Founded in 1983, NYU Steinhardt’s Program in Drama Therapy offers world-class training with nationally recognized clinicians, researchers, and pioneers in the field who have shaped the practice of drama therapy through groundbreaking work in hospitals, schools, community organizations, and private practice. Students gain hands-on experience through fieldwork and internships with a wide range of organizations citywide, and have earned prestigious honors including the Global Studies Scholarship, Fulbright Scholarships, and the NADTA Diversity Award.
Every year, the program produces three therapeutic theatre productions, with additional opportunities for thesis performances and outside engagements—recently including the 2025 Met Gala.
Approved by the New York State Education Department, the program qualifies graduates for Licensure in Creative Arts Therapy (LCAT) in New York State after 1,500 hours of post-graduate supervised practice and licensing exams. Those seeking licensure outside New York should contact Program Administrator Ellen Smittle (ecs485@nyu.edu).
Degrees In This Program
Master of Arts
Drama Therapy
Our advanced clinical training in counseling and course work in drama therapy will prepare you to promote health and wellbeing in a range of wellness contexts.
Develop Research Skills and Focus Your Studies on Drama Therapy
Deepen your understanding of drama therapy and become a competent researcher in the field. There are three options for doctoral study in drama therapy at NYU.
Doctor of Philosophy
Rehabilitation Sciences
Prepare for a fulfilling academic career in research and teaching in the rehabilitation sciences through interdisciplinary study across health fields.
Doctor of Philosophy
Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities
Conduct cutting-edge and innovative research that addresses the most pressing questions in the cultural and educational arenas of theatre.
Doctor of Education
Educational Theatre in Colleges and Communities
Prepare for roles such as principal, curriculum developer, and policy analyst in this practice-based doctorate with an emphasis on arts-based research methods.
Robert J. Landy Archive and Scholarship
Dr. Robert Landy, Ph.D., RDT-BCT, LCAT, founding Emeritus Professor of the NYU Program in Drama Therapy, has been a key figure in the development and widespread use of drama therapy for nearly four decades.
News and Events
Drama Therapy Professor Celebrates Surge in Arts-and-Health Research with a Major Publication—and Performance by Jon Batiste
The renowned musician joins professor and advocate Nisha Sajnani’s September conference, timed for the United Nations Healing Arts Week and a new medical journal series.
Afrofuturist Production Brings Youth Voices, Grief, and Imagination to the Stage
“THE WIZZIE: A Journey of Grief, Growth + Glitter” was a devised therapeutic theatre piece created by NYU Steinhardt graduate students and NYC high schoolers.
Nisha Sajnani leads national arts and health efforts in Armenia, Georgia, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore
Nisha Sajnani led the first national training in arts and health in collaboration with the EU Commission and World Health Organization in Armenia and Georgia and with Art Jameel in Saudi Arabia
NYU Holds 20th MLK Spoken Word Contest; Steinhardt Student Takes 3rd Prize
Communicative Sciences and Disorders graduate student Shabathyah Charles and other students submitted pieces on the theme “Legacy Begins with Me.”
Questions
For more information, please contact nyudramatherapy@nyu.edu