The Best Academic Screenwriting Programs & Film School Degrees in the USA
Learn Script Writing Through A Master of Fine Arts
For those budding screenwriters out there who have a great idea for a movie but don’t know where to start and are considering studying the craft of screenwriting, we have compiled a list of the best academic screenwriting degrees and courses in the US for you to review.
Is A Film School Program Right For Me?
Pursuing a formal full-time degree in screenwriting isn’t for everyone and it is by no means necessary to launch a career in filmmaking. All you really need is a passion for film, a talent for telling stories and some screenwriting software like Movie Outline to develop your story and characters and a professionally format a screenplay.
Agents, managers and Hollywood studio execs will like a good script no matter who wrote it or where it comes from and a good script will always garner attention if you can get it in the right hands, but sometimes new writers need a little formal education and discipline to get them on the right track, focus their creativity and hone their technical skills in the craft. Attending one of these MFA programs can also help you experience the broader aspects of filmmaking and take part in practical modules in other areas such as directing, producing and editing.
The contacts you make at film schools, both with students and professors, can last a lifetime, create collaborations that endure into your future career and open doors once you are ready to launch yourself and your scripts into the professional arena.
What Does A Master Of Fine Arts In Screenwriting Entail?
A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree is typically the highest degree offered in creative writing. To qualify for most MFA screenwriting programs you need to have graduated from an accredited four-year college with a sample of your own creative writing that forms the most important part of your application. You may also need recommendations from past instructors.
MFA screenwriting programs usually last two or three years and require the student to attend on-campus daily or weekly classes, though some online courses are now available which include occasional intensive workshops.
All MFA program workshops encourage students to discuss each other’s creative writing in a collaborative environment and most screenwriting programs offer opportunities for students to experience other disciplines in the medium such as editing and directing to help students familiarize themselves with the wider aspects of the business they will be entering into.
On Your Marks...
Visit the websites listed below for more information and research each program carefully. It is always a good idea to contact the professors and/or lecturers who teach the courses for more details and even better to talk to past students and learn from their experience.
Remember, each course will differ in structure and teaching methodology so be clear what you want out of the course from the start so as to avoid disappointment down the line.
Good luck and may the force be with you!
First, the Top Six...
University of Southern California (USC)
Widely considered to be one of the best schools to study film in the country, the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema & Television (located in Los Angeles) was also the first and has a rich alumni that include George Lucas, Robert Zemeckis and Ron Howard.
USC offers both undergraduate and graduate screenwriting programs to students from all over the world and out of the thousands of applicants each year, only 26 undergraduate students and 32 graduate students are admitted for their respective degrees. The Master of Fine Arts with a Major in Writing for Screen and Television is a two-year program that focuses on the basics of narrative structure by writing scenes, treatments, short scripts and full-length feature screenplays.
USC:
“Our philosophy in storytelling is a combination of compelling characters and three-act structure. Additionally, we encourage experimental narratives, and television pilot writing and preparation for growing media like mobisodes, internet series, and gaming. Most of our students graduate with extensive writing samples.â€
Students also take elective classes in video production and technology, editing, directing, producing, acting and directing actors, history and theory of film, and the business aspects of the entertainment industry. The school's research and technology labs enable students to pursue a wide range of related activities that include work with high-definition television, multimedia, virtual reality, animation and CGI.
During the program students attend lectures that bring top film executives and screenwriters to the school, and during the final year, USC help pair students with professional mentors and gain industry internships.
Degrees Offered:
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
- Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
- Undergraduate Minor in Screenwriting
Visit the
USC Website for more information and to apply.
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
The Screenwriting Program at the UCLA Department of Film-Television and Theater was established in 1965 and is considered among the finest in the country offering the prestigious Master of Fine Arts, online courses and workshops, as well as degrees in producing and directing. UCLA’s alumni include Francis Ford Coppola, David Koepp and Shane Black.
Its on-campus two-year MFA screenwriting program focuses on preparing students for professional careers as film and television writers where they learn film theory, film history and all of the key elements of creating screenplays, such as plot, story structure, scene development, dialogue and characterization.
UCLA:
“The two-year Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting program encourages students to concentrate upon the challenge of writing a well-structured story inhabited by vivid, compelling characters. The elements of character, dialogue, scene, setting, texture, style, and tone are explored through an intensive workshop process.â€
The MFA is designed for the student to produce four original feature length screenplays and the program also includes guest speakers, a pitchfest, and a screenplay competition where student scripts are read and scored by eight industry judges. Excerpts from the winning screenplays are then presented for an audience of industry professionals.
The Department of Film and Television's production and teaching facilities consist of professional motion picture sound stages, scoring and re-recording stages, editing rooms, mixing rooms, viewing rooms and TV studios. Its Film and Television Archive is the largest collection of film and video holdings in the United States outside of the Library of Congress.
Degree & Courses Offered:
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
- Professional Program in Screenwriting (also online)
- Summer Workshop in Screenwriting
Visit the
UCLA Website for more information and to apply.
New York University's Tisch School Of The Arts
Unlike UCLA and USC, the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts Dramatic Writing Program does not offer a specific degree in screenwriting but a Masters degree in Dramatic Writing that encompasses stage, screen and television. The programs offered here are recognized internationally as the premier training site for professionals in film, television and radio. Its screenwriting alumni include Kenneth Lonergan, Neil LaBute, and Alexa Junge, and its extensive list of acting, directing and producing alumni include Spike Lee, Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone, Joel Coen, Joel Silver, Chris Columbus and Billy Crystal.
The screenwriting workshop, required of all Dramatic Writing majors, is designed for new screenwriters, offering emphasis on character and purpose and how this leads to conflict and the construction of plot. The workshop includes the reading and analysis of four to six screenplays in conjunction with the student’s original work.
NYU:
“Students will examine the principles and processes of writing for the screen with topics that include finding and developing story ideas, film language and script structure. By the end of the course, students will have participated in in-depth film analysis and intensive screenwriting exercises and discussions, and are expected to have completed a film treatment for a feature film or television episode they intend to write.â€
During the program, students will be required to complete an internship, participate in critique sessions where industry professionals discuss their thesis projects, and complete a table reading of their thesis with actors for evaluation. The film school’s state-of-the-art facilities include editing rooms, screening rooms and theaters, a cinema studies archive, animation studios, television studios, motion picture sound stages, and the University radio station.
Course Offered:
- Certificate in Dramatic Writing: Screenwriting
Visit the
NYU Website for more information and to apply.
Columbia University School of the Arts
Similar to NYU, Columbia University’s Film Division of the School of the Arts does not offer a dedicated Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting but a slightly broader two-year MFA in Screenwriting & Directing with a particular emphasis on “narrative storytellingâ€, and a third year of thesis work that includes a one-semester intensive workshop in which students learn the art of revising their screenplays. Its alumni include Lisa Cholodenko, Nicole Holofcener, James Mangold, Kimberly Pierce and producer Albert Berger.
Creative Producing Program MFA students share the first-year curriculum and some of the second-year elective classes with screenwriting/directing majors; the aim being to encourage the development of professional collaborations that last through and beyond the program, which the film school believe is essential to the creation of film, and crucial for students to understand and accustom themselves with in preparation for entering the professional arena.
CU:
“The mission of the MFA in Screenwriting/Directing is to rigorously train story-tellers in film, television, and digital media. The course of study includes two years of creative workshops and related courses, followed by one to three years of thesis work. Students are immersed in the principles and working methods of a variety of genres and dramatic forms. Through multiple exercises and short film and script projects they are encouraged to explore their understanding of the medium, with the ultimate goal of establishing each student’s personal voice.â€
At the end of the second year, students who declare screenwriting as their concentration are assigned a thesis advisor from Columbia’s full-time faculty that include veteran screenwriters from New York and Hollywood’s filmmaking communities. The Screenwriting Thesis project that students are required to produce is a feature length screenplay that demonstrates originality of subject matter and a mastery of the technique of dramatic and cinematic structure, dialogue and characterization. During the third “thesis†year, students will work with their advisor to develop their screenplay from an initial pitch to a final draft.
Degree Offered:
- Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting & Directing
Visit the
Columbia University Website for more information and to apply.
American Film Institute
Established in 1969, the AFI’s Los Angeles Center for Advanced Film Studies offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting that is designed to simulate the real world of professional filmmaking. Students attend classes and workshops lead by veteran filmmakers and the program’s guest speakers include high profile actors, directors, producers, agents and studio execs. Its screenwriter alumni include Susannah Grant, Scott Frank and Jeff Nathanson, and its impressive alumni of directors include Darren Aronofsky, Paul Schrader, Edward Zwick, David Lynch, Terrence Malick and John McTiernan.
AFI:
“The heart of the Screenwriting program lies in the relationship between the Fellow and the exemplary faculty who serve as teachers and mentors, guiding and supporting each writer's development in an intimate workshop setting. In the core Screenwriting Workshops, Fellows grow as cinematic storytellers through critique and analysis of their work by faculty and peers.â€
The AFI encourage a collaborative nature between the other filmmaking disciplines throughout the course in order to prepare students for a practical career in the industry. By the end of the program screenwriting students would have completed at least two feature length screenplays and worked on scripts for fellow producing and directing students from first draft through the entire production process. These screenplays are published in “New Scripts by AFI Graduatesâ€, an annual publication that is distributed at AFI Showcase screenings and mailed to some of the top agents, managers and production companies in the industry.
Degree Offered:
- Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Visit the
AFI Website for more information and to apply.
Boston University College of Communication
Boston University’s MFA in Screenwriting is a two-year program that aims to prepare students for the film and television industry by teaching them the art and craft of screenwriting through a variety of specialized classes that include acting for directors and writers, directing film and television, American masterworks, script analysis and screen adaptation. Screenwriting students are also expected to take an active role in both film production and film studies. Its alumni include Scott Rosenberg, Richard Gladstein and Lauren Shuler Donner.
BU:
“This program is small yet vigorous and nurturing. The motto is : writers write. By the time students leave the halls of the University, they will have a strong understanding of the film and television industry and what it takes to sell their work.â€
By the end of the program students will have completed at least two feature-length screenplays, a short script and a television pilot and will have the option of completing a fifth post-graduate semester in Los Angeles which is aimed at providing students with invaluable experience in the business of film and the opportunity to work with established writers on TV staffs or in agencies and development departments of studios and productions companies.
Degrees Offered:
- Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
- Undergraduate Degree in Film & Television
Visit the
Boston University Website for more information and to apply.
The Final Six...
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University offers two different screenwriting two-year Master of Fine Arts degrees at its Los Angeles based School of Film and Television: Writing and Producing for Television, and Feature Film Writing.
LMU:
“The MFA in Writing and Producing for Television trains writer-producers who will become the creative leaders of television programming. The television writing student must complete a portfolio, which consists of a one-hour teleplay, a half-hour teleplay, an original television series pilot, and produce a presentation of the pilot. The MFA in Feature Film Screenwriting trains students to write and work in long form storytelling where students must complete a portfolio that includes three feature screenplays and develop a project adapted from another medium. Students of either program can take elective courses in the other.â€
Both screenwriting programs teach the importance of story and its faculty help students find and express their creative voice, learning about dialogue, character, story plotting, visual writing, and cinematic structure. During the course, students write and rewrite feature length screenplays, study different genres, and learn how to adapt stories from different mediums.
Degree Offered:
- Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Visit the
Loyola Marymount University Website for more information and to apply.
Chapman University of Film and Media Arts
Located in the heart of Orange County, California, Chapman University offers both undergraduate and graduate screenwriting degrees at the Lawrence & Kristina Dodge College of Film & Media Arts.
CU:
“Our MFA in Screenwriting is an intensive program designed to help you develop your individual creativity as you explore the intricacies of story structure and character development. You’ll work one-on-one with an outstanding faculty of Hollywood screenwriters who have countless years of experience in both film and television — and many awards on their shelves. And you’ll learn to write in a variety of art forms — short film and feature-length, episodic television and mini-series.â€
During the program students will study the fundamentals of film production, story structure, dialogue, character development and episodic television format. Students will collaborate will fellow students who are studying other filmmaking disciplines such as acting, directing, cinematography and editing, and will have the opportunity to work with faculty members who are veteran screenwriters. Students leave with at least two feature length screenplays and contacts to help them enter the professional arena.
Degrees & Courses Offered:
- Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
- Summer Courses
Visit the
Chapman University Website for more information and to apply.
University of Texas
This two-year Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting, which includes a summer 45 hour program, is designed for creative individuals with a strong commitment to cinematic storytelling. The course, only open to seven students each year, teaches the fundamentals of narrative storytelling and includes both theory and practical workshops that encompass both film and television.
UT:
“Students are introduced to the principles of writing for the screen, focusing on story development, characterization and narrative structure. Students leave the program with three original feature-length screenplays which have all undergone significant revisions. Students also do extensive work in television, and courses in Production for Writers, Film History and Adaptation.â€
In their final semester, students work one-on-one with a senior faculty member on their thesis, ultimately leaving the screenwriting program with a professional screenplay that is ready for submission to agents, production companies and studios. The faculty strongly encourages collaboration between screenwriting majors and fellow students of its Film & Media Production programs. An internship in the film industry is required as part of the course, and past students have interned both in Los Angeles at high profile studios and locally at the Austin Film Festival and with Austin-based filmmakers such as Terrence Malick.
Degree Offered:
- Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Visit the
University of Texas Website for more information and to apply.
University of Miami School of Communications
The University of Miami’s School of Communications is a relatively small private school that offers both graduate and undergraduate degrees in filmmaking including a Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting.. The MFA program includes classes on narrative structure, screenplay critique, and the cultural impact of film entertainment. Students choose an area of focus from narrative film, animation, documentary or experimental film, and the program culminates in individual screenwriting projects. Students and graduates have a chance to showcase their work at the University’s annual film festival, which also screens in Los Angeles
UM:
“Our MFA program in Screenwriting allows students to concentrate in narrative fiction writing, while equipping them with professional analytical and development skills and techniques. Students will have the opportunity to conceive and complete a major creative writing project such as a feature-length screenplay and have hands on experience writing for feature films, short films, series television and the web.â€
The screenwriting program teaches the analysis of film and screenplays as well as exercises in dialogue, characterization, directing, documentary production, and the business and legal aspects of filmmaking. Coursework includes aspects of movie genres, nonfiction film, film culture, and the structure of dramatic art. Students of the screenwriting program also have the opportunity to participate in supervised internships and in practical study programs in Los Angeles and Europe.
Degree Offered:
- Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Visit the
University of Miami Website for more information and to apply.
Florida State University
Unlike other screenwriting programs offered by the likes of USC and UCLA that are dedicated solely to the craft of motion picture writing, the Florida State University, working with the College of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts, and The School of Theatre, offers a Master of Fine Arts in the study of Writing for both the Stage & Screen. Only six writing students are admitted each year and the program is comprised of six consecutive semesters.
FSU:
“Throughout the course, students engage in seminars, conferences, and visits from industry professionals in the fields of film, theater, and creative writing. They participate in intensive film and theater production training and workshops in screen and playwriting. Students are required to write, direct and screen a short film in the first semester, write and stage a short play in the second semester, during which time they will also take part in a two-week intensive in London, working with a British playwright and experiencing British theater.â€
Script writing students commit entirely to writing, taking a variety of classes in screenplay craft, story conceptualization, business practices (such as dealing with agents, managers, distribution and exhibition), and novel adaption for both stage and screen. In the process, students create and pitch original ideas for screenplays, and complete a feature-length screenplay and a full-length stage play that are adaptations of a novel. This innovative course design provides students with the necessary skills to craft professional scripts that are ready for submission to the industry for both the arena of film and theater.
Degree Offered:
- Master of Fine Arts in Stage & Screenwriting
Visit the
Florida State University Website for more information and to apply.
New York Film Academy
The New York Film Academy is relatively new to the scene when it comes to Masters Degrees in filmmaking but this up-and-coming institution offers students from all over the world the opportunity to study a full two-year MFA in Screenwriting in Los Angeles, or a one-year course in New York with the option of completing the final year in LA. As with all of their courses, they are designed to be a mixture of theory and practical workshops with high profile guest speakers that include veteran screenwriters, actors and filmmakers.
NYFA:
“Our screenwriting programs are the most comprehensive script writing courses of all the top film schools. Students have the opportunity to develop an initial idea into a feature length screenplay in our eight-week course, or hone their skills in our one year Screenwriting Program, and leave with a body of work to begin their professional career. At each step of the way, the student is nurtured in a workshop environment by award-winning instructors and working screenwriters, most with a Master's Degrees from some of the country's finest film schools.â€
The MFA program teaches the study of screenplay structure, dialogue, character arcs, film history, entertainment industry business methods and practices, treatment writing, pitching, television writing and the fundamentals of film directing. Throughout the program students will write short film scripts, feature treatments and outlines, and a revised draft of a feature length screenplay. They will also write a one-hour or half-hour TV script and direct a short digital film or scene from a feature screenplay.
Degrees & Courses Offered:
- Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
- Associate of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
- One year program (also online)
- Screenwriting & Filmmaking Courses
Visit the
NYFA Website for more information and to apply.