The Screenwriting Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program at University of the Arts, previously referred to as Writing for Film and Television, prepares you to work in feature films, traditional TV, streaming and the web. With our hands-on, progressive course of study, you’ll explore the art of writing for the screen and hone the skills you’ll need for a career in film or television. You’ll discover your voice and build a professional portfolio of writing samples to help you launch your screenwriting career. Our faculty are award-winning, working professionals who have written for Hollywood, independent film and the web.
UArts alumni work across the entertainment industry, from writing for shows on premium cable channels to working as creative executives for Hollywood studios. Graduates have been awarded prestigious fellowships from HBO and NBC Universal and have won Emmy Awards, People’s Choice Awards and a Grand Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival.
A Unique East Coast Program
UArts offers one of the only BFA degrees in Screenwriting on the East Coast. The program features a number of opportunities to explore the entertainment center of Los Angeles as a student, an intern or both.
Anchored on the vibrant Avenue of the Arts in Philadelphia, our campus is located in the cultural district of Center City. Students can experience the city’s robust arts community, while studying in one of the most inspiring urban centers in the U.S. This type of environment is great for screenwriters.
Building a Screenwriting Portfolio
By choosing our well-rounded and collaborative experience in screenwriting, you will graduate with an impressive creative portfolio that includes a feature-length screenplay, an original TV pilot, a spec script from an existing episodic-TV series, short films and more.
Visiting Writers Series Presents ‘New Way of Seeing’
The annual Visiting Writers Series gives students and visiting writers alike a distinct creative opportunity.
A testament to University of the Arts’ fostering of interdisciplinary study, the annual Visiting Writers Series gives students and visiting writers alike a distinct creative opportunity.
For each series event—which occur in both the fall and the spring each year—accomplished writers share their work through readings and discussions with students. Since the onset of the series in 2013, Illustration students have created posters to advertise each event and to represent the writer and often, their work.
Carlos Rios BFA ’14 (Writing for Film and TV) returned to UArts in March.
Carlos Rios BFA ’14 (Writing for Film and TV) returned to UArts in March, further underscoring the cross-collaboration that’s characteristic of UArts: The series features two screenwriters per year, benefiting Screenwriting students in addition to Creative Writing majors. A Universal Pictures Emerging Writers Fellow, Rios has written for the TV series Colony on USA Network and is currently working for the forthcoming On Becoming a God in Central Florida.
For the poster promoting Rios’ visit on March 19, Illustration major Melita Tirado took inspiration from his inclusion in the 2016 Black List—a list of the most-favored screenplays not yet in production, voted on by Hollywood executives—for a Western-themed screenplay titled Let the Evil Go West.
“What I wanted to do with the poster was capture that Western look, as well as desolate space,” Tirado says. “And I decided that I wanted it to kind of resemble the person … so I created the environment to be a part of him.”
Tirado delivered a few sketches to Matt Curtius, associate professor of Illustration, who leads the collaborations each year. He selected a sketch, delivered some feedback and sent Tirado back to work.
At UArts, how we promote an arts event is itself a work of art. – Zach Savich, program director, Creative Writing
Rios' poster was illustrated by Melita Tirado.
“I’ve had Matt before as a professor, so we know pretty well how we work with each other,” Tirado explains. “He had some feedback on placements and creating hierarchy, and from there I finished the piece.”
Given the general lack of visual attention afforded most writers, the experience of portraiture is likely a novel one. Creative Writing Program Director Zach Savich says visiting writers are usually surprised by the posters, which they receive when they visit. Savich has recently begun documenting writers’ reactions to students’ interpretations of them.
“These posters show that at UArts, how we promote an arts event is itself a work of art,” Savich says. “The posters help remind us that writers can inspire new ways of seeing. A literary reading isn't just a chance to see an author—it's an invitation to a live imaginative act that ripples across the arts.”
The next event in UArts’ Visiting Writers Series—Immigrant Voices: p.e. garcia, Nimisha Ladva and Afaq Mahmoud, moderated by author and Senior Lecturer Rahul Mehta—will be held April 11 at 7 p.m. in Terra Hall’s Connelly Auditorium. Learn more about this year’s Visiting Writers.
Darnell Brown ’10 (Writing for Film and TV) is one of eight winners of the 2019 HBOAccess fellowship.
Deadline reported that UArts alum Darnell Brown ’10 (Writing for Film and TV) is one of only eight 2019 HBOAccess fellows, who were chosen from among 3,000 applicants. Also the 2019 winner of the ABFF/Turner TV Writing Contest, Brown will work on a pilot for HBO or Cinemax during his fellowship.
The HBOAccess Writing Fellowship began in 2014 in order to diversify writers’ rooms across the nation. New fellows are selected every other year and are mentored by HBO executives for eight months as they develop their scripts.
“Way beyond excited and legit still freaking out to be one of this year’s HBOAccess Writing Fellows!” he tweeted on May 23. “Can’t wait to get to work!”
Through our expansive curriculum, you'll graduate with an impressive portfolio and the skills needed to turn your ideas into reality.
Student Experience
Through our expansive curriculum, you'll graduate with an impressive portfolio and the skills needed to turn your ideas into reality.
From student to Producer at Marvel Studios, meet Kevin R. Wright
Alumni
BFA '12
What I appreciate the most about my time in the Writing for Film + Television major is the fundamental understanding of storytelling the staff instilled in me. Not only was the writing process fully immersive and the class size intimate, but breaking down screenplays, novels and even graphic novels on a line-level prepared me for the industry in invaluable and unexpected ways. Being able to speak with authority and confidence in a story meetings is largely the byproduct of my UArts education and the foundation laid by the instructors."
Kevin R. Wright ’12 is a creative producer of Production & Development at Marvel Studios located on the Disney Lot in Burbank California, where alongside his colleagues in the feature film division, he is responsible for creative oversight of projects on the studio’s slate. Kevin is currently Co-Producing the recently announced Loki series for Disney’s upcoming streaming service Disney+. He was Associate Producer on Ant-Man and The Wasp, Senior Manager, Production Development on Captain Marvel and previously served as the Sr. Manager of Production & Development on Doctor Strange, Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War.
Screened at SXSW and Tribeca Film Festival, meet producer, director and writer Jenn Wexler
Alumni
BFA '08
EW can exclusively reveal that Glass Eye Pix and Hood River Entertainment teamed up to produce horror-thriller The Ranger. The film follows a group of teen punks who get in trouble with the cops and escape to the woods. There, they come up against an unhinged park ranger with an axe to grind, hell-bent on preserving the serenity of his forest.
The Ranger was the directorial debut of Jenn Wexler, who co-wrote the script with Giaco Furino. Wexler is best known as a producer whose credits include director Robert Mockler’s Like Me and Ana Asensio’s Most Beautiful Island, both of which screened at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival. Wexler also produced director Mickey Keating’s Must List-approved 2016 haunted house tale Darling and the same filmmaker’s Psychopaths, which received its world premiere at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. Andrew van den Houten and Ashleigh Snead will produce for Hood River Entertainment and Larry Fessenden and Heather Buckley will produce for Glass Eye Pix, along with Wexler. The title was showcased at the 2016 Frontieres International Co-Production Market at the Fantasia Film Festival. It was at the market that the two companies decided to join forces and produce the film.
In addition to majoring in Writing for Film + Television, I minored in Film, and a big part of that was working with actors and other students from other departments, learning the nature of collaboration. I took acting and musical theater classes, and I married an illustrator.
Derek Dressler BFA '05 (Writing for Film & TV) is a writer of animated films and TV shows, and winner of a 2014 Emmy Award for Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program for his work on the Disney Channel Mickey Mouse short O Sole Minnie.
"You have to be ready to collaborate," he says, "because in the studio system you might rewrite a script over and over again, then toss it out and start over. Because the faculty at UArts actually worked in the industry, that reality was drilled into my head, in a good way."
Derek has written on series for Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Netflix. He was a staff writer, then story editor on Disney’s Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil for two seasons, and a creative consultant on series for Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Derek was co-executive producer of the Nickelodeon international series Get Blake. He also wrote 18 stop-motion shorts for WWE Slam City, produced by Stoopid Buddies Stoodios, as well as the original screenplay for Mattel’s Hot Wheels animated feature, Team Hot Wheels: The Origin of Awesome!. Derek co-wrote the screenplay for Troma’s Return to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 and its sequel, Return to Return to Nuke 'Em High Aka Vol. 2 (directed by cult icon Lloyd Kaufman)—both of which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Derek has developed series for Amazon, Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, and Disney and is currently head writer on a new series at Netflix.
Universal Pictures' Emerging Writers Fellowship recipient and writer Carlos Rios
Alumni
BFA '14
Carlos Rios graduated from UArts’ Program in Writing for Film and Television in 2014. He received a Universal Pictures’ Emerging Writers Fellowship and was featured on the 2016 Black List. He has written for Colony (USA Network) and is currently a writer for On Becoming a God in Central Florida, which premiered in 2019 on Showtime.
Writer, director, performer and photographer Seph McAndrew
Alumni
BFA '20
I’m a writer, but I’m also a director, performer, and photographer. I chose UArts because I knew I could strengthen and explore all of my talents. I wanted to go to a school where I could find my individual artistic expression and work on independent projects, that way I could bring my own well-rounded understanding of art and self into the industry.
Along with all of that, I wanted to spend my four undergrad years in a welcoming community. I grew up in a very small religious town, and being openly queer wasn’t easy. I knew UArts would not only be accepting, but flowing with allies and a vast LGBTQIA+ community. Every day I feel respected and cared for as a student. My ideas and feelings are taken seriously, and I feel comfortable and confident to move forward into my future.
Independent Projects:
Synonyms for Crazy (Writer/Director/Producer.)
An original web miniseries revolving around the spiraling sanity of a college student.
A Flower Hanging Upside Down (Writer/Director/Producer.)
A futuristic one act play tied together with experimental film/sound focusing on life, death, and trauma.
Blood, Hate, and Other Gruesome Things (Writer.)
A one act play about sibling relationships placed into the most extreme conditions of the apocalypse.
With Synonyms and Flower, I had acting, musical theater, illustration, film, and music majors collaborating one way or another. Blood on the other hand was part of the theater school’s home series, and we had actors, directors, producers, stage managers, prop masters, lighting, sound, and set designers. It’s important to know that together, each of our expertise helps create the whole, and the whole is the goal.
Screenwriters are leading the charge in the today's Hollywood, forging new and inventive shows and that have ushered in this ‘golden age of television.' Streaming platforms are producing more and more scripted programs than ever. Fresh ideas and original concepts are what get noticed, and our mission is to develop each writer’s unique voice and instill a professional craft that will enable them to sustain a career.
— Susan Skoog, Program Director
Screenwriting (BFA)
About the Curriculum
To make a great film, you need three things: the script, the script and the script.”– Alfred Hitchcock
UArts offers an immersive, conservatory-style curriculum focused on screenwriting workshops and production practices. You’ll write feature-length, episodic, and short-film scripts. You’ll also have opportunities to collaborate with other film artists and produce your own work. With small writing classes and one-on-one attention from our faculty of award-winning filmmakers and screenwriters, you are encouraged to take creative risks to develop your own authentic voice.
You’ll explore visual-storytelling strategies, learn how to build dramatic momentum and experiment with myriad story structures. You’ll hone the craft of writing dynamic, credible dialogue and reach deep into the human psyche to develop characters who are complex and compelling, all the while holding firm to your artistic goals.
Embedded in all our courses are practical skills like pitching, outlining, writing treatments, and understanding the profession and history of film and television. To that end, workshop classes are complemented by a rigorous array of courses in film and TV history, analysis, theory and production, as well as a dynamic liberal arts curriculum.
In addition to preparing you to become a professional screenwriter, the program will train you to work in other intriguing areas of the entertainment industry, from story development to TV series production. Like all UArts students, Screenwriting majors can minor in 30 other disciplines, like Film, Animation, Game Art, Creative Writing, Music and Business.
At UArts, you will create the kinds of memorable characters and gripping stories that attract the creative collaborators who can get films produced.
Screenwriting Minor
The minor in Screenwriting is a 15-credit course of study built around the core of our dynamic BFA program. You’ll take screenwriting workshops that provide the option to specialize in TV or feature films, and classes in film and TV analysis, adaptation, comedy, worldbuilding and other electives.
Sample Curriculum
Duration: 4 years full time
Credits: 120 credits
Major requirements: 63 credits, including 12 credits of major electives
Discipline history: 12 credits
Critical Studies: 30 credits
Free electives: 15 credits
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First Year
Fall Semester: 15 credits
Character (3c)
The Art of Cinema (3c)
The Art of Cinema Screening (0c)
Storytelling (3c)
Writing I Placement (3c)
Free elective (your choice) (3c)
Spring Semester: 15 Credits
Video Production (3c)
Writing for Film (3c)
Science course (your choice) (3c)
Writing II Placement (3c)
Free Elective (your choice) (3c)
Second Year
Fall Semester: 15 credits
Writing for TV I - The Spec Episode (3c)
History of Television I (3c)
TV Story Analysis (3c)
Critical Studies (your choice) (3c)
Major Elective (your choice)* (3c)
Spring Semester: 15 credits
Writing for TV II - Original Pilot (3c)
The Art of Editing (3c)
The History of TV II (3c)
Critical Studies (your choice) (3c)
Free Elective (your choice) (3c)
Third Year
Fall Semester: 15 credits
Writing the Feature Film I (3c)
History of Narrative Cinema I (3c)
Film Story Analysis (3c)
Major Elective (your choice)* (3c)
Critical Studies (your choice) (3c)
Spring Semester: 15 credits
Writing the Feature Film II (3c)
Screenplay Adaptation (3c)
History of Narrative Cinema II (3c)
Directing Actors for the Screen (3c)
Critical Studies (your choice) (3c)
Fourth Year
Fall Semester: 15 credits
Screenwriting Thesis I (3c)
Major Elective (your choice)* (3c)
Critical Studies (your choice) (3c)
Critical Studies (your choice) (3c)
Free elective (your choice) (3c)
Spring Semester: 15 credits
Screenwriting Thesis II (3c)
Internship (3c)
Critical Studies (your choice) (3c)
Major Elective (your choice)* (3c)
Free elective (your choice) (3c)
Filipino screenwriter and filmmaker who from the DMV
Alex McFadden
'24
Screenwriting (BFA)
A nonbinary writer raised in Birmingham, AL
Sean Villa
'24
Screenwriting (BFA)
A screenwriter and storyteller from Howell, NJ
Jamie Seip
'25
Screenwriting (BFA)
Screenwriter, superhero dork, and movie lover from East Windsor, NJ
Isabel Link
Screenwriting (BFA)
Screenwriter from Connecticut, additionally double minoring in Game Art and Film
Janiya Cheyenne Burton
Screenwriting (BFA)
Screenwriter and film fan from South Jersey
Dennis Duran
Screenwriting (BFA)
Young, Hispanic, LGBT, sophomore screenwriter of 10 scripts and counting, from Wilmington, Delaware.
Faculty Spotlight
UArts’ award-winning faculty are professionals who have worked for Hollywood studios, TV networks and cable outlets. Their work has been distributed theatrically and screened on TV, and at prominent festivals around the globe, including at Sundance, Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, SeriesFest, American Film Institute, Independent Filmmaker Project, Catalyst Content Festival, London Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, Los Angeles Comedy Film Festival and many others. Faculty have authored books, judged screenwriting contests, programmed and juried film festivals, and been nominated for and won numerous filmmaking and screenwriting awards. They are also active members of the Writers Guild of America, Film Fatales, UFVA, NYWIFT, and other professional guilds and organizations.
Susan Skoog
Screenwriting (BFA)
Program Director; has written screenplays for Warner Bros, HBO and MTV Films
Luke Giordano
Photography (BFA)
Comedy and animation writer who has worked for CBS, Warner Bros, DreamWorks Animations and other studios
David Greenberg
Screenwriting (BFA)
Writer and director who's written or doctored over 40 screenplays for features, shorts and documentaries
Brad Guigar
Screenwriting (BFA)
Will Eisner Award nominee who's published over two dozen collections of comics and authored three books
Wes Jones
Screenwriting (BFA)
Writer/producer of Showtime’s “Billions” and “The Brink” on HBO
Savannah Reich
Screenwriting (BFA)
Playwright and screenwriter; winner of the 2020 Bill Murray Best Comedy Short, Twin Cities Film Festival
John Rotondo
Screenwriting (BFA)
Multi-award-winning screenwriter, director and producer
Dana Verde
Screenwriting (BFA)
Award-winning filmmaker who has written/directed eight short films that have screened in over 30 film festivals
The entertainment industry changes and evolves frequently as new trends and technologies take hold. Creativity and skill are in great demand, and connecting and networking with professionals is critical. Throughout your coursework, you’ll build a professional portfolio of writing samples. We’ve also cultivated deep relationships with companies like Lionsgate and guilds like The Writers Guild of America to connect you with working professionals who can mentor, advise and guide you through your early career.
We offer multiple opportunities to visit, intern and study in Los Angeles, so you can meet with and intern for industry professionals such as agents, development executives, filmmakers, screenwriters and showrunners. Students can spend a full semester in Los Angeles interning in and studying the entertainment industry, or travel to LA for a fast-paced, week-long deep dive in the industry.
Screenwriting majors are required to do at least one internship. Our students have interned in Philadelphia with Glass Productions, WHYY, National Lampoon and the Greater Philadelphia Film Office; in New York at Good Machine and Pullum Productions; and in Los Angeles at Abbott Entertainment, Montage Films, Picture Perfect Federation and Hivemind Productions, among many other places.
Common career paths for Screenwriting graduates include:
Screenwriter
Showrunner
TV Producer
Story Editor
Film and TV Director
TV Development Executive
Feature Film Development Executive
Creative Producer
Executive Producer
Studio Executive
Production Executive
Film and TV Publicity and Marketing Professional
UArts/LA Experience
Students and faculty visited Los Angeles, CA to meet with industry professionals and alumni. Stops included Lionsgate Entertainment, the Writers Guild of America West, and the Casting Society of America among others. The group met with screenwriters, directors and producers to learn more about the film and TV industry. *Click on the gallery to see more photos.
UArts/LA Experience
Students and faculty visited Los Angeles, CA to meet with industry professionals and alumni. Stops included Lionsgate Entertainment, the Writers Guild of America West, and the Casting Society of America among others. The group met with screenwriters, directors and producers to learn more about the film and TV industry. *Click on the gallery to see more photos.
Students and faculty visited Lionsgate Entertainment.
Students met with Oscar nominated screenwriter and showrunner, Mark Fergus ("Children of Men", "Ironman", "The Expanse", "Cowboys and Aliens").
Students met with Oscar nominated screenwriter and showrunner, Mark Fergus ("Children of Men", "Ironman", "The Expanse", "Cowboys and Aliens").
Students met with writer, producer, director, alum and SXSW winner ("Most Beautiful Island", producer), Jenn Wexler BFA '08 (WFTV) ("The Ranger", "Darling", "Like Me").
Students met with Art Director/Production Designer, Jennifer Dehghan ("The Beguiled", "Disconnect", "The Squid and the Whale")
Students met with Art Director/Production Designer, Jennifer Dehghan ("The Beguiled", "Disconnect", "The Squid and the Whale")
Students visited the Writers Guild of America West.
Students and faculty visited the Writers Guild of America West.
Students visited the Writers Guild of America West.
Students visited the Writers Guild of America West.
Students visited the Writers Guild of America West.
Students and faculty met with Casting Director and Producer, Rich Mento, during their visit to the Casting Society of America.
Students and faculty met with Casting Director and Producer, Rich Mento, during their visit to the Casting Society of America.
Students and faculty visited the TCL Chinese Theatre.
Students and faculty visited the TCL Chinese Theatre.
Students and faculty had brunch with alumni Ray Davis BS ’11 (Film Production & Screenwriting), Darnell Brown BFA ’10 (WFTV) and Lauren Deacon BFA ’09 (WFTV).
Students met with alum Darnell Brown BFA ’10 (WFTV). Darnell is a TV Writer for HBO. He was recently selected as the 2019 Drama Writing Winner at Turner/WarnerMedia’s American Black Film Festival and was a 2019 HBOAccess fellow.
Students met with alumni Lauren Deacon BFA ’09 (WFTV) and Darnell Brown BFA ’10 (WFTV). Lauren is a Creative Executive for Alpine Pictures. Darnell is a TV Writer for HBO.
Students and faculty visited the Hollywood sign.
Students and faculty met with Stuntmen James Lew, Ashton Moio and Alex Daniels during their visit the Stuntmen's Association of Motion Pictures.
Alumni
UArts Screenwriting alumni work across the entertainment industry, writing for shows on premium cable channels like Showtime and HBO and streaming platforms like Netflix. They work as creative executives at Hollywood studios, producers for major TV networks and more. Our graduates have been awarded prestigious fellowships from HBO and NBC Universal, and they have won Emmy Awards, People’s Choice Awards, and even a Grand Jury Prize at the SXSW Film Festival, among many other honors.
Brianna Benozich
BFA '21
Screenwriting (BFA)
Writer and experimental filmmaker
Gab Bottoni
BFA '16
Screenwriting (BFA)
Award winning comedian and writer; member of Philadelphia Improv Theatre
Brandy Lane
BFA '15
Screenwriting (BFA)
Founder/CEO of branD Productions, LLC; writer, producer, director
Producer, director, and writer; screened at SXSW and Tribeca Film Festival
Derek Dressler
BFA '05
Screenwriting (BFA)
Emmy Award winner; writer of animated television and movies
Mike Kane
BFA '02
Screenwriting (BFA)
Emmy winning producer and writer for Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, PBS, etc.
Matt Schatz
BFA '01
Screenwriting (BFA)
Award winning writer and composer
Siobhan Vivian
BFA '01
Screenwriting (BFA)
New York Times best-selling author
Events
The Screenwriting program is housed in the School of Film, where writing students can take advantage of frequent screening events and seminars with visiting artists. Past guests have included David Simon (The Wire, Treme, The Deuce), Joe Gangemi (Amazon’s Red Oaks, Stonehearst Asylum, Blackway), Leslie Arfin (HBO’s Girls, Betty, Brooklyn Nine Nine) and Mark Fergus (Ironman, Children of Men, The Expanse).
Lightbox Film Center at University of the Arts is free for UArts students. Lightbox delivers enriching film programs with artist talks, live music and other multidisciplinary programs year-round in a dedicated venue known as a gathering place for cinephiles.
UArts offers recommended priority deadlines; students who apply and submit all required materials by the priority deadline will receive first consideration for scholarship aid from UArts. Applications received after the priority deadline will be reviewed on a rolling, space-available basis.
International students requiring an F-1 visa for study in the U.S. might be subject to earlier deadlines to provide time for completion of the visa process. Contact Admissions for guidance if you are an international student who wishes to apply after the priority deadline.
Spring 2024 priority deadline: Oct. 15, 2023
Fall 2024 priority deadline: Feb. 15, 2024
We cannot accept spring 2024 applications after Jan. 8, 2024, and cannot accept fall 2024 applications after Aug. 16, 2024.
The following materials are required for your application.
The application includes two required short-answer questions: What excites you about UArts? What inspires you?
$60 application fee
If you qualify for a fee waiver from NACAC, CollegeBoard, UArts or another source, indicate that on your application. If the cost of the application fee is a barrier, contact Admissions to request a fee waiver code
Official high school transcript
Official transcripts must be sent directly from your school by mail, email or a secure electronic document-delivery service.
High school transcripts may be waived for transfer applicants who have completed a minimum of 24 credits of college-level coursework, including a minimum of 18 academic, non-studio credits.
Official college transcript(s)
Official transcripts must be sent directly from all the colleges you have attended by mail, email or a secure electronic document-delivery service.
A portfolio is required for all Art, Design, Film and Writing programs. Your portfolio may be uploaded during the application process or via your applicant status portal after submission. You must confirm when your submission is complete via the linked electronic form before your portfolio can be reviewed for admission. Learn more about portfolio requirements.
International applicants must submit proof of English proficiency
Letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors are optional and may be submitted by the recommender via email to undergradcredentials@uarts.edu or by your high school through a secure electronic document-delivery service.
UArts recognizes the extraordinary talent of our students through a range of merit-based scholarships. All applicants are automatically considered for such scholarships—no special application is necessary.
Nearly 80 percent of UArts’ undergraduate students enrolled on a full-time basis are eligible for some type of need-based aid. Additionally, some scholarship opportunities take need-based criteria into account. All students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens and are enrolled in a degree program are encouraged to apply by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about the Screenwriting BFA program.
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Do you need a degree to be a screenwriter?
No, a degree is not a strict requirement to become a screenwriter. However, a formal education in screenwriting can provide you with valuable knowledge, feedback and guidance in storytelling techniques, screenplay structure, character development and industry practices. Additionally, the Screenwriting program at UArts allows for professional advancement opportunities, portfolio design and important professional contacts during your time at UArts and immediately upon graduation.
Is screenwriting a good career?
Screenwriting can be a fulfilling career for individuals passionate about storytelling and visual narratives. It offers opportunities to bring stories to life through film, TV, streaming platforms and other visual media. However, the screenwriting industry is competitive, and success often comes with a combination of talent, persistence, networking, and a deep understanding of the craft and industry dynamics. It’s important to note that screenwriting careers can vary in terms of income stability and project availability, so being adaptable and persistent is essential.
About the School of Film
University of the Arts’ School of Film strongly believes in creative collaboration, self-expression and professional preparation through its programs in Animation, Film, Film and Animation, Film Design, Game Art, and Screenwriting.
It also offers minors in
Animation,
Film,
Film and Media Studies,
Game Art, and
Screenwriting.
The School of Film prepares students for careers in the film and entertainment industries via internships, networking events and an on-campus series with professional alumni. Our graduates become directors, editors, animators, game artists, cinematographers, art directors and screenwriters, working in the region and around the world.
