Earn your MFA in TV Writing at Stony Brook Manhattan
Through small collaborative workshops designed to mimic professional writers rooms, intensive one-on-one advisement, and supporting classes with industry professionals, Stony Brook's Television Writing MFA prepares you to join the expanding frontier of television storytelling dominating the entertainment landscape in the U.S. and around the world.
Join the most comprehensive graduate TV writing program in the country to find your voice, master your craft, and launch your career. Do it all at our cutting-edge urban arts incubator in the heart of Manhattan.
A WELCOME NOTE FROM ALAN KINGSBERG, FOUNDING DIRECTOR
Learn the fundamentals by writing a script for a show that is currently on the air.
Create an original series and write a pilot script.
Break stories and write scenes with a working showrunner.
Explore current Killer Films projects brought to life in the classroom. Meet directors, producers, studio executives and more—and pitch your own project to Christine Vachon.
Learn to write sketch, late night and monologues in the style of SNL, John Oliver,
The Daily Show, and Jimmy Kimmel.
In-depth discussions with working writers and showrunners about the writing process, writers rooms, and a specific script or episode they’ve written.
Learn the fundamentals of long form narrative and develop a script for a feature film.
Learning to act and to direct actors makes you a better writer. This is the first workshop in our four-step content creation ladder.
Create the second pilot script for your TV Writing portfolio.
Learn how to work collaboratively in a writers room to construct story arcs for a
limited series based on true events.
Learn how to work camera, sound and editing gear. This workshop is paired with Directing
the Camera and is the second workshop in our four-step content creation ladder.
Directing scenes from your script gives you insight into how your writing is translated
to the screen. This is the third workshop in our content creation ladder.
Write, produce, direct and edit a micro-pilot for a web series. This is the capstone
class in the content creation ladder and pulls together writing, acting, skills and
directing the camera.
Learn how to work with agents and managers, how to pitch and strategies to break into the business.
The capstone writing class where you develop the third pilot script for your TV writing
portfolio.
Revise and polish the writing portfolio that can launch your career as a television
writer.
(Optional) Learn to teach at the college level, design a syllabus, and teach the following semester at Stony Brook undergrad.
Work with your thesis advisor to get your best script industry-ready and prepare a pitch for a new series that you can develop after graduation. Can be in-person or on Zoom.
(Optional) Work on a show or at a production company, network or studio to get real world experience.
