Undergraduate FAQs

Performance Studies uses performance as a lens to study the world. Interdisciplinary, Performance Studies draws from theories of the performing arts, anthropology and sociology, literary theory, and legal studies. The B.A. program in Performance Studies is a very exciting, innovative, and interdisciplinary liberal arts major that trains students to think and write critically and creatively about “performance” – across media, genre, or platform. We study performance in the arts as well as culture more broadly – “on the page, stage, and street” – and we train students to understand, write about, and analyze it. We are not a performing arts department – we don’t train students to do performance – but we welcome students who are excited about analyzing and understanding it in an interdisciplinary context that includes anthropology, ethnic and gender studies, religious studies, philosophy, etc. 

The Bachelors of Performance Studies consists of 128 points of coursework. Please see a detailed breakdown of degree requirements here. The major requires the completion of 40 credits of coursework, including 20 credits of required coursework and 20 credits of major elective coursework. Majors in Performance Studies are also required to minor in a related field. However, due to the flexibility of the program’s structure, students are able to double-major in another department at the College of Arts and Sciences. Majors can apply to double-major in eligible departments within Tisch as well.

Yes! Performance Studies majors are encouraged to complete at least one semester of study away from the Washington Square campus at NYU Madrid. Minors are also encouraged to study abroad for at least one semester. Majors in Performance Studies are encouraged to study abroad during the fall semester of their sophomore year. However, given the flexibility of the Performance Studies major/minor, students may opt to study in Madrid the fall semester of their junior or senior year. Majors/minors should speak with their academic advisor to discuss their academic trajectory. For more information on our exciting global program in Madrid, please see our Madrid Program faq here.

B.A. graduates make successful transitions into M.A. programs pursuing advanced studies in theater, performance studies, arts curating, cultural studies, gender studies, ethnic studies, art history, and law. Our B.A. graduates have secured positions and internships in the following fields: Arts Administration; Education; Journalism; Theater Management; Arts Management; Arts Advocacy; Museum Administration; Corporate or Nonprofit Communications; Community Development; Marketing and Market Research; Public Relations; Media Production; Gallery Management; Social and Public Service; International and Non-Governmental Organization Work.

Sure! Our Departmental Assistants are waiting for your email or call! To speak with a current student about the Performance Studies undergraduate experience, please write to performance.studies@nyu.edu or call in at (212) 998-1620 to be connected with a current B.A. student.

If you are interested in visiting the department and sitting in on a class, please schedule an appointment to meet with Laura Fortes, Administrative & Academic Services Director, by emailing her at lf65@nyu.edu. Check out our events page to learn more about our Open House Webinars to learn more about our department and curriculum! 

In light of COVID-19, NYU Admissions and the Bonomi Family Admissions Center will be closed to the public until further notice. If you would like more information about NYU please join one of our virtual information sessions or take our virtual campus tour.

Performance Studies graduates are teachers, artists, administrators, musicians, critics, writers, and journalists, radio personalities, political activists, choreographers, curators, actors, scholars, theater directors, and much, much more. This makes for an exceptionally rich community of thinkers, doers, and makers. 

Performance Studies prepares students for careers in the arts as:

• Arts Administrators
• Art Critics, Journalists, and Analysts
• Scholar/Artists
• Performance Curators
• Academics and Researchers

Our alumni are a diverse and interesting group. Read more about our alumni and what you can do with a degree in Performance Studies here. 

To apply a first-year student or a transfer, there are a few key things you need to do to apply to NYU. To apply to the Department of Performance Studies, applicants must complete both the New York University common application online, and submit a two-part portfolio, which is accessible through the Common Application. Learn more about how to apply here.

NYU has one of the most flexible testing policies of any college or university. Applicants to programs at the Tisch School of the Arts requiring an audition or portfolio are not required to submit standardized testing for consideration and doing so is entirely optional. For other programs where an audition or portfolio is optional but not required, testing is required. If you are interested in being considered for alternate programs in addition to artistic programs at Steinhardt and Tisch, you will still need to submit testing to be eligible for admission to those programs. Submitting standardized test scores is optional for Performance Studies applicants; however, if you do send us your test scores, we will consider them in our evaluation process. For more on standardized testing policies, read on here.

All NYU students must have a strong command of the English language to be successful in a fast-paced, rigorous academic environment. If English is not your native language, and you are applying to our New York campus, you may be asked to submit results from one of the following English language proficiency examinations:

• TOEFL iBT (Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test)
• IELTS Academic (International English Language Testing System)
• PTE Academic (Pearsons Test of English Academic)
• C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency (Cambridge English: Advanced or Proficiency) 
• iTEP (International Test of English Proficiency)

For more information on English language testing, continue on here.

The B.A. program is highly competitive and enrolls up to 20 students each year. There may be up to 80 undergraduate students within the department of performance studies across all cohorts. 

At NYU, we don’t want money to stand in the way of your success. That’s why many of our students receive some form of financial assistance to help pay for their education. The NYU Office of Financial Aid is your one-stop resource for information about financial your education. 

Registered students are assessed tuition and fees based on the factors below:

• School or College within New York University
• Program
• Credit Hours Enrolled

NYU students are accepted and placed into one of the university’s schools or colleges, based on their major or program. Performance Studies home school is the Tisch School of the Arts. Students who register for classes outside of their home school are charged their home school rate. For more information on tuition and fees, read on here.

NYU recognizes that your education is an investment for both you and your family and the Office of Financial Aid will help guide you through the application process. Financial aid plays a critical role in many students’ decisions on which college or university they will choose and can consist of scholarships, loans, grants, and work study. Please read all the information provided on the Office of Financial Aid’s website in order to maximize your consideration.

All students should apply every year for financial assistance. NYU requires the CSS Profile application (for all new freshmen and returning international students, to be considered for institutional [non-government] financial aid), the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (for eligible new freshmen and continuing students, to be considered for federal financial aid), and, for residents of New York State, the New York State Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) application.

Learn more about scholarships with our NYU Scholarships Overview and then continue learning more at the Scholarships and Grants page of the NYU Admissions site. Scholarships and grants are types of gift aid that do not have to be repaid. They may take the form of University scholarships, federal or state grants, or outside scholarships. A financial aid package at NYU takes into account both financial need and academic merit. NYU awards very few exclusively merit-based scholarships, as we are committed to using the vast majority of our scholarship funds to assist students whose families are unable to pay the full cost of an NYU education. If you would like to be considered for merit-based scholarships, please be sure to complete the FAFSA and/or CSS Profile (depending on citizenship and campus of interest). We are unlikely to award scholarships to students who have not submitted these items by our deadline.