Objectives

• Students will prepare for specific careers in film, television, and new and emerging media through a highly professional and challenging graduate curriculum.
• Students will demonstrate the application of the theoretical, aesthetic, and practical elements of film, television, and emerging new media, story development, and script writing at a professional level suitable for pursuing a career in academia and/or the entertainment industry.

Learning Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate, through a portfolio of long- and short-form teleplays, mastery of story development, character development, storytelling structure, and cinematic style.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to pitch stories and scripts to producers, managers, agents, studios, cable outlets, and networks.
• Students will demonstrate proficiency in producing and executing a television production by creating a short reel that is reflective of a larger project.
• Students will value diverse stories that explore social justice issues and ethical and humanistic themes.
• Students will develop entrepreneurial skills by creating relationships with outside organizations through internships, mentorships, and designated courses and workshops.
• Students will demonstrate the fundamental business skills required for working effectively with producers, managers, agents, and the Writers Guild of America.
• Students will learn to analyze the influences of film, television, and emerging media on our culture, and vice versa.

M.F.A. Writing and Producing for Television

The goal of the M.F.A. program in Writing and Producing for Television is to train hyphenates-writer-producers-who will become the creative leaders of television programming. Progressing from the core courses, the television writing student must complete a portfolio, which consists of a one-hour “spec” teleplay, a half-hour “spec” teleplay, an original television pilot (one hour or half hour), and produce a presentation of the pilot. Proper sequencing of major requirements is indicated by prerequisites of individual courses and as noted in the outline below. Please consult assigned academic advisor.

M.F.A. in Writing and Producing for Television Requirements

First Year

Second Year

Third Year