Hi! I'm a second year at UCR MFA Screenwriting.
Here are the basics - UCR paid me $3.9K a month for doing nothing in my first year, and the same amount in my second year for becoming a TA. Even in my second year, TAships are not time-consuming. You have an option to take a third year, which a lot of students opt in for.
If you're tight on cash, I would 1) not recommend applying to school for screenwriting because it's not worth it - you can practice it by joining local writers groups/fellowships, or 2) apply to either Northwestern or UCR. I chose UCR because of its proximity to UCR - I knew that, as long as I made the effort to drive to LA three days a week, whether it be for networking opportunities or for internships, it wouldn't make a difference whether I chose LMU, USC, or UCR. This proved to be true, knowing my fellow MFA screenwriters from other schools.
To give my program some credit, they are starting a new mentorship program to connect industry folks to UCR students based on our scripts. So it's getting better.
The classes are okay. The few screenwriting professors we have are all older white men for now, until they hire a visiting professor in spring 2026 for the TV comedy class. I usually take 1-2 fiction seminar classes because the fiction professors are so smart and great at their book choices, and a screenwriting class. The cohort is a nice group of friends, and they give great feedback. Riverside is also a very quiet and peaceful location to write while not worrying too much about rent. (I pay $950 for a newly built 3BD 2.5Bath.)
At this point, I take most of my learning out of my part-time job, writing gigs, and an external TV writing workshop. UCR is a good way to keep yourself fed and read some great novels, while getting feedback for your script in classes - before you go out into the job market.
Feel free to reach out for any questions! I love chatting with prospective students.
