The School of Drama has its roots in the legendary Drama Workshop, which came to The New School in 1940. Founder Erwin Piscater and his faculty, which included Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, fostered some of the most important artistic voices in the
modern American theater, Tennessee Williams, Marlon Brando, Harry Belafonte, and Judith Malina to name a few.
In 1994, the School of Drama began offering an MFA degree, with concentrations in directing, playwriting, and acting.
In 2013, the School of Drama established a BFA in Dramatic Arts to nurture and educate the next generation of citizen artists. This program offers students the opportunity to grow not only as directors, writers, actors, and creative technologists,
but as artists with multiple interests and skills.
In 2021, the School of Drama launched an MFA degree in Contemporary Theatre and Performance, which takes a modern approach to conservatory training. This program focuses on interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary creative practice and prepares students to transform their field and expand the role of the artist in society today.