MA Screenwriting (Global Online)
24 monthsProgramme duration
8,685 GBPTuition Fee/year
30 Jun, 2026Application Deadline
SepStarting Month
Programme overview
Main Subject
Communication and Media Studies
Degree
MA
Study Level
Masters
Study Mode
Online
To us, a screenwriter is an artist in their own right, and should always be looking for ways to bend and break the rules. This programme aims to empower students to construct the mix of knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to become the kind of screenwriter they want to be, broadening not just their core writing skills but their knowledge of the rapidly changing markets and contexts in which screenwriting occurs.
We set frequent writing assignments and expect you to bring the results to class. You’ll workshop, analyse and develop the results of that work in regular workshop sessions, mirroring the developmental process common in screen industries and honing your analytical skills. Overall, we aim to equip our graduates to succeed - and to change the culture they choose to enter.
The programme is part-time and remote, meaning it can be completed around other commitments without uprooting and moving to Edinburgh, however it’s also collaborative—you’ll work alongside your coursemates in online seminars and analyse each other’s work in online script workshops. This will help you to develop the collaborative skills and peer networks that are absolutely necessary for success in screen industries.
This 2-year online MA is founded in cutting edge research into screenwriting technique specifically designed to create empowered, innovative, convention-challenging screenwriters with the will and the expertise to break boundaries and create screen stories of international quality.
You will be guided to develop a mastery of screenwriting fundamentals, and pushed to look beyond those fundamentals to more radical techniques, treating your screenwriting as an artform in its own right.
Student-centered active learning will encourage you to take charge and develop your confidence and leadership skills, preparing you for entry into screen industries. You will be pushed to develop critical thinking and diligent research skills, and encouraged to grow your artistic practice through experimentation.
The programme is committed to creating pathways not just to sustainable professional practice but to innovative and original practice in the screenplay, empowering students to become leading voices in screen industries.
The lead academic for this course is Dr Chris Neilan, an award-winning writer and filmmaker with a PhD in creative writing focused on narrative structure in the screenplay. He is a leading expert on story structure. His groundbreaking book on unconventional story structures, Beyond the Monoplot, is available from Bloomsbury.
We set frequent writing assignments and expect you to bring the results to class. You’ll workshop, analyse and develop the results of that work in regular workshop sessions, mirroring the developmental process common in screen industries and honing your analytical skills. Overall, we aim to equip our graduates to succeed - and to change the culture they choose to enter.
The programme is part-time and remote, meaning it can be completed around other commitments without uprooting and moving to Edinburgh, however it’s also collaborative—you’ll work alongside your coursemates in online seminars and analyse each other’s work in online script workshops. This will help you to develop the collaborative skills and peer networks that are absolutely necessary for success in screen industries.
This 2-year online MA is founded in cutting edge research into screenwriting technique specifically designed to create empowered, innovative, convention-challenging screenwriters with the will and the expertise to break boundaries and create screen stories of international quality.
You will be guided to develop a mastery of screenwriting fundamentals, and pushed to look beyond those fundamentals to more radical techniques, treating your screenwriting as an artform in its own right.
Student-centered active learning will encourage you to take charge and develop your confidence and leadership skills, preparing you for entry into screen industries. You will be pushed to develop critical thinking and diligent research skills, and encouraged to grow your artistic practice through experimentation.
The programme is committed to creating pathways not just to sustainable professional practice but to innovative and original practice in the screenplay, empowering students to become leading voices in screen industries.
The lead academic for this course is Dr Chris Neilan, an award-winning writer and filmmaker with a PhD in creative writing focused on narrative structure in the screenplay. He is a leading expert on story structure. His groundbreaking book on unconventional story structures, Beyond the Monoplot, is available from Bloomsbury.
Programme overview
Main Subject
Communication and Media Studies
Degree
MA
Study Level
Masters
Study Mode
Online
To us, a screenwriter is an artist in their own right, and should always be looking for ways to bend and break the rules. This programme aims to empower students to construct the mix of knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to become the kind of screenwriter they want to be, broadening not just their core writing skills but their knowledge of the rapidly changing markets and contexts in which screenwriting occurs.
We set frequent writing assignments and expect you to bring the results to class. You’ll workshop, analyse and develop the results of that work in regular workshop sessions, mirroring the developmental process common in screen industries and honing your analytical skills. Overall, we aim to equip our graduates to succeed - and to change the culture they choose to enter.
The programme is part-time and remote, meaning it can be completed around other commitments without uprooting and moving to Edinburgh, however it’s also collaborative—you’ll work alongside your coursemates in online seminars and analyse each other’s work in online script workshops. This will help you to develop the collaborative skills and peer networks that are absolutely necessary for success in screen industries.
This 2-year online MA is founded in cutting edge research into screenwriting technique specifically designed to create empowered, innovative, convention-challenging screenwriters with the will and the expertise to break boundaries and create screen stories of international quality.
You will be guided to develop a mastery of screenwriting fundamentals, and pushed to look beyond those fundamentals to more radical techniques, treating your screenwriting as an artform in its own right.
Student-centered active learning will encourage you to take charge and develop your confidence and leadership skills, preparing you for entry into screen industries. You will be pushed to develop critical thinking and diligent research skills, and encouraged to grow your artistic practice through experimentation.
The programme is committed to creating pathways not just to sustainable professional practice but to innovative and original practice in the screenplay, empowering students to become leading voices in screen industries.
The lead academic for this course is Dr Chris Neilan, an award-winning writer and filmmaker with a PhD in creative writing focused on narrative structure in the screenplay. He is a leading expert on story structure. His groundbreaking book on unconventional story structures, Beyond the Monoplot, is available from Bloomsbury.
We set frequent writing assignments and expect you to bring the results to class. You’ll workshop, analyse and develop the results of that work in regular workshop sessions, mirroring the developmental process common in screen industries and honing your analytical skills. Overall, we aim to equip our graduates to succeed - and to change the culture they choose to enter.
The programme is part-time and remote, meaning it can be completed around other commitments without uprooting and moving to Edinburgh, however it’s also collaborative—you’ll work alongside your coursemates in online seminars and analyse each other’s work in online script workshops. This will help you to develop the collaborative skills and peer networks that are absolutely necessary for success in screen industries.
This 2-year online MA is founded in cutting edge research into screenwriting technique specifically designed to create empowered, innovative, convention-challenging screenwriters with the will and the expertise to break boundaries and create screen stories of international quality.
You will be guided to develop a mastery of screenwriting fundamentals, and pushed to look beyond those fundamentals to more radical techniques, treating your screenwriting as an artform in its own right.
Student-centered active learning will encourage you to take charge and develop your confidence and leadership skills, preparing you for entry into screen industries. You will be pushed to develop critical thinking and diligent research skills, and encouraged to grow your artistic practice through experimentation.
The programme is committed to creating pathways not just to sustainable professional practice but to innovative and original practice in the screenplay, empowering students to become leading voices in screen industries.
The lead academic for this course is Dr Chris Neilan, an award-winning writer and filmmaker with a PhD in creative writing focused on narrative structure in the screenplay. He is a leading expert on story structure. His groundbreaking book on unconventional story structures, Beyond the Monoplot, is available from Bloomsbury.
Admission Requirements
4+
56+
6+
2.7+
169+
30 Jun 2026
2 Years
Sep
Tuition fees
Domestic
8,505 GBP
International
8,685 GBP
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