About
The most comprehensive MFA in TV Writing program — in the country
Explore. Create. Launch.
Students will graduate with a portfolio of three original pilot scripts; they will also write, direct and produce a micro pilot for an original web series. Additionally, students will learn how to work in collaborative writers rooms with working showrunners to break stories and build season arcs on both open-ended and limited series. Upon graduation, MFA students will be ready to break in and thrive in professional writers rooms as well as succeed as content creators. We are located in the heart of Manhattan and partnered with Killer Films.
With small workshops run like professional writers rooms, intensive one-on-one advisement,
and supporting classes with industry professionals, our goal is to empower you to create the TV Writing portfolio that can launch your
career.
We invite you to write yourself into your dream job.
Select Faculty
Taught by the people who run the rooms
Christine Vachon
SBU Artistic Director
Co-founded Killer Films in 1995 with Pamela Koffler. Over three decades the company has produced more than 140 films, including Kids, Boys Don't Cry, Carol, and Past Lives, her first Best Picture Oscar nomination. The Academy will present her with the prestigious Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
Sharyn Rothstein
Television Writing Faculty
Writer and Co-Executive Producer on AMC's Orphan Black: Echoes, writer/producer on Suits for five seasons, and writer/co-executive producer on the upcoming CBS drama Einstein, with shows developed for Apple TV+, AMC, and Bravo.
Scott Burkhardt
Television Writing Faculty
Columbia University MFA graduate whose thesis film was nominated for a Student Academy Award and aired on PBS and Hulu. Wrote for NBC's Smash and has developed projects for NBC Universal, CBS Studios, and Flower Films. His short film Girls Are Strong Here won the 2022 Humanitas Prize.
Stephen Gates
Television Writing Faculty
Manager for Writers and Directors and Founding Partner at Ellipsis Entertainment. Worked as a literary agent at ICM, the Susan Smith Agency, and Writers & Artists Agency before running Evolution Entertainment's literary department for sixteen years.
Alan Kingsberg
Director, MFA in Television Writing
Showrunner on five animated series; written or produced over 250 half hours of television. Created the TV Writing curriculum at Columbia's Grad Film School as well as TV Writing programs in Brazil and Prague. His students have gone on to become showrunners on Yellowjackets and Mozart in the Jungle and to write for 30 Rock, Insecure, Billions, Kimmy Schmidt, The Deuce, Orphan Black, Stranger Things, Narcos, New Girl, and more.
Davita Scarlett
Television Writing Faculty
Co-Executive Producer on The Good Fight and Evil for Michelle and Robert King, and an NAACP Image Award winner for her work on The Good Fight. Signed an overall deal with CBS Studios; credits include Queen Sugar and Truth Be Told.
Kris Lefcoe
Television Writing Faculty
Director and writer whose work has screened at TIFF, SXSW, and Tribeca. Made her network directing debut on NBC's Superstore. Her comedy Giving Up, produced with Imagine Television, won top prizes at Seriesfest and the New York Television Festival.
Jackie Reingold
Television Writing Faculty
Writer/Executive Producer on The Good Fight. Other writing/producing credits include Grace and Frankie, Smash, East New York, Brain Dead, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Wrote all the Mia episodes of HBO's Peabody Award-winning In Treatment.
Academics
What you'll study in your time in Manhattan
Writing the Spec Script
Learn the fundamentals by writing a script for a show that is currently on the air.
Writing the Original TV Pilot
Create an original series and write a pilot script.
Showrunner Workshop
Break stories and write scenes with a working showrunner.
Christine Vachon's Masterclass
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.
Comedy Workshop
Learn to write sketch, late night and monologues in the style of SNL, John Oliver,
The Daily Show, and Jimmy Kimmel.
Guest Series - From the Writers Room
In-depth discussions with working writers and showrunners about the writing process,
writers rooms, and a specific script or episode they’ve written.
Screenwriting
Learn the fundamentals of long form narrative and develop a script for a feature film.
Acting for Writers
Learning to act and to direct actors makes you a better writer. This is the first
workshop in our four-step content creation ladder.
Advanced Pilot
Create the second pilot script for your TV Writing portfolio.
Limited Series
Learn how to work collaboratively in a writers room to construct story arcs for a
limited series based on true events.
Camera Skills
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 the Camera
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.
Web Series
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.
Business of TV
Learn how to work with agents and managers, how to pitch and strategies to break into
the business.
Pilot Three
The capstone writing class where you develop the third pilot script for your TV writing
portfolio.
Revision
Revise and polish the writing portfolio that can launch your career as a television
writer.
Thesis
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.
Internship
Work on a show or at a production company, network or studio to get real world experience.
(Optional)
An array of electives from the MFA in Film and the MFA in Creative Writing are available in all three years of study.
Producing with Christine Vachon
Teaching Practicum with Karen Offitzer.
Learn to teach at the college level, design a syllabus and teach the following semester
at Stony Brook undergraduate
Writing in Multiple Genres with Robert Lopez
Humor on the Page with Patty Marx
Poetry, Writing the Short Film, Writing the Crime Drama, Turn Stand Up into Series, European Cinema and more.