The curriculum in dramatic writing enables you to analyze dramatic text as it has developed since the time of the ancient Greeks, learn the rudiments of production techniques, explore the world of performance, and develop and refine your writing ability.
Program Overview
You will register for a full-time, spring semester consisting of 12-18 units. Your course load includes your core curriculum (6-8 units) and additional companion courses.
Watch
Core Curriculum
You will take the following two courses as the core curriculum. Access to intermediate level courses is not available in the Spring at Tisch program.
This class provides an introduction to the basic elements needed to create a dramatic (of any kind, including comedic) script. Students will examine what it means to have a protagonist, antagonist, and conflict as well as learn to resolve conflict and create a story. Writing exercises will address each of these elements culminating in the writing of a thirty-minute play or screenplay. Examples of how these elements are used in great dramatic works will be drawn from play, film, and television. The intent of this class is to provide students with the tools necessary to do further dramatic writing whether in upper level courses or on their own.
The course is designed to better help students organize their own narratives by analyzing the techniques employed by various screenwriters in constructing their screenplays. A selection of Hollywood films and foreign films from the silent era to the contemporary age will be screened and discussed in terms of continuity of theme; delineation of plot, development of structure, protagonist’s story purpose, dialogue as action and character. After each screening, the instructor will lead a group discussion and analysis of the film, focusing further on the techniques, conventions and devices employed by the screenwriter to both tell a good story and satisfy the demands of the audience.
The Spring at Tisch Dramatic Writing track is open to full-time matriculated undergraduate sophomores, juniors, and seniors from other colleges and universities.
You must not be on academic or disciplinary probation.
*Students who are on a leave of absence at the time of their application must have a representative of their school (e.g. an academic advisor) state via e-mail to tisch.special.admissions@nyu.edu that they are presently on good academic and disciplinary standing with their school.
*Students taking a gap year in-between high school and college are not eligible.
Effective May 2023, NYU no longer requires COVID-19 vaccinations. However, staying up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations, including booster shots, remains strongly recommended for the health and safety of the student and the campus community—and students are welcome to wear masks anytime they choose. More information about COVID-19 protocols at NYU, including updates, is available on the NYU COVID-19 Information website.
Tisch does not have direct scholarships for visiting students. We do encourage visiting students to consult with their home institutions about portable financial assistance such as Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and educational PLUS loans. The student's home institution processes these loans, which are typically applied to their NYU program via a consortium agreement. This agreement is initiated by the student at his or her home school's financial aid office, which in turn forwards the consortium form to New York University, Office of Financial Aid, 25 West Fourth Street, New York, NY 10012-1119. The Office of Financial Aid can be reached at (212) 998-4444. NYU's Office of Financial Aid then confirms the student's acceptance to the program, registration, and the costs of attendance, and returns the agreement to the home institution.
To determine the amount and type of aid available, the home institution compares the costs of attending with the student's individual financial circumstances. We encourage students seeking aid to begin the financial aid process with their home school immediately after being notified of acceptance as the steps involved take a great deal of time.
There may be additional fees depending on the courses you register for. These may include, but are not limited to, lab, insurance, and projection fees.
Housing and Meal Plans
For spring 2024, on-campus housing is not available. Students must seek their own accommodations off-campus.
Health Insurance
All eligible registered Spring at Tisch students must maintain health insurance comparable to the NYU-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan. International students are automatically enrolled in the NYU-sponsored Student Health Insurance Comprehensive Plan, unless students complete the online enrollment/waiver process before the semester deadline to either maintain other insurance coverage that meets the University's criteria, or to downgrade to the Basic Plan. For additional information on health insurance costs and regulations, please contact the Student Health Insurance Services Office located at 726 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-9580; telephone: (212) 443-1020; http://www.nyu.edu/shc/about/insurance.html.
