During the studio era screenplays were written by professional screenwriters in the employ of the studios. Today, scripts for major movies originate from many sources, including the work of non-professionals. But the screenplay is a unique form, with its own technical language and its own rules of composition, and writing for the screen is different in many ways than other types of creative writing. The goal of the certificate program in screenwriting is to provide students with the knowledge of how to take an idea and effectively transform it into the visual and dramatic language of a feature film.

The Certificate in Screenwriting is a 12-credit program of interest to people who would like to learn the fundamentals of writing a feature film. Students in the Certificate program gain an understanding of narrative structure, character development, how to visualize drama, and more. In the process of completing the Certificate program, students write an original feature-length screenplay.

The Certificate in Screenwriting is designed so that it can be completed in just two semesters of part-time coursework.

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