Graduate Musical Theatre Writing

The Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program is more than a master’s degree; it’s a vibrant community of collaborative artists engaged in the ever-evolving process of creating new musical theatre. 

We define musical theatre expansively as a diverse form that includes musicals, operas and experimental music-theatre in any style and across all media — stage, screen, and emerging nontraditional platforms. Our prize-winning graduates and faculty come from 42 countries across six continents, and are renowned in the industry for pushing the boundaries of the form. Their work spans Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional theatres in the US and abroad, major opera houses, and television and film, with a global reach.

Each year, 30 full-time students — composers, lyricists and bookwriters — embark on an intensive two-year course, participating in writing workshops that emphasize craft, the art of collaboration, rewriting, storytelling, and developing a distinctive creative voice. Students immerse themselves in all aspects of New York’s dynamic musical theatre scene, interacting with directors, actors and major artists in the field, and engaging in interdisciplinary collaborations with their peers at Tisch. While the program culminates in the creation of full-length original works, students are encouraged to see every project as an opportunity to engage in an ongoing process of creative research, tapping the vast resources available at Tisch and NYU to further their artistic explorations.

Click below to learn about our application process or to apply! For questions, please reach out to us at musical.theatre@nyu.edu