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Master's Degrees in Screenwriting

Writing for film and related screen formats: feature and short screenplays, television writing and development. This list includes master's degrees in the field itself, degrees with an officially named screenwriting concentration, and broader film degrees whose published curriculum substantially covers it. Each card says which.

41 programs · page 1 of 3

Sort:A–ZDeadlineAnnual tuitionStipendRecently verified

Listed alphabetically by school. This directory is not a ranking — editorial selections are published separately under Top Schools. What we list

Academy of Art University logo

Academy of Art University

MA in Writing & Directing for Film

MAMaster of Arts in Motion Pictures & Television (Writing & Directing for Film)
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Directing (dedicated degree) · Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,551 per unit · Graduate, domestic students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
Academy of Art University logo

Academy of Art University

MFA in Motion Pictures & Television

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Motion Pictures & Television
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Directing concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +3
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,857 per unit · International — Graduate, international students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Cinematography Schools
Academy of Art University logo

Academy of Art University

MFA in Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,551 per unit · Graduate, domestic students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program

Asbury University

MFA in Screenwriting

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Location: Wilmore, KYSchool location; coursework is online.
Format: Online · Limited visitsMostly online, with some required visits to campus. · Full- or part-time
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years full-time; up to three years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $595 per credit · All students — Graduate Communications (MA, MFA)
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Online Film Schools, Best Online MFA Screenwriting Programs
Boston University logo

Boston University

MFA in Screenwriting

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Location: Boston, MA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years (four terms)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $2,282 per unit · All students — COM master's tuition, billed per unit · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools
California Institute of the Arts logo

California Institute of the Arts

MFA Film Directing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts - Film Directing
Location: Valencia, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Directing (dedicated degree) · Film Production (broader film degree) · Screenwriting (broader film degree)
Duration: Three years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $62,954 per academic year · All students — Full-time BFA and MFA programs · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA
California State University-Northridge logo

California State University-Northridge

MFA in Screenwriting

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Location: Northridge, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $4,274 per semester · In-state — CSU graduate basic tuition, 6.1 or more units · 2026-2027
Deadline: March 1, 2027 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools
Chapman University logo

Chapman University

Screenwriting (MFA)

MFAMFA in Screenwriting
Location: Orange, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $28,018 per semester · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: November 15, 2026 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools
Columbia College Chicago logo

Columbia College Chicago

Film and Television Directing (MFA)

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film and Television Directing
Location: Chicago, IL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Directing (dedicated degree) · Film Production (broader film degree) · Screenwriting (broader film degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,495 (basis not stated by the school) · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools
Columbia College Chicago logo

Columbia College Chicago

Screenwriting and Development (MA)

MAMaster of Arts in Screenwriting and Development
Location: Chicago, ILSchool location; coursework is online.
Format: Online · Not verifiedWe could not confirm the attendance requirement from official pages.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree) · Producing (broader film degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,000 (basis not stated by the school) · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program

CUNY Brooklyn College

Cinema Arts, M.F.A.

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Cinema Arts
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus. · Full- or part-time
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Thesis as director concentration) · Cinematography (Thesis as cinematographer concentration) +3
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $5,545 per semester · In-state — New York State residents, full-time (12 credits), tuition only
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Cinematography Schools, Top Screenwriting Schools

DePaul University

MFA in Screenwriting

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
Location: Chicago, IL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $1,003 per credit · All students — Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media graduate rate · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools
Emerson College logo

Emerson College

Writing for Film and Television MFA

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing for Film and Television
Location: Boston, MA
Format: Hybrid · Low-residencyShort mandatory residencies combined with remote study. Not fully online.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $1,551 per credit · All students — Graduate tuition per credit · 2026-2027
Deadline: February 1, 2027 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Best Online Film Schools, Best Online MFA Screenwriting Programs, Top Screenwriting Schools
Florida State University logo

Florida State University

MFA in Motion Picture Arts - Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Motion Picture Arts with a Major in Writing
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $479.32 per credit · In-state — Main campus graduate resident rate · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
View program

Hollins University

Screenwriting M.F.A.

MFAM.F.A. in Screenwriting
Location: Roanoke, VASchool location; coursework is online.
Format: Online · Limited visitsMostly online, with some required visits to campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Two years (six terms)
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $915 per credit · All students
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Online Film Schools, Best Online MFA Screenwriting Programs, Top Screenwriting Schools
Johns Hopkins University logo

Johns Hopkins University

MA in Film and Media

MAMaster of Arts in Film and Media
Location: Baltimore, MD
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Screenwriting (Writing concentration) · Producing (The Business of Film concentration)
Duration: 16 - 24 months
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $4,970 – $5,770 (basis not stated by the school) · Part-time (AAP) Graduate - All Others, per course · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools

Loyola Marymount University

MFA in Writing and Producing for Television

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing and Producing for Television
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree) · Producing (broader film degree)
Duration: Three years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,814 per credit · All students — Graduate tuition per semester hour, School of Film and Television · 2026-2027
Deadline: November 15, 2026 · Fall 2026 (as printed)
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools

Loyola Marymount University

MFA in Writing for the Screen

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing for the Screen
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Fields: Screenwriting (dedicated degree)
Duration: Three years
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $1,814 per credit · All students — Graduate tuition per semester hour, School of Film and Television · 2026-2027
Deadline: November 15, 2026 · Fall 2026 (as printed)
View programSelected in: Top Screenwriting Schools

Mount Saint Mary's University

MFA in Film, Television and New Media

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Film, Television and New Media
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Format: Hybrid · Low-residencyShort mandatory residencies combined with remote study. Not fully online.
Fields: Film Production (dedicated degree) · Film Directing (Directing concentration) · Cinematography (Cinematography concentration) +3
Duration: 2 years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $1,247 per unit · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Top Film Directing Schools, Top Cinematography Schools, Top Screenwriting Schools, Top Film Schools in the USA, Top MFA in Filmmaking Programs in the USA

How master's screenwriting programs are classified

  • Dedicated degree: The degree itself is in this field.
  • Named concentration: An officially named concentration, specialization or track inside the degree.
  • Broader film degree: A broader film degree whose official curriculum substantially covers this field.

Screenwriting programs usually ask for a screenplay or other writing sample; page limits and formats differ by school.

See the full Screenwriting field guide or every master's program.