Screenwriting and Playwriting BS

Major: Screenwriting and Playwriting
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 184.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 50.0504
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 27-3043

About the Program

The Screenwriting & Playwriting Program serves as the home for students and faculty who are storytellers at heart. As Program members, we connect to our world through the tales we tell. Students immerse themselves in the discipline of writing for production rather than publication, creating scripts for filmed entertainment, theater and digital delivery. Whether you want to write blockbuster films, a two-hander for a black-box venue, or an episodic web series, the program will guide you with our experiential approach to instruction in small, collaborative classes.

In a unique blend of art and practice, our students acquire the essential skills of dramatic writing and professional best practices, starting in their very first term on campus. Students become adept at creating dynamic and compelling characters, imagining nuanced stories, and manipulating structure, then apply those abilities to the creation of scripts that tell their own uniquely compelling stories. The faculty – working professionals in the entertainment industry – serve as guides on your creative journey, supporting your exploration of your own goals and aspirations. Students graduate with the skills, experience, and confidence to pursue a career in a rewarding and competitive field.

Our challenging curriculum offers multiple opportunities to see your work produced on both stage and screen, including a chance to sit in the writer’s room for Drexel’s award-winning TV series, Off Campus. Drexel's pioneering co-op affords hands-on experience in the industry, working alongside professional creators and artists. Many Program alumni have kick-started their individual careers during their co-op experience.

The Program provides an inter-disciplinary plan of study, introducing students to the full production process in their chosen fields. The Screenwriting & Playwriting program marks the beginning of the lifelong process of developing your writer's voice, a voice capable of narrating the story of our lives.

The Screenwriting and Playwriting program offers a minor in Screenwriting and a minor in Playwriting.

Additional Information

For more information about this major, visit the College's Screenwriting and Playwriting page or contact the program director:

Matthew J. Kaufhold
Screenwriting and Playwriting Program
Department of Cinema & Television
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design
215-895-2882
kaufhold@drexel.edu

Degree Requirements

CONCENTRATION OPTIONS

 Concentration in Narrative Game Writing

Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.

 Sample Plan of Study

 Writing Narrative Games Concentration

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Please see degree requirements

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Entertainment writing is writing for production—work intended for performance on the stage or screen. These days, “screen” can mean movie, TV, or computer, and the work can be anything from full stage plays to 15-second commercials to video game scripts. As the entertainment industry changes, so do the outlets for our students and graduates.

Co-op Experiences

By working for film and television production companies, theater organizations, entertainment management companies, magazines, advertising and public relations firms, and other professional writers, Screenwriting and Playwriting students gain valuable insights into how the entertainment industry works. In an industry where the process of building a career often begins with a few key contacts, the co-op program gives Drexel students the chance to begin shaping their own professional networks.

Screenwriting and Playwriting students have secured co-op or post-graduation positions with: 

• IM Global
• Disney Video Animation
• Marvel Comics
• Lionsgate Films 
• Skyless Games
• Arden Theater Company
• Campbell's Soup
• Marvel Studios
• SyFy Network
• Nickelodeon
• Dynamite Entertainment
• Prominent Hollywood talent managers
• The Playwright's Center
• Valiant Entertainment
• Sciencefiction.com
• Major League Baseball Productions
• Panels.net
• Voice of America
• Fantagraphics
• The production office of "Star Trek: Enterprise"
• Laika Animation Studios
• Dreamworks

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Program Level Outcomes

Screenwriting and Playwriting Faculty