The undergraduate program in dramatic writing, which leads to the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, is divided into four parts: writing/text analysis, production/performance, general education and electives. Acceptance into the Department enrolls all students in the Division of Playwriting and the Division of Film and TV Writing. Students study in both divisions, concentrating in at least one medium as their studies advance.
Students may enter the program either as freshmen or as transfer students. The curriculum as a whole enables them to analyze the dramatic text as it has developed since the time of the ancient Greeks, learn the rudiments of production techniques, explore the world of performance and develop and refine their writing ability through a series of intensive workshops.
During the first two years of study, students acquire a strong liberal arts background while sharpening their writing skills. This grounding in the arts and humanities encourages the development of imagination and intellect-essential parts of a writer's training.
Students who have completed one or two years of college are often ready to concentrate on a particular field of interest. For upper-class students, the major in dramatic writing serves as preprofessional experience. Work is judged by eminent writers according to rigorous professional standards. Students also get a realistic view of the profession through meetings and discussions with producers, agents and directors - the people with whom the dramatic writer works.
The undergraduate program is designed to be completed in four years of full-time study. By the senior year, each student is expected to develop several full-length works for film, stage or television.
