Program Summary
Screenwriters in today’s industry must be versatile in terms of which genres and mediums they are able to work with. Emerson’s MFA in Writing for Film and Television is a progressive, two-year program that brings together a community of students for focused, rigorous instruction. Building on Emerson’s long-standing Department of Visual and Media Arts, the low-residency MFA program helps students refine their craft as writers for film, television, and other emergent forms of media.
The low-residency MFA program offers a personalized course of study in which professors work with you at the beginning of each semester to talk about story ideas and help you select which piece(s) you will write for the online workshops. They will also act as mentors throughout the program and regularly meet with you to discuss your career goals and how to set yourself up for success after graduation.
Each semester begins with a week-long residency, which will be held on our Boston (Fall) or our L.A. (Spring) campus.
Following the residency, you will take two online classes: a writing workshop and a topics course. Your creative work will be completed in the writing workshop and submitted online. You will receive thoughtful, detailed feedback from your faculty and peers. After reviewing your group feedback, you will schedule an online or phone meeting with your faculty advisor to discuss the progress of your creative work and receive constructive notes.
Online classes may consist of synchronous and asynchronous elements.
Curriculum
As an MFA candidate, you will complete a professional-caliber portfolio that contains the following:
- Short Screenplays
- Feature Screenplay
- Original Television/Cable/Streaming Pilot
- Additional Script (Pilot or Feature Screenplay)
- Critical Essay
The MFA in Writing for Film and Television requires 40 credit hours including:
| Number | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SW 631 | Writing Workshop I - Writing for Short-Form Media | 4 |
| SW 632 | Writing Workshop II - Writing Series Television | 4 |
| SW 633 | Writing Workshop III - Feature Film Screenwriting | 4 |
| SW 698 | MFA Thesis Project | 4 |
| Number | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SW 621 | Film Genres | 4 |
| SW 622 | The Writer’s Room | 4 |
| SW 623 | Television Genres | 4 |
| SW 624 | Writers in Development | 4 |
| Number | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Residency I | Storytelling and Writing Short Scripts (Boston) | 2 |
| Residency II | Series Television Writing (Los Angeles) | 2 |
| Residency III | Long-Form Writing (Boston) | 2 |
| Residency IV | The Business of Screenwriting (Los Angeles) | 2 |
Residency Schedule
See our Academic Calendar for specific residency dates for each semester.
