The Applied Drama and Theatre for the Young graduate program was founded at Eastern Michigan University in the early 1960s by Virginia Glasgow Koste. The program has a legacy of strong students who provide leadership and service working in communities worldwide as non-profit teaching artists, managers, professors, K-12 Educators, playwrights, and directors.

Graduate students create individualized programs with a foundation in developmental and applied drama. Annual TYA productions, touring shows, and community engagement allow students to hone their craft and experiment with their art. Participating in ENGAGE EMU can be another way students provide service in the community while gaining opportunities to work with diverse communities. EMU’s Arts Administration program offers a concurrent arts administration certificate, and the Interpretative Performance studies give students the chance to work with Boal techniques and train in prisons. Many students end up directing their own productions, writing their own scripts, or creating new programming for their schools or other non-profits as part of their final projects.

Elective and cognate courses supplement required core courses to achieve a well-rounded knowledge of applied drama and theatre for the young.