations are advised to reach out to the Moses Center for Student Accessibility as early as possible in the semester for assistance (telephone: 212-998-4980 / website: www.nyu.edu/csa / email: mosescsa@nyu.edu).
Tutoring
Students enrolled in MPAP Theory and Aural Courses receive access to free tutoring for these courses. Students can also access tutoring services through the University Learning Center and the Steinhardt Writing Center for undergraduate and graduate students. Students are also encouraged to consult with their advisor regarding possible program-specific tutoring resources.
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Steinhardt Academic Policies
Additional academic policies can be found the Steinhardt academic policies page.