Academic Director: Christopher Vine
CUNY School of Professional Studies
101 West 31st Street, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Email Contact: appliedtheatre@sps.cuny.edu
The Program
The Master’s Degree in Applied Theatre (M.A.), the first program of its kind in the United States, is a sequential, ensemble-based program for students interested in the use of theatre to address social and educational issues in a wide range of settings. The program stresses the unity of theory and practice, and is linked to the professional applied theatre work of the renowned CUNY Creative Arts Team (http://www.creativeartsteam.org/).
Applied theatre is a specialized field that uses theatre as a medium for education and social development. It involves the use of theatre and drama in a wide variety of non-traditional contexts and venues - in teaching, the justice system, healthcare, the political arena, community development, museums, social service agencies, and business and industry.
The goal of the program is to educate scholar-practitioners to become future leaders in the field of applied theatre. Students explore key theories in the fields of theatre, education, youth development, and community building, and acquire the skills and strategies necessary for creating and implementing the work.
Admission Criteria
In addition to the admission criteria for graduate degree programs, a background in appropriate theatre studies will be an advantage but not necessarily essential. Theatre experience, formal or informal, is expected.