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drama therapy

A program that prepares individuals, in association with a rehabilitation team or in private practice, to use dramatic play, theater, role play, psychodrama, and dramatic ritual in therapeutic relationships to address the physical, psychological, cognitive, emotional, and social needs of clients. Includes instruction in drama theory and performance, human growth and development, biomedical sciences, abnormal psychology, disabling conditions, patient assessment and diagnosis, treatment plan development and implementation, clinical evaluation, record-keeping, and professional standards and ethics.

What drama therapy Majors Need to Know

Studies in drama therapy emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that drama therapy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in drama therapy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Psychology — Importance 4.6 / 5; level 6.0 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 5.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.1 / 7.
• Fine Arts — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set built by a drama therapy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to drama therapy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, drama therapy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Thinking Creatively	4.8 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.6 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.4 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.1 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.1 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by drama therapy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—
Electronic health record EHR software	Medical software	—
Avid Technology Pro Tools	Music or sound editing software	—
Musical instrument digital interface MIDI software	Music or sound editing software	—
Virtual instrument software	Music or sound editing software	—
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	—
IBM SPSS Statistics	Analytical or scientific software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for drama therapy graduates include:

• Therapist
• LCAT (Licensed Creative Arts Therapist)
• Creative Arts Music Therapist
• Hospice Music Therapist
• Music Art Therapist
• Expressive Music Therapist
• Music Dance Therapist
• Music Rehabilitation Therapist
• Activity Therapist
• Public School System Music Therapist
• Creative Music Therapist
• Certified Music Therapist
• Home Care Music Therapist
• Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC)
• Music Therapy Specialist

What Can You Do With a drama therapy Degree?

Graduates with a degree in drama therapy commonly enter the following occupations:

Occupation	Job Growth	Median Salary	25th–75th Pctile
Music Therapists	4.9%	$71,670	$59,577–$83,764
Therapists, All Other	-2.9%	$121,750	$95,414–$148,085
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary	10.7%	$46,663	$40,304–$53,022
Art Therapists	1.6%	$40,748	$32,327–$49,169

^{Job-growth = projected employment change for the parent occupation. Source: ONET / BLS Employment Projections.*}

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to drama therapy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	47.4%
Master’s degree	31.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.0%
Doctoral degree	6.2%
Post-doctoral training	5.2%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	1.2%
Post-master’s certificate	0.9%
Postsecondary certificate	0.7%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

How Much Do drama therapy Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of drama therapy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$67,332
4 years	$70,102
5 years	$75,167

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $75,167 — roughly 12% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in drama therapy Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, drama therapy graduates earn a median of $70,102 four years after completion — roughly 84% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions	29,603
Physical Therapy/Therapist	13,424
Occupational Therapy/Therapist	10,460
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions, Other	2,445
Rehabilitation Science	1,107
Art Therapy/Therapist	768
Therapeutic Recreation/Recreational Therapy	722
Music Therapy/Therapist	651
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions, Other	621
Orthotist/Prosthetist	408
Advanced General Dentistry	238
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences, Other	150

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.