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Asbury University · Media, Journalism & Digital Storytelling

MFA in Screenwriting

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in ScreenwritingPartial fundingEditorial selection: Best Online Film SchoolsEditorial selection: Best Online MFA Screenwriting Programs

Overview

A 42-credit online MFA in screenwriting for features, television and webisodes, with courses in one-hour drama, half-hour comedy, rewriting and cross-platform storytelling, a required Los Angeles media industry intensive and a creative project.

Official program name
MFA in Screenwriting
Awarded degree
Master of Fine Arts in ScreenwritingMaster's · Master of Fine Arts
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
School
Asbury University — Media, Journalism & Digital Storytelling
Location
Wilmore, KYThe administering school's location. Coursework is online; this is not a residence requirement.
Delivery
OnlineCoursework is delivered online. Check attendance: some online programs still require campus visits or residencies.
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required attendance
Limited campus visitsMostly online, with some required visits to campus.
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Study intensity
Full- or part-time
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Duration
Two years full-time; up to three years
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required credits
42 credit hours (36 core, 6 electives)
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Film and television
The program covers both film and television.
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Fields of study

FieldClassificationEvidence
ScreenwritingDedicated degreeThe degree itself is in this field.Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Why this degree is listed

MFA dedicated to screenwriting.

Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We list verified film degrees only — no certificates, workshops or generic degrees with a few film electives. Eligibility rules

Online study and attendance

Coursework delivery, campus visits, production work and equipment are recorded separately. Online filmmaking usually means producing work where you live.
Coursework delivery
Fully online in eight-week blocks.
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Campus residencies
The Media Industry Intensive is offered off-campus and not online.
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Published state-authorization restrictions: not verified. Ask the school whether students in your state can enroll.

Curriculum, pathways and faculty

Thesis, film or capstone

Culminating requirement: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

Published areas of study

  • Core courses include Feature Film Screenwriting, Writing the One-Hour Drama, Writing the Half-Hour Comedy, Rewriting the Script and Advanced Screenwriting Seminar.
    Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Residency requirements

  • Core includes an off-campus Media Industry Intensive (two-week Los Angeles Media Workshop).
    Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other

  • Prerequisite in single-camera production (or producing or directing) or equivalent experience.
    Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Faculty listed by the program

  • Sean Gaffney — Associate Dean, School of Communication Arts; Professor of Screenwriting, screenwriting

As listed on the program's official page on October 12, 2026. Listing does not mean a faculty member is teaching or supervising new students in a given year.

Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Production costs and equipment

Production and equipment costs are separate from tuition. Tuition does not include cameras, crew, actors, locations, software or thesis-film budgets unless the school says so.

Equipment and facility access

Equipment access: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

Published production and equipment costs

Production and equipment costs: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

We never estimate a total cost when key expenses are unpublished. Compare production costs

Admissions

Each submission item is shown exactly as the school states it. Anything not listed is not verified — never “not required”.

Portfolio and submission materials

MaterialStatusInstructions as published
Screenplay sampleRequiredWriting sample of 15-25 pages aligned with the type of writing pursued.Length: 15–25 pagesSource: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other requirements

Minimum GPA
RequiredMinimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required2 letters — Two references (character and professional)
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Résumé / CV
RequiredResume/CV
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Transcripts
RequiredOfficial transcript conferring a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

Test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate competitiveness. Build an application checklist

Deadlines

Dates are shown with the year and intake the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its applicant category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-year and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other. Production costs are listed separately above.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
All students — Graduate Communications (MA, MFA)Published for online studyFrom the school's rate table for this level$595per creditEstimate$24,990 = 42 credits × $595 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, production and equipment costs, travel, and any rate change during the program.Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Funding

Some scholarships, assistantships or awards exist for some students; full funding is not stated. “Fully funded” never means every personal or production expense is covered. How we classify funding

Partial funding

Other
A select number of competitive graduate assistantships are available.
Source: asbury.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 12, 2026.
  1. asbury.edu/graduate/academics/program/mfa-film-tv-production/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  2. asbury.edu/graduate/academics/program/mfa-screenwriting/ — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  3. asbury.edu/graduate/academics/program/mfa-screenwriting/admission-requirements-tuition/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026
  4. asbury.edu/graduate/cost-and-aid/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026
  5. asbury.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MFASWgrad-2026.pdf — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026

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Similar programs

Same degree level and field. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

Loyola Marymount University

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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)
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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
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