Top 6 MFA Screenwriting Programs on the East Coast

The West Coast has Hollywood, but the East Coast is home to some of the country’s top Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting programs, including several in and around New York City, a major entertainment hub.

If you want to develop your craft, build your portfolio, and make lasting connections with other storytellers, consider an MFA in Screenwriting. Not only that, but getting your MFA could also help propel you into a full-time screenwriting career and give you the opportunity to pitch your ideas to industry professionals.

Keep reading to discover some of the best MFA in Screenwriting programs from coast to coast.

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New York University – Tisch
New York City, NY

• Master of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing (2 years)
• Tuition: $65,926 per year

As one of the best screenwriting programs in the country, the MFA in Dramatic Writing offered through the Rita and Burton Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing helps students develop their dramatic writing skills in all areas, namely film, television, and playwriting.

Faculty consists of working professionals with credits in areas such as major Broadway productions, commercial and independent films, and popular television shows. The MFA has a hands-on curriculum with students beginning to write in the first semester. Classes are largely workshop-oriented, but students also take textual analysis classes to fully grasp the art of filmmaking.

To apply, you must submit the NYU graduate application, your resume, statement of intent outlining your personal and professional interest in the program, two letters of recommendation, official transcripts, and a creative portfolio. The most important part of the application is the quality of the writing sample, which can be a full-length play or screenplay or up to two TV pilots.

Learn more about NYU Tisch’s application requirements here.


Colombia University – School of the Arts
New York City, NY

• Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting and Directing (3-4 years)
• Tuition: $62,912 per year

This Ivy League MFA program prepares students to translate their writing onto the large and small screen. Faculty at Columbia University School of the Arts includes industry veterans, and students can take advantage of living in New York City to create their projects.

During the first year, students take their core classes with all other film MFAs, networking while getting exposure to other dimensions of filmmaking. During the second year, students take select electives with Creative Producing MFAs where the curriculum combines producing, directing, and writing. This creates the perfect environment for Screenwriting and Directing MFAs to strengthen their pitching and collaborative skills. The Screenwriting and Directing MFA requires a minimum of three years of full-time study. However, students can petition to take a fourth Research Arts year.

To apply, you must complete Colombia University's graduate application, official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, an autobiographical essay, a scene based on the official prompt, a dramatic writing sample, and a feature film treatment.

Find more information on applying to Colombia here.


Boston University – College of Communications
Boston, Massachusetts

• Master of Fine Arts in Screenwriting (2 years)
• Tuition: $57,686 per year

Boston University's MFA in Screenwriting program takes a holistic approach to developing well-rounded screenwriters. Students write in different genres and mediums, write original scripts (including their own pilot), develop adaptions, and create spec scripts for current television shows.

Throughout the two-year year program, students are taught by award-winning faculty and grow as artists while learning about the business of the industry. A unique feature of Boston’s University’s screenwriting MFA program is that students spend their final semester studying in Los Angeles while completing an internship.

To apply, you must submit the official Boston University application (including written and video prompt responses), official transcripts, three letters of recommendation, a resume, personal statement, and two writing samples.

Learn more about Boston University’s application process here.


Emerson College
Boston, Massachusetts; Los Angeles, California; Online

• Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Film and Television (2 years)
• Tuition: $1,296 per credit

Emerson’s MFA in Writing for Film and Television program offers a more flexible approach to becoming a professional screenwriter. Faculty work directly with students to discuss their ideas and serve as mentors. At the start of each semester, students attend a week-long residency in Boston (fall) and Los Angeles (spring). Throughout each semester, students take two online courses and receive feedback in virtual and phone meetings.

By the end of the MFA program, students develop a portfolio that includes short screenplays, feature screenplays, an original pilot, an additional script for future development, and a critical essay.

To apply, you must submit Emerson's MFA-specific application, a resume, official transcripts, a personal essay to Emerson's prompts, a writing sample (screenplay, prose, or poetry), and two letters of recommendation.

Learn more about how to apply to Emerson here.


Stony Brook University
New York City, NY

• Master of Fine Arts in Film and Television (2 years)
• Tuition: $8,573.50 in-state/ $14,468.50 out-of-sate plus cost of attendance

In Stony Brook University's extensive Screenwriting Track within the Stony Brook MFA in Film, you will learn the art and craft of screenwriting. The program provides instruction in short scripts, pilots, and feature-length screenplays, with a special concentration in the microbudget third year. You will leave with a portfolio of two feature scripts. You will direct at least one short film in the lock step first year, and have the possibility to collaborate with those on the directing track to see your future writing work produced. The program teaches craft but relishes your individual voices above all, and faculty seek to help you develop those voices.

Write yourself into your dream job is the motto of Stony Brook’s MFA in TV Writing. With one of the most extensive TV Writing curricula in the world, students graduate with a portfolio of scripts that can launch their career. Through small collaborative workshops designed to mimic professional writers rooms, intensive one-on-one advisement and supporting classes with working showrunners and writers, the MFA covers Pilots, Specs, Showrunning, Producing, Comedy, Webisodes, Limited Series and more.

To apply, you must submit the Stony Brook University application, three letters of recommendation, a resume, statement of purpose, a video pitch, a scene based on a prompt, a logline describing a project you want to create, and a writing sample.

Learn more about Stony Brook’s admission process here.


Brooklyn College – Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema
Brooklyn

• Cinematic Arts, Master of Fine Arts (3 years)
• Tuition: $10,567 in-state residents/ $15,282 out-of-state per semester

The Screenwriting track in the Cinematic Arts MFA focuses on the art of storytelling and generating fresh, captivating ideas at a lower cost. In addition to enhancing their screenwriting skills, students take classes in cinema history, directing, and production to understand the broader goals of filmmaking. In the final two semesters, students pursuing the Screenwriting track must developing two feature screenplays and take a minimum of six track-specific electives.

To apply, submit the Brooklyn College application, official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, a resume, statement of purpose, a short script (max. 10 pages), and two one-page synopses for feature film scripts you intend to write.

Learn more about applying to Brooklyn College here.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to include additional reporting from Alexa Pellegrini about Stony Brook University.

Interested in MFA programs on the West Coast? Check out FilmSchool.org's 10 Top MFA in Screenwriting Programs in California.​

For more information about MFA in Screenwriting programs, read our Film School Reviews. To see how you stack up against other applicants, browse our Application Database.​

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