The Writing for Film and Television curriculum consists of 40 credits. Each semester begins with a week-long residency, which will be held on our Boston (Fall) or Los Angeles (Spring) campus.

Following the residency, you will take two online classes each semester. Online classes are primarily asynchronous, with some synchronous elements included.

As an MFA candidate, you will complete a professional-caliber portfolio that contains the following:

  • Short Screenplays
  • Feature Screenplay
  • Television Spec Script
  • Original Television/Cable/Streaming Pilot
  • Additional Script (Pilot or Feature Screenplay)
  • Critical Essays

Semester 1

Number Course Modality Credits
SW 631 Writing Workshop I - Writing for Short-Form Media Online 4
SW 621 Film Genres Online 4
N/A Residency I: Storytelling and Writing Short Scripts (Boston) In-person 2

Semester 2

Number Course Modality Credits
SW 632 Writing Workshop II: Writing Series Television Online 4
SW 622 The Writer’s Room Online 4
N/A Residency II: Series Television Writing (LA) In-person 2

Semester 3

Number Course Modality Credits
SW 633 Writing Workshop III: Feature Film Screenwriting Online
SW 624 Writers in Development Online 4
N/A Residency III: Long-Form Writing (Boston)  In-person 2

Semester 4

Number Course Modality Credits
SW 698 MFA Thesis Project Online
SW 623 Television Genres Online 4
N/A Residency IV: The Business of Screenwriting (LA) In-person 2

*Note: These are subject to change

Residency Schedule

See our Academic Calendar for specific residency dates for each semester.

Online Academic & Management Guidelines

Our low-residency Writing for Film and Television MFA requires students to be self-directed and disciplined in time management in order to meet the weekly demands of the lectures, readings, film viewings, and discussions, as well as time devoted to writing.

MFA students should expect to spend a minimum of 8-10 hours per week on writing and coursework and should approach our online environment with just as much attention as any on-campus graduate program.

Students in each cohort have their own way of connecting outside of the structured online courses via texting, emails, in-person meetups, or virtual group calls. Faculty members are available for virtual and in-person office hours to support your writing and growth.