Program Overview

Master of Fine Arts | Scriptwriting & Story Design

The Scriptwriting and Story Design MFA program is a full-time program, with no part-time option available at this time. Admission applications are accepted to begin the program in the Fall term only.

Admissions

Admissions Deadline

Domestic Applications

Applications for Fall 2026 will open on September 29, 2025. The recommended submission deadline for applications, including all supporting documents, is January 19, 2026. Applications will close once the program has accepted all qualified candidates, including those on the waitlist.

International Applications

Applications for Fall 2026 will open on September 29, 2025. The preferred deadline for submitting applications, including all supporting documents, is December 1, 2025. Applications will close soon after the first consideration deadline for international students to ensure timely consideration and processing of applications.

Admissions Timeline

The program will begin reviewing applications in December for international applicants and in January for domestic applicants. Offers of admission will begin mid-to-late December and continue throughout winter and spring, depending on the individual program's schedule of admissions for cohort deadlines. Applications received after February 1 may not be reviewed and are subject to reduced opportunities for funding.

Admission Requirements

Academic

• Completion of a four-year Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree, or equivalent.
• Degree or concentration in a field related to the MFA program, such as English, Fine Arts, Film, Theatre, or Media Production, will be particularly useful.
• Minimum GPA of 3.00/4.33 (B or equivalent) in the last two years of study.

Non-academic

Statement of Interest

The statement should address:

• Reasons for pursuing graduate studies in Scriptwriting & Story Design.
• A description of the major writing project to be pursued.
• How previous studies and experience have prepared the applicant for this program.
• Career objectives and how this degree program relates to them.

Resume

Other program-specific background information, such as a resume/CV and Statement of Interest, must be submitted as part of the application.

Letters of Recommendation (2)

All letters of recommendation must come directly from the referee. At least one recommendation letter must be from a professor familiar with the student's work.

Samples of Work

The interdisciplinary admissions committee requires documentation of creative written work, which can include:

• One script in theatre, film, or video/television or equivalent script-based media format (web series, etc.).
• Two samples of story outlines or treatments (or one of each for a total of 2).
• One sample of a story outline or treatment plus a critical exploration of a character or narrative style.

Financing Your Studies

Tuition Fees

Tuition for the Scriptwriting & Story Design program is a yearly charge, broken into three equivalent payments due at the start of each term (Fall, Winter & Spring/Summer). Tuition is assessed based on the yearly fee and is not dependent on the number of courses taken per term.

Graduate Funding

Admissions Awards

• Toronto Metropolitan Graduate Fellowship (TMGF): Value ranges from $2,000 to $6,000.
• Toronto Metropolitan Graduate Development Award (TMGDA): Value ranges from $2,000 to $6,000.
• Ontario Graduate Fellowship (OGF): Value is $12,000 for one year.

Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) / Toronto Met Graduate Scholarship (TMGS)

• $15,000 award for one year.
• Eligible applicants will be notified by the program to submit an application around February/March.
• For students with an A- in each of the last two years of completed study.

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Canada Graduate Scholarship (SSHRC CGS-M)

• $17,500 - $27,000 award for one year.
• For domestic applicants with an A- average in each of the last two years of completed study.
• Application deadline is December 1; the award is granted for the following Fall term.

Bridging Divides (BD) Entrance Scholarship

• Offers a limited number of stipends to full-time Master's and PhD students studying or applying to study at Toronto Metropolitan University on a topic related to one of Bridging Divide's four research themes.
• Master's students: Up to $20,000 per year for domestic and $30,000 for international.
• Renewable for up to a total of two years, subject to annual review of the student's progress and the availability of funds.
• Available to prospective first-year students and existing students entering their second year of a Master's program at Toronto Metropolitan University in Fall 2024.
• Application Deadline: April 1, 2025.