The Department of Drama at Tisch School of the Arts is unique in the nation for its combination of rigorous conservatory training and broad-ranging academic education. Using the incomparable theatrical resources of New York City as well as the superb intellectual resources of New York University, the department has created a uniquely balanced B.F.A. (Bachelor of Fine Arts) program that aims to establish the artistic and intellectual foundations for a successful professional life in the theatre and allied disciplines.
In partnership with some of the country's foremost professional theatre training institutions, we offer comprehensive conservatory training in acting, directing, musical performance, design, and theatre production. Equally emphasized is our expansive and innovative theatre studies curriculum, unparalleled in its scope. The professional training faculty is composed of accomplished, working artists; the academic faculty is led by internationally recognized theatre studies scholars and theorists. The curriculum is further enriched by required courses in the humanities and social sciences. An extensive internship program connects students to the professional theatre community of New York City. The program is framed by a vast and varied schedule of productions that often involve world-famous guest artists.
"The Department of Drama offers the most wide-ranging and inclusive artistic and academic drama curriculum in the country. In addition to receiving the highest level of artistic and intellectual training, our students are continually asked to broaden their conceptions of what theatre is, has been, and can be. They are encouraged to see themselves as potential change agents capable of making unique contributions to the contemporary cultural landscape."
Kevin Kuhlke
Chair, Department of Drama
"The extraordinary synergism created by placing committed students with our professional conservatory faculty propels students forward, formulating their own unique way of working. Students and faculty evolve together as they delve deeply into a specific approach to acting, directing, musical performance, design, or production work. Following an initial two years of concentration, students are then encouraged to explore further approaches to craft through an unprecedented myriad of advanced study preferences. This conservatory-style training in combination with our academic courses makes for a confident artist, with an eagerness for learning that reverberates long after graduation. We are preparing people for a lifetime of creative output."
Arthur Bartow
Artistic Director, Department of Drama
