Founded in 1968, the Juilliard Drama Division offers a four-year degree that trains actors for performance in theater, television and film. During the first two years, students perform in plays directed by Juilliard's professorial staff or guest directors. In their final year, students participate in the Playwrights Festival, a collection of plays created by students in the school's Playwrights Program, a tuition-free one-year fellowship awarded to four writers. The Drama Division has 28 faculty members.
The Dance Division at Juilliard offers a four-year degree for aspiring modern dance and ballet performers. Among the division's courses are partnering, Alexander technique, dance history, anatomy/kinesiology and dance composition. Juilliard hosts 15 annual performances at its Peter Jay Sharp Theater and senior students have opportunities to provide choreography for on-campus dance concerts. Juilliard's Dance Division, which comprises 30 faculty members, was founded in 1951.
Juilliard's Music Division was founded in 1924, making it the school's oldest and largest department, with more than 600 students attending annually. Juilliard offers undergraduate, masters and doctoral studies. Percussion, organ, woodwinds and piano are among the offered courses. The division, which includes more than 260 faculty members, maintains four resident ensemble groups: American Brass Quintet, Juilliard String Quartet, Juilliard Baroque and New York Woodwind Quartet.
To receive a four-year degree, Juilliard requires all students to take at least 24 hours of liberal arts core-curriculum classes that focus on ethics, philosophy and aesthetics. The liberal arts division, which comprises 15 professors, also offers electives in art history, languages and creative writing. Juilliard offers tutoring services and academic workshops for undergraduates at its Writing and Communication Center.