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NEW YORK FILM ACADEMY

New York , New York ,United States

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

Located in the heart of Hollywood, New York Film Academy Los Angeles offers acting, film and media degrees, programs and workshops in a variety of visual storytelling disciplines, providing students with opportunities to hone the basics of the film and entertainment crafts. Surrounded by the best film studios in Los Angeles — Universal and Warner Bros. — students participate in hands-on production workshops on the prestigious Universal Studios backlot.

Intakes

  • Jan
  • May
  • Aug

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

3 Years

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.

Demonstrate a certain level of English skills based on a minimum TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo score. Minimum scores are:

  • TOEFL = 64 or above
  • IELTS = 5.0
  • Duolingo = 90 or above