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California State University-Northridge · Cinema and Television Arts

MFA in Screenwriting

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in ScreenwritingFunding not verifiedEditorial selection: Top Screenwriting Schools

Overview

A 42-unit, two-year MFA in writing for film and television, with evening classes, courses in screenplay and episodic writing, TV production and film analysis, an internship, and a feature-length screenplay as the thesis.

Official program name
MFA in Screenwriting
Awarded degree
Master of Fine Arts in ScreenwritingMaster's · Master of Fine Arts
Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
School
California State University-Northridge — Cinema and Television Arts
Location
Northridge, CA
Delivery
On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
Source: csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required attendance
Not verified
Study intensity
Not published
Duration
Two years
Source: csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Required credits
42 units
Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Start
Fall
Source: csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Film and television
The program covers both film and television.
Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Fields of study

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

MFA dedicated to writing for film and television.

Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026

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

Curriculum, pathways and faculty

Thesis, film or capstone

Thesis screenplayFeature-film screenplay as the MFA thesis (CTVA 698C Thesis or Graduate Project).

Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Published areas of study

  • Required courses include Writing Episodic Television, TV Production, The Business of Film and TV, and Writing the Feature-Length Screenplay.
    Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Internships

Faculty listed by the program

  • Scott Sturgeon — Graduate Coordinator, 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: catalog.csun.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 sampleRequiredOriginal screenplay or teleplay in standard format: a complete script of 20-120 pages, or the first 25-35 pages of an original feature; a complete stage play of similar length is also accepted.Length: 20–120 pagesSource: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Other requirements

Prior degree
RequiredBachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Minimum GPA
RequiredOverall GPA of 3.0 or higher (application requirement)
Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Statement of purpose
Required500-word statement of purpose
Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation, at least two from former professors/instructors
Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Résumé / CV
RequiredRésumé
Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Other requirement
RequiredSeparate applications to the CTVA department (via Submittable) and to CSUN (Cal State Apply)
Source: csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

TOEFL iBT
Required — minimum 80Applicants whose native language is not English
Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026

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 deadline

    March 1, 2027 · for Fall 2027

    Source: csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
    Upcoming

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
In-state — CSU graduate basic tuition, 6.1 or more unitsPublished for on campus studyFrom the school's rate table for this level$4,274per semester · 2026-2027Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026
Out-of-state — Nonresident tuition, in addition to basic tuitionPublished for on campus studyFrom the school's rate table for this level$471per unit · 2026-2027Estimate$19,782 = 42 units × $471 per unit. Excludes mandatory fees, production and equipment costs, travel, and any rate change during the program.Source: catalog.csun.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Funding

We have not verified an official funding policy for this program. That does not mean funding is unavailable. “Fully funded” never means every personal or production expense is covered. How we classify funding

Funding not verified

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

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 12, 2026.
  1. catalog.csun.edu/academics/ctva/programs/mfa-screenwriting/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  2. catalog.csun.edu/policies/schedule-of-tuition-and-fees/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 12, 2026
  3. csun.edu/mike-curb-arts-media-communication/cinema-television-arts/programs/graduate-programs — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
  4. csun.edu/mike-curb-arts-media-communication/cinema-television-arts/programs/graduate-programs/master — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026

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

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Format: On campusClasses, workshops and productions meet in person on campus.
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Deadline: November 15, 2026 · Fall 2027
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