Writing for Film and Television, B.F.A.

The B.F.A. in Writing for Film and Television is an intensive program aimed at helping writers develop their individual creative voices as they explore the intricacies of story structure, writing craft, character development, film language and genre as well as the writer’s role in traditional and emerging media. Students will learn to write in a variety of forms, including short films, feature films, TV series, and emerging media.

Students pursuing a major in writing for film and television may only use up to 6 credits of internship coursework to satisfy elective requirements within their major.

Program Learning Outcomes for B.F.A. in Writing for Film and Television .

Students pursuing the B.F.A. in Writing for Film and Television are required to:

Earn an overall GPA of 2.000 for all required major courses.
Complete all courses in the major for a letter grade, except for independent internships.
Pass courses in the major with a “C-” or higher.
Complete a minimum of 21 credits from upper division courses in the major.
Complete the thesis requirement, SW 498 (2 semesters, 6 credits).

core requirements (63 credits)

SW 127 - Writing for Film and TV I 3 credits
SW 128 - Writing for Film and TV II 3 credits
FTV 130 - Introduction to Visual Storytelling, Lecture and Laboratory 3 credits
FTV 140 - Introduction to Film and Media Aesthetics, Lecture and Laboratory 3 credits
SW 155 - Short-Form Film and TV Analysis 3 credits
FS 244 - History of Film to 1959, Lecture and Laboratory 3 credits
FS 245 - History of Film 1960 - Present, Lecture and Laboratory 3 credits
TWP 246 - History of Television 3 credits
SW 257 - Feature and Series Story Analysis 3 credits
SW 277 - Feature Screenwriting I 3 credits
SW 287 - Feature Screenwriting II 3 credits
SW 297 - Short Script Workshop 3 credits
SW 310 - Pitching and Coverage 3 credits
SW 317 - Adaptation and Research for Writers 3 credits
SW 328 - Series Writing: Hour-Long 3 credits
SW 330 - Series Writing: Half-Hour 3 credits
SW 397 - Creating the Series 3 credits
OR
TWP 487 - Writing the Pilot - Production 3 credits
one of the following (3 credits)
SW 417 - Writing for Evolving Platforms 3 credits
SW 417A - Audio Drama 3 credits
SW 417V - Writing for Video Games 3 credits
SW 471 - Development Process for Film and Television 3 credits
SW 498 - Writing Thesis 3 credits (two semesters, 6 credits required)

electives (3 credits)

One upper-division course, such as the following. Consult with your advisor regarding other courses which might qualify as an elective.

SW 301 - Writing For Diverse Characters 3 credits
ENG 302 - Writing About Diverse Cultures 3 credits
SW 302 - Politics in TV Comedy 3 credits
ENG 302A - Representing Self/Others 3 credits
ENG 302B - Disability and Creative Writing 3 credits
SW 305 - Script Gym 1.5-3 credits
AVE 310 - Animation and Visual Effects: Evenings with the Experts 3 credits
FTV 310 - Industry Insiders 3 credits
FTV 317 - Unsung Stories and New Expressions 3 credits
HUM 317 - Unsung Stories and New Expressions 3 credits
PSY 319 - Motivation and Emotion 3 credits
PSY 322 - Theories of Personality 3 credits
FTV 329 - Experimental Course 1-3 credits
PHIL 340 - Philosophy of Mind 3 credits
SW 340 - Sketch Comedy Writing 3 credits
FS 342 - Film Genre and Auteur Studies 3 credits
FS 342A - Film Noir 3 credits
FS 342B - The Horror Film 3 credits
FS 342C - The Musical 3 credits
FS 342D - The Science Fiction Film 3 credits
FS 342E - Screwball Comedy 3 credits
FS 342F - The Animated Film 3 credits
FS 342G - The Western 3 credits
FS 342H - The Melodrama 3 credits
FS 342J - The Gangster Film 3 credits
FS 342K - Latinx Films and Filmmakers 3 credits
FS 342M - The Documentary Film 3 credits
PRA 351 - Effective and Creative Presentations for Advertising, Entertainment Marketing and Public Relations 3 credits
FTV 377 - Agents and Managers 3 credits
DOC 380 - Community Voices: Pre-Production 3 credits
FS 443 - Advanced Topics in World Cinema 3 credits
FS 443A - Asian Cinema 3 credits
FS 443B - British Film and Television Post-1960 3 credits
FS 443C - French Cinema 3 credits
FS 443D - Mexican Film 3 credits
FS 443E - German Cinema 3 credits
FS 443F - Italian Cinema: Politics, Art, and Industry 3 credits
FS 443G - Australian Cinema 3 credits
FS 443H - Survey of European Cinema 3 credits
FS 443I - East Asian Cinema 3 credits
FS 443K - Korean Cinema Today 3 credits
FS 444A - Black Cinema 3 credits
FS 444B - New Hollywood Cinema 3 credits
FS 444C - Queer Cinema 3 credits
FS 444D - Hollywood Auteurs 3 credits
FS 444E - Independent American Cinema 3 credits
FS 444F - Women in Film 3 credits
FS 444H - Film Censorship 3 credits
FS 444J - Screened Violence 3 credits
FS 444K - The Hollywood Studio System 3 credits
FS 444M - Italian American Cinema 3 credits
FS 444N - Postwar U.S. Cinema 3 credits
FS 444O - Film, Gender and Sexuality 3 credits
FS 444P - Emerging Digital Media 3 credits
FS 444Q - Screen Decades 3 credits
FS 444R - Media, Culture, and Emotion 3 credits
FS 444S - Hollywood Stardom 3 credits
FS 444T - Asian American Film 3 credits

Writing for Film and Television, B.F.A.

core requirements (63 credits)

electives (3 credits)

total credits 66

Writing for Film and Television, B.F.A. Suggested 4-year Plan