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.
News and Events
Dr. Sajnani Collaborates on New WHO Policy on Health Benefits of the Arts with Displaced Persons
This new policy document provides evidence that art based activities and arts therapies can meaningfully improve one’s self confidence, opportunities to grieve losses, a renewed sense of belonging, and offer hope.
Brazil: Advanced Techniques of Theatre of The Oppressed
Travel to Rio de Janeiro to study the Theatre of the Oppressed, a system of games, techniques, and exercises for using theatre as a vehicle for personal and social change in partnership with local practitioners.
"Behind Blue Sky" Receives Praise and Awards
Documentary co-produced by Professors Maria Hodermarska and Nisha Sajnani exploring the psychosomatic impact of 9/11 in the lives of people of color in NYC won Best Documentary (Feel the Reel International Film Festival) and Best Black Lives Matter film (Amsterdam International Film Festival).
Heidi Landis Advocates for Arts Funding in Schools to Support Youth Mental Health
NYU Drama Therapy faculty and licensed Creative Arts Therapist Heidi Landis penned an opinion piece on the importance of arts funding in schools for City Limits.
Drama Therapy Student Crystal Lucas-Perry Stars as John Adams in 1776
Following a dynamite opening at the American Repertory Theater, Crystal Lucas-Perry will play John Adams in the musical 1776. This cast features a female, trans, and non-binary cast in a fierce reimagining of history.
Drama Therapy Faculty Britton Williams Consults on “Lost in Yonkers”
Britton Williams collaborated with Hartford Stage, working with the cast of ‘Lost in Yonkers’ to identify how trauma manifests in the lives of the characters in the play.
Drama Therapy Faculty Featured on Bloomberg Quicktake
NYU Drama Therapy Faculty Dana Trottier and Britton Williams together with alum Alexis Powell offered a demonstration of Drama Therapy on Bloomberg Quicktake with Scarlet Fu.
Drama Therapy Research Symposium: Foundations and Futures
Every February, the NYU Program in Drama Therapy opens the doors to our Theatre & Health Lab to present our latest research, examine current and emerging innovations, and inspire a culture of inquiry in drama therapy.
NYU Steinhardt co-produces Healing Arts Symposium
Many Steinhardt researchers and artists will be speaking at this first-of-its-kind symposium.
Nisha Sajnani on News 12 Connecticut
Nisha Sajnani is featured in a News 12 Connecticut story on treating PTSD with drama therapy.
How the Arts Improve Health
NYU Steinhardt Launches Research Initiative in Collaboration with the World Health Organization and the Museum of Modern Art, September 20-21.
New Research on Therapeutic Factors in the Creative Arts Therapies
Members of the International Research Alliance in the NYU CAT Consortium publish new open-access article on how the creative arts therapies facilitate psychological change.
Steinhardt Faculty Selected for NYU Aging Incubator Fellows Program
Faculty will support the development of interdisciplinary research and educational initiatives to improve the health and well-being of the oldest segment of our human population.
"Aesthetic Presence": The Importance of the Arts in the Education of Creative Arts Therapists Online
Dr. Sajnani, Christine Mayor, and Heather Tillberg-Webb published a new article on the role of the arts in the training of arts therapists.
Nisha Sajnani Leads Special Issue on Drama Therapy and Technology
Dr. Sajnani organized a special issue of Drama Therapy Review related to drama therapy, technology, and new media.
Drama Therapy Stages Pilot Production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof SR.' with Senior Community Members
The program worked with members of Penn South to perform a special adaptation of the hit Broadway musical.
NYU Sends Delegation to the UN
Dr. Nisha Sajnani was invited by Christopher Bailey, Chair of the Arts and Health working group of the World Health Organization, to bring a drama therapy delegation to a special session of the 12th UN Convention on The Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Can Art Save Lives? Questions for Nisha Sajnani on How Drama Therapy Heals
Nisha Sajnani, PhD, RDT-BCT, is an associate professor at NYU Steinhardt and the director of the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions’ Drama Therapy Program.
Nisha Sajnani Receives NADTA Gertrud Schattner Award
The North American Drama Therapy Association has awarded Dr. Nisha Sajnani, director the Drama Therapy program, the Gertrud Schattner Award, the highest honor that the organization bestows.