The Dramatic Writing BFA program is a four-year program designed to give students a liberal arts based education with an emphasis on writing for theater, film and television.
The Dramatic Writing Department’s curriculum consists of writing workshops, text analysis classes, production/performance classes and pre-professional training classes to be taken as well as general education classes throughout the university. Over the course of four years, students will analyze the dramatic text as it has developed since the time of the ancient Greeks, learn basic production techniques, explore the world of performance, develop and refine their writing ability while studying a broad range of liberal arts classes outside the department.
Years One and Two
Whether you enter the program as a freshman or a transfer student, you’ll begin by taking introductory writing and text analysis courses in each of the three mediums of theater, film and episodic. Later, as your studies advance, you will specialize in at least one medium. During your first two years, you’ll acquire a strong liberal arts background while sharpening your writing skills. This grounding in the arts and humanities encourages the development of imagination and intellect — essential parts of a writer's training. By the end of your second year, you should be ready to concentrate on a particular field of interest. In addition to your coursework, you’ll meet with producers, agents and directors — the people with whom the dramatic writer works — to get a realistic view of the profession.
Years Three and Four
For upper-class students, the major in dramatic writing serves as pre-professional experience. By senior year, you’ll be expected to develop several full-length works for film, television, or theater. That work will be judged by eminent writers according to rigorous professional standards.