Program Overview

MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage

The MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage is a program offered by the Department of Radio/TV/Film at Northwestern University.

Program Details

Upon completion of the program, students will have acquired a broad and deep understanding of media writing, familiarity with production concepts, equipment, and techniques, and an understanding of the universals that connect all media, whether traditional or emerging.

Portfolio, Tools, and Network

Students will leave the program with a powerful set of tools, including:

• A portfolio of work, consisting of:
  • At least one play
  • At least one teleplay
  • At least one screenplay
  • A full-length project of your choosing (play, teleplay, screenplay, emerging form)
  • A produced film or video of one of your pieces (optional)
• Business acumen for navigating the professional world of writing, covering skills such as:
  • Pitching
  • Taking meetings
  • Understanding contracts
  • Writing agent/production query letters
• A network of new colleagues, including:
  • Fellow writers in the program with whom you have navigated through the six core courses
  • Program faculty, visiting artists, and alumnae with whom you have had deep contact, including the leading voices and rising stars in writing, as well as media executives, agents, and producers
  • Directing, Acting, and Stage Design students from the Theatre Department’s other MFA programs, as well as Radio/Television/Film undergraduates
  • Northwestern alumni who are known for their generosity, warmth, and willingness to “give back” to their community

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the program will be uniquely prepared to help form the media of the future, with the ability to plug into existing writing forms and opportunities.

Department and University

The MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage is offered by the Department of Radio/TV/Film at Northwestern University, located at 1920 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208. The School of Communication is located at 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208.