Master of Fine Arts

The Master of Fine Arts with a major in Writing for Screen and Television is granted by the School of Cinema-Television. It is a two-year program which concentrates in writing for narrative film and television. The curriculum covers the writing of dramatic scenes, story structure and the full array of tools available to the storyteller for heightening audience interest, involvement and participation. Graduate screenwriting students advance from learning the basics of visual storytelling to writing short scripts and treatments and finally a feature-length screenplay.

Each fall 30 students are selected to begin the Graduate Writing for Screen and Television Program; there are no spring admissions. Applicants must submit supplemental application materials to the Graduate Writing for Screen and Television Program. For specific instructions, contact the Graduate Writing for Screen and Television Program, University Park, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2211, or telephone (213) 740-3303, web page: http://cinema-tv.usc.edu.

A total of 42 units in cinema-television at the 400 and 500 level is required. In addition to the writing courses, course work includes instruction in: video equipment, uses and technology; acting and the direction of actors; directing; film economics; and history and theory of film.

Graduate Production Preparation Course

In addition to the 42 units, students are required to take a four-unit undergraduate prerequisite production course, CTWR 291 Beginning Dramatic Production, in the first semester.

This course reviews the basic aspects of filmmaking through lectures and hands-on production using 8mm video. A minimum grade of B (3.0) is required in CTWR 291 in order for a student to continue in the Master of Fine Arts program. CTWR 291 is not a graduate level course and will not count toward the total 42 units required for the degree. Grades received in this course will not be included in calculating the student’s grade point average.

Course Requirements

Year One, First Semester		Units
CTWR 291*	Beginning Dramatic Production	4
CTWR 459a	Entertainment Industry Seminar	2
CTCS 501	History of International Cinema: Silent Film	2
CTWR 513	Writing the Short Script	2
CTWR 572	Practicum in Directing Actors for Film	2
		____
		8

*The 4 units for CTWR 291 do not count towards the M.F.A.

Year One, Second Semester		Units
CTCS 502	History of International Cinema: Sound Film	2
CTCS 503	Survey History of the American Sound Film, or	2
CTCS 464	Film and/or Television Genres, or	4
CTCS 469	Film and/or Style Analysis	4
CTWR 459b	Entertainment Industry Seminar	2
CTWR 514	Basic Dramatic Screenwriting	2
CTWR 516	Advanced Motion Picture Script Analysis	2
		____
		10-12
Year Two, First Semester		Units
CTWR 434	Writing the Situation Comedy, or	2
CTWR 437	Writing the Situation Comedy Pilot	2
CTWR 515a	Practicum in Screenwriting	4
CTWR 536	Editing for Scriptwriters, or	2
CTWR 575	Directing for Scriptwriters	2
		____
		8
Year Two, Second Semester		Units
CTWR 435	Writing for Film and Television Genres	2
CTWR 515b	Practicum in Screenwriting	4
		____
		6

Total: 42 units required for degree

Students are required to complete CTWR 435 and either CTWR 434 or CTWR 437 for the degree.

CNTV Electives

A minimum of 8 or 10 elective units at the 400 and 500 level is required, determined by which options the student selected

Grade Point Average Requirement

An overall grade point average of 3.0 (A = 4.0) must be maintained in all courses. In addition, an overall grade point average of 3.0 in all units attempted is required to qualify for registration in CTWR 515ab. Courses in which a grade of C- (1.7) or lower is earned will not apply toward a graduate degree.

In lieu of a thesis, the student is required to complete a full-length screenplay which will be developed in CTWR 515ab and must be accepted by the Division of Writing Graduation Committee.

Time Limit

Students must maintain satisfactory progress toward their master’s degrees at all times.
The degree must be completed three years after the beginning of graduate work at USC. Course work more than seven years old is automatically invalidated and may not be applied toward the degree.