Playwriting and Screenwriting
Overview
Programs in playwriting and screenwriting prepare people to write and edit scripts for live theater, television, and films.In playwriting and screenwriting, students learn practical skills, including how to:
- Write dialog for actors
- Create scenes
- Write camera or stage instructions
- Read and develop scripts written by others
- Analyze films
They also study:
- Creative writing
- Dramatic Literature
- Visual Arts
- Cinema
- Theater
- Filmmaking and theatrical production
Portfolio
Students begin to develop their professional portfolio during college. This includes samples of work from team projects and independent projects. Projects completed during their senior year and internship are important to their portfolio.
Schools
A few community colleges offer associate degree programs in playwriting and screenwriting. An associate degree program at a community college usually takes two years to complete.
Several colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in playwriting and screenwriting. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study. Many of these schools offer these programs as concentrations in a general creative writing degree curriculum. For this reason, these programs are often connected to the English, creative writing, or theater departments at a school.
Several universities offer master's degrees in playwriting and screenwriting. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree.
See schools that offer this program.
Related Educational Programs
- Creative Writing
- Directing, Theater Production, and Theater Arts
- Dramatic Arts
- English Language and Literature
- Film Studies
- Theatre Design and Technology
Related Careers
Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study
Other Careers Related to this Program of Study
Program Admission
You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.
Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:
- Creative Writing
- Directing
- Drama, Acting and Performance
- Drama, Stagecraft
- Film and Videotape
- History and Literature of the Theater
- Introduction to the Theater
- Playwriting
- Public Speaking
Graduate Admissions
Admission to master's degree programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and a strong writing sample.
Your bachelor's degree should be in English, theater, or another closely related field, if possible. Otherwise, you should take several courses in these fields.
Additional requirements at some schools include:
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Literature in English
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
Typical Course Work
Program Courses
In this undergraduate program, you typically take courses such as the following subjects:
- American Classic Cinema
- Art History
- Basic Filmmaking
- Contemporary Cinema
- Creative Writing
- History of Theater
- Media Studies
- Play Analysis
- Play Direction
- Playwriting
- Readings in Drama
- Screenwriting
- Stagecraft
- Survey of Literature
- Theater Production
- Theories of Modern Theater
- Traditions and Trends in Film
- World Cinema
- Writing and Producing for Radio and Television
- Writing Short Fiction
- Writing Workshop
Graduate Program Courses
Graduate course work tends to vary from program to program. However, the outline of a typical master's degree curriculum looks like the following:
- Core courses
- Elective courses
- Creative thesis and thesis defense
You may have to produce or direct the performance of your work, whether it is on film or on stage.
Things to Know
It's helpful to make professional contacts in the field and an internship is a good way to do this. It also gives you hands-on experience in the industry and provides you with more potential portfolio material. You could intern for professional writers, film production companies, TV stations, cable networks, magazines, and advertising agencies, to name several examples.
Schools
East Side Area
Central Washington University
- Film and Video Studies--Screenwriting
- Theatre Arts--Theatre Studies
King-Snohomish Area
Shoreline Community College
- Performance Arts--Writing and Directing for the Camera
Tacoma Area
University of Puget Sound
- Theatre Arts