Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting
The New York Film Academy recognizes the critical role writers play in the creation of every film and television show. Yet writing talent alone is not enough to create successful work in these mediums. Screenwriting is a learned craft, and a writer must write every day to train for the demands of this field, and to truly understand the elements that make a screenplay or teleplay functional as well as engaging.
In addition to learning the conventions of the writing craft, students are given the support and structure to write and meet deadlines. Students write intensively throughout the program and complete several projects with the assistance of constructive critique from instructors, as well as peers.
WHAT MAKES OUR SCREENWRITING PROGRAMS UNIQUE?
Students in the New York Film Academy’s Screenwriting programs generate a lot of written material, building a portfolio of writings that span several mediums. There is a focus on film and television, but MFA students will also study comics, web series and games. Upon completion of the program, students not only understand story structure, character, conflict and dialogue, but also leave the Academy with finished products that they can pitch, produce, and try to sell.
In the MFA Screenwriting program, students are taught the art of screenwriting through workshop courses that have them learn by writing, but also in skill-building courses that focus on film history, film genres, and specific skills, like scene construction, adaptation, and character building.
Students also study filmmaking, acting and editing, to get a complete sense of how cinematic stories are told. In addition to stories, treatments and scripts, students will also create, direct and edit their own short film and their own web series pilot.
NYFA’s degree programs in Screenwriting have business classes that teach students the reality of the industry; how to find work as a writer, how to work in the industry to support yourself, how to find an agent or manager, and how to pitch your stories and story ideas. These classes require students to get an internship in the industry.
The MFA Program culminates in a Pitch Fest, where students get to pitch their thesis script to agents, managers, executives, and/or producers.
Campus Information
Los Angeles
Intakes
- Jan
- May
- Aug
- Sep
Application Processing Time in Days: 20
Minimum English Language Requirements
| English Level Description | IELTS (1.0 -9.0) | TOEFL IBT (0-120) | TOEFL CBT (0-300) | PTE (10-90) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expert | 9 | 120 | 297-300 | 86-90 | |
| Very Good | 8.5 | 115-119 | 280-293 | 83-86 | |
| Very Good | 8 | 110-114 | 270-280 | 79-83 | |
| Good | 7.5 | 102-109 | 253-267 | 73-79 | |
| Good | 7 | 94-101 | 240-253 | 65-73 | |
| Competent | 6.5 | 79-93 | 213-233 | 58-65 | |
| Competent | 6 | 60-78 | 170-210 | 50-58 | |
| Modest | 5.5 | 46-59 | 133-210 | 43-50 | |
| Modest | 5 | 35-45 | 107-133 | 36-43 | |
| Limited | 4 | 32-34 | 97-103 | 30-36 | |
| Extremely Limited | < 4 | < 31 | < 93 | < 30 |
Job Opportunity Potential
NYFA Employees thrive on creativity and diversity. NYFA also brings the following perks along!
- Competitive Pay
- Vacation Time
- Sick Time
- Paid Holidays
- Health, Vision, Dental
- Long-term Disability
- Short-term Disability
- Voluntary Term Life
- Commuters Benefit
- 401k
- Flexible Schedules
- Work Life Balance
- Fun Company Events
- Check Out Equipment for Personal Projects
- Attend Screenings and Q&As
- Network and Build Professional Relationships
- Professional Development Grants
- Flexible Savings Account (FSA) - Health and Dependent
PSW Opportunity
Post-Study Work visa or permit, allowing international students on F-1 visas to work in the US after completing their studies, typically through Optional Practical Training (OPT).
Eligibility:
To be eligible for OPT, students must have been enrolled full-time in a US educational institution for at least one academic year and be seeking work related to their major.
Duration:
Students can apply for up to 12 months of OPT, either before they finish their studies (pre-completion) or after graduation (post-completion).
STEM OPT:
Students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields can apply for an extended OPT period of up to 24 months.
Contact our PSA counselor for more information
Admission Requirement / Eligibility Criteria
MASTER OF FINE ARTS
To be admitted into the Master of Fine Arts program at NYFA, students must possess a Bachelor's degree from a post-secondary institution recognized by the United States Department of Education or a college or university outside of the U.S. that is recognized as a degree-granting institution by their respective governments. The ideal applicant must demonstrate a sincere passion and aptitude for visual storytelling and the ability and desire to pursue graduate-level work and scholarly research in his/her chosen discipline.
No particular major or minor is required as a prerequisite for admission, but applicants with a strong background in the visual arts are preferred. While an applicant’s GPA will be taken into consideration and is an important component of the admissions process, the strength of the candidate's Narrative Statement and Creative Portfolio is a significant determining factor for admission.
Upon submitting an initial application, applicants will be contacted by a NYFA admissions representative. The admissions representative will provide instructions on how to submit application materials.
MASTER OF ARTS
To be admitted into the Master of Arts program at NYFA, students must possess a Bachelor's degree from a post-secondary institution recognized by the United States Department of Education or a college or university outside of the U.S. that is recognized as a degree-granting institution by their respective governments. The ideal applicant must demonstrate a sincere passion and aptitude for visual storytelling and the ability and desire to pursue graduate-level work and scholarly research.
No particular major or minor is required as a prerequisite for admission, but applicants with a strong background in the visual arts are preferred. While an applicant’s GPA will be taken into consideration and is an important component of the admissions process, the strength of the candidate's Narrative Statement and Creative Portfolio is a significant determining factor for admission.
Upon submitting an initial application, applicants will be contacted by a NYFA admissions representative. The admissions representative will provide instructions on how to submit application materials.
NYFA is proud to welcome students from all over the globe. Our programs are international in their scope and perspective, and NYFA alumni have made great positive impacts on storytelling industries worldwide.
To achieve this goal of training visual storytellers from around the world, NYFA requires that students submit scores from one of the below English exams. NYFA’s preferred English proficiency scores are as follows:
Bachelor’s Degree: TOEFL = 68 or above / IELTS = 6.0 or above / Duolingo = 90 or above
Master’s Degree: TOEFL = 79 or above / IELTS = 6.5 or above / Duolingo = 101 or above
However, NYFA encourages all students to apply for their degree program even if they do not have the preferred English exam score. Students with scores lower then these targets will be connected with a NYFA language professional who can offer support and guidance to help the student gain admission to their program of choice. Students who would benefit from extra English language support will have the option to elevate their language skills through the Pathway Track, a two-semester curriculum designed to support English language growth while enrolled in their degree program.
- Course Type: Full Time
- Course Level: Masters/PG Degree
- Duration: 01 Year 08 Month
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Total Tuition Fee:
91125 USD
Average Cost of Living: 14000 USD /year
Application Fee: 75 USD
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