MFA Screenwriting

Master of Fine Arts

Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media

MFACreative Arts, Media, and StorytellingCreativity & InnovationCommunity EngagementIn-Person

Learn your craft from award-winning screenwriting faculty who not only have decades of experience as professional film and TV writers in Hollywood, but are also as passionate about storytelling as you are.

Find your voice in a unique, multicultural university setting as you write short and feature-length screenplays, original TV pilots and episodes, and web series.

Make your mark producing your own content at the one of the largest studio facilities in North America, then open the door to a career in Hollywood through the School of Cinematic Arts' renowned L.A. Quarter program.

Concentrations and Degree Requirements

In addition to the MFA Screenwriting's Standard concentration, we offer a Comedy concentration, in collaboration with The Second City. This is the first and only terminal degree of its kind in the country.

  • Comedy

  • Standard

Admission and Aid

Visit the Jarvis College of Computing and Digital Media’s Graduate Admission Office page for additional information, FAQs, to schedule an appointment with an admissions officer and more.

Admission Requirements
Get information about the application deadlines and specific materials required for admission to this program.
Scholarships and Aid
We offer scholarships to incoming CDM graduate students. Learn more about those and other aid opportunities, including assistantships and funded research opportunities.
Graduate Ambassadors
Get a current student’s perspective. Graduate Ambassadors are available to answer questions about DePaul, the program’s curriculum, and, most importantly, their personal experience.

Alumni

 

George Ghanem (MFA '15)

After twice placing in the Academy Nicholl Fellowships, George Ghanem has earned work as a script rewriter with Brillstein Entertainment, written editorial pieces for Flaunt magazine, and has worked on multiple TV pilots and series, including Superior Donuts, The Great Indoors, 9JKL, and This Is Us. He is currently a staff writer for Netflix’s The Recruit. George is in development of a television series with Mike & Molly's Billy Gardell, who is attached to star.

"The notion that 'writing is rewriting' is a difficult one to embrace. But if it weren't for the supportive group of likeminded people in DePaul's MFA in Screenwriting program, I wouldn't have taken the creative risks necessary to be where I am today."

Faculty

Work side-by-side with accomplished faculty who've shaped the industry.

DePaul CDM Faculty Anna Hozian
Anna Hozian
Anna’s scripts have been chosen for Meryl Streep’s New York Women in Film and Television Writer’s Lab, placed in the semifinals and quarterfinals of the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship, and won Gold in the Page International Screenwriting Awards.
Christopher Parrish
Chris is a screenwriter whose television credits include Curb Your Enthusiasm, The King of Queens, and American Dragon: Jake Long. His feature film, Thrill Ride, was released nationally in 2017.
DePaul CDM Faculty Scott Myers
Scott Myers
Scott has written over thirty movie and TV projects, including K-9 (Universal), Alaska (Sony/Castle Rock), and Trojan War (Warner Brothers). He currently hosts GoIntotheStory.com, the official screenwriting blog of The Black List.
Courier 12

Courier 12

<p class="feature--text">The annual Courier 12 Screenwriting Conference, part of our <a href="https://cdm.depaul.edu/school-of-cinematic-arts/visiting-artists-series">Visiting Artists Series</a>, is hosted at our downtown Chicago campus and features a series of panel discussions focused on writing for film and television with some of the top talent in the industry.</p>

Premiere Film Festival

Our annual Premiere Film Festival showcases the best of student work in cinema and animation with awards covering all facets of filmmaking, from screenwriting to post production. Jury members include industry insiders, festival programmers, and filmmakers from around the country.

DePaul Cinespace Studios

CDM boasts a one-of-a-kind, nearly 60,000-square-foot professional production facility and cinematic learning environment formed in alliance with Cinespace Chicago Film Studios. Students learn filmmaking craft and technique steps away from high-profile network productions filming on the Cinespace lot.

LA Quarter

This ten-week immersion program allows students to experience the inner workings of Hollywood first hand as they live in Los Angeles, take classes on a historic studio lot, and intern at high profile companies aligning with their professional aspirations.

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