INTRODUCTION TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM
Master of Arts in Screenwriting
A unique graduate program of discovery and growth with an intense focus on professional screenwriting, in the heart of the motion picture and television industries. The Masters Program in Screenwriting is designed to develop:
Professionalism
- The University's proximity to the entertainment industry provides opportunities to enrich classroom writing and theory with real world experience.
- Many MA courses feature one-on-one relationships with working screenwriters both in course work and through internships at studios, networks, and production companies.
- The Cinema Department presents an on-going guest speaker program of accomplished writers, directors, and producers, along with weekly CTVA Cinematheque film screenings in our state of the art, 130 seat Armer Screening Room.
Leadership
- The program offers a broad perspective on the arts, crafts, and aesthetics of cinema-telecommunications, and the responsibilities essential to prepare for leadership in the entertainment industry. Paid undergraduate teaching positions are also available for those wishing to develop skills as a college instructor.
Creative Thinking
- The MA in Screenwriting Program challenges students and fosters the development of imagination, creativity, and analytic narrative thinking. In a vigorous workshop environment, students explore the elements of screen story structure, character, dialogue, scene development, setting, texture and tone.
- Emerging screen storytellers from many cultures and backgrounds are mentored toward writing scripts that explore new insights into the human condition.
- The MA in Screenwriting Program offers a two-year course of study adaptable to the needs of working adults. Scholarships and financing are available
The 30-unit MA in Screenwriting degree consists of core concentration classes in script writing, then elective units chosen from such courses as: Screenplay Adaptation; The Working Screenwriter, Understanding Agents, Studios, and Networks; Writing Episodic Television; Comedy Writing; Screenplays in Performance; Documentary Tradition; and one-on-one Independent Screenplay Studies. Studio internships are available for screenwriting students, including placement at Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Universal, Warner Bros., Sony, DreamWorks, ABC, CBS, NBC and other companies.
Requirements for Enrollment:
- A Bachelor's Degree
- An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better
- An above average verbal score on the Graduate Record Examination
- A resume and statement of personal goals and objectives
- Three letters of recommendation
- Submission of an original screenplay, stageplay, or other creative written work
- Applicants with no previous screenwriting experience may be required to complete a basic screenwriting course prior to full acceptance into the program.