Requirements for the Master of Fine Arts degree
in Television, Film and Theater Arts,
Dramatic Writing Option (88 units)
Television, Film and Theater Arts CORE Requirements (44 units
total):
Required Courses (36 units):
TVFT 500 Introduction
to MFA (2)
TVFT 502
Directing (4)
TVFT 503A Dramatic Structure I:
Theatre (4)
TVFT 503B Dramatic Structure II:
Film (4)
TVFT 503C Dramatic Structure III:
Television (2)
COMS/TVFT 508 Media Arts, Theatre, and Society (4)
TVFT 510 Studio and Field
Operations (4)
TVFT 511 Stage
Operations (4)
TVFT 580 Collaboration Workshop
6 units (2,2,2)
TVFT 581: Entertainment Arts
Internship (2)
Elective Core Courses (8 units):
Select two courses from the following:
COMS 505 Seminar: Critical Approaches
Television and Film (4)
COMS 506 Seminar: Television Programming
(4)
COMS 507 Seminar: Post World War II Film
and Television History (4)
*TA 541 Seminar: Theories
of Acting (4)
TA 570 Seminar:
Experimental Theatre (4)
*Enrollment in TA 541 requires permission from Director of Graduate
Studies— Theatre Arts and Dance
Dramatic Writing Option (44 units total)
Upper Division Required Courses (28 units):
TVFT 545 Scene Writing Lab (2)
TVFT 547 Story Development (4)
TVFT 548 Creating Characters and
Writing Dialogue (4)
TVFT 549 Playwriting (4)
TVFT 550 Genre Writing (4)
TVFT 551 TV Sitcom Writing
(4)
TVFT 552 The Business of
Writing (4)
TVFT 553 Pitching Workshop (2)
Project Requirements (8 units)
All students are required to complete three major projects:
TVFT 546 A: MFA Project I (2)
TVFT 546 B: MFA Project II (2)
TVFT 599: MFA Thesis Project (4)
Performance/Acting Option Electives (8
units): In addition to
the following, electives should be chosen in consultation with an
advisor
from available 500-level courses. Students are also encouraged to take
elective courses in the other options.
Graduate Teaching Assistant recipients must take COMM 491 in their
first Fall quarter of Assistantship.
COMS/TVFT 509: Entertainment Industry Practices in Television, Film and
Theatre Industries (4)
TVFT 554: Selected Topics in Entertainment
Industry (1-4)
TVFT 555: Film Editing for Writers (4).
TVFT 556: Directing Workshop for Writers (4)
TVFT 598: MFA Directed Study: (1-6)