The program in Dramatic Literature offers students the opportunity to specialize in the critical, theoretical, literary, and historical aspects of theatre studies. In addition to courses offered each semester by the program’s core faculty in the Department of English, students take classes on theatre, drama, and performance in departments and schools throughout NYU, including practice-based courses. Students engage with works and traditions of drama and theatre dating from ancient times to the present, and take advantage of New York City’s incomparably rich theatre landscape. An honors program is available for qualified students.
Honors Program
The requirements for graduating with honors in Dramatic Literature consist of:
A 3.65 GPA, both overall and in the major.
Completion of core major courses by the time of application to the honors program. Depending on when students matriculate in CAS this would be either: both DRLIT-UA 110 History of Drama & Theatre I and DRLIT-UA 111 Hist of Drama & Theatre II (matriculated before fall 2026), or all three of DRLIT-UA 100 Terms and Methods, DRLIT-UA 300 Drama in Performance, and DRLIT-UA 920 Senior Seminar (matriculating in and after fall 2026).
Enrollment for two consecutive terms in DRLIT-UA 925 Senior Honors Thesis
(4 credits total) and completion of a thesis (on a topic of the student’s choice) under the direction of a faculty member.
Concurrently with DRLIT-UA 925 Senior Honors Thesis
: enrollment for two consecutive terms in DRLIT-UA 926
(2 credits each).
December graduates begin the concurrent DRLIT-UA 925 Senior Honors Thesis and DRLIT-UA 926 sequences in the spring term and complete them in the fall; May graduates begin the sequences in the fall and complete them in the spring. These courses must be completed in addition to the usual 40 credits for the major; graduation with honors requires 48 major credits.
Applications and deadlines are available on the program’s undergraduate website and at the program offices.
Admissions
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.
Program Requirements
This major requires a minimum of ten 4-credit courses (40 credits) as outlined below.
The foreign language requirement is satisfied upon successful completion through the intermediate level of a language. This may be accomplished in fewer than 16 credits, but those credits must then be completed as elective credit.
2
No more than five may be drawn from the areas of cinema and practical theatre combined.
Other Elective Credits Dramatic Literature Before 1900
4
Major Requirements
4
Quantitative Reasoning
4
Foreign Language
4
Credits
16
4th Semester/Term
Major Requirements
4
Major Requirements
4
Societies and the Social Sciences
4
Foreign Language
4
Credits
16
5th Semester/Term
Major Requirements
4
Physical Science
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Credits
16
6th Semester/Term
Major Requirements
4
Life Science
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Credits
16
7th Semester/Term
Major Requirements
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Credits
16
8th Semester/Term
Major Requirements
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Other Elective Credits
4
Credits
16
Total Credits
128
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of program requirements, students are expected to have acquired:
An understanding of intersecting histories of global dramatic, theatrical, and performance forms from antiquity to the present.
A critical awareness of the methodologies of reading, watching, analysis, and interpretation that have defined theatre and performance studies.
An awareness and understanding of drama, theatre, and performance’s fundamental interdependence with other media, cultural forms, and disciplines.
The ability to research and write about complex social and cultural topics with evidence-based rigor and argumentation for both academic and general audiences.
Policies
Program Policies
Policies Applying to the Major and Minor
Majors and minors must register under the DRLIT-UA number for any cross-listed courses.
Fulfillment of the College's expository writing requirement is a prerequisite to all Dramatic Literature courses.
Courses used to satisfy requirements for either the major or minor in Dramatic Literature, Theatre History, and Cinema may not be used to satisfy the requirements for any other major or minor.
Independent study courses and internships do not count toward the minimum requirements for the major or minor.
Transfer students must complete at least half of the required courses for the major and minor programs at the College.
Please note that C is the lowest grade that may be counted toward the major or minor. Courses graded Pass/Fail do not count.
Two-credit courses are not counted toward the major. Students pursuing the minor should consult with the program.
No more than three of the seven required major electives may be drawn from the area of practical theatre (such as acting or directing); students are not required to take such courses. Film and cinema courses do not automatically count toward the requirement of seven major electives, so students must seek permission from the program to possibly count such courses. Students pursuing the minor should consult with the program.
Students should consult the program's undergraduate website during preregistration each term for a list of courses that satisfy the major and minor requirements and for more detailed descriptions of the particular courses offered in a given term. The director is available throughout the term, as well as during registration periods, to discuss students' educational and professional goals in general and the Dramatic Literature program in particular.