7May
PostgraduateCourse summary
During the MA in Screenwriting for Television and Film (in Retreat) you will cover writing for feature film and television as well as new developments such as web drama. You will develop a range of ideas, then go on to write film and television outlines, and several drafts of a feature film screenplay, a TV single drama, or a TV series or serial bible and sample episodes. Commencing in September, you will be taught through a mixture of intensive writing retreats and distance learning techniques, including Skype and our dedicated online learning environment, Moodle. The course includes four week-long residential retreats throughout one year (full time), with some taking place primarily at our beautiful Egham Campus, near Windsor, but also involving some classes in Central London. This structure immerses you in a creative atmosphere conducive to concentrated learning and group interaction, with Development Lab as a core module, where you will present your work in progress to the group for criticism and feedback, and experiment with co-writing. Between retreats the course is run via distance-learning with a website, chat room and e-tutorials. This makes it possible for those living outside the UK, and those with busy working lives, such as freelancers and those in full-time employment, to take time out to attend. The course attracts a wide variety of students including those wishing to make a career change from other sectors through to established actors, comedy writers, editors, producers, novelists and many others. You will also meet and work with industry and independent producers, directors, agents, writers and actors to provide a production context.
Modules
Mandatory modules include: Script Craft; Story and Theme; Development Lab; A choice between the following: Contexts: Current British Film and Television Practice Contexts: Current British Film and Television Practice (Placement)
Assessment method
Assessment is carried out by a variety of methods including script outlines and scenes, a completed feature film screenplay and/or TV series episode and ‘bible’, and marketing and pitch documents.
Entry requirements
2:1 UK Honours degree or equivalent, in Literature, Theatre, Media or a related discipline. Normally we require a UK 2:1 (Honours) or equivalent in relevant subjects but we will consider a high 2:2 or relevant work experience. Candidates with professional qualifications in an associated area may be considered. Where a ‘high 2:2’ is considered, we would normally define this as reflecting a profile of 57% or above. Applicants will be required to submit up to 50 pages of creating writing, preferably pieces intended for film or television and in film/TV format, though other forms of creating writing such as short stories or plays will also be acceptable.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| Republic of Ireland | £8600 | Year 1 |
| EU | £18200 | Year 1 |
| England | £8600 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £8600 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £8600 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £8600 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £8600 | Year 1 |
| International | £18200 | Year 1 |
Additional fee information
These tuition fees apply to students enrolled on a full-time basis. Students studying on the standard part-time course structure over two years are charged 50% of the full-time applicable fee for each study year.
All postgraduate fees are subject to inflationary increases. This means that the overall cost of studying the course via part-time mode is slightly higher than studying it full-time in one year. Royal Holloway's policy is that any increases in fees will not exceed 5% for continuing students. For further information, please see our terms and conditions. Please note that for research courses, we adopt the minimum fee level recommended by the UK Research Councils for the Home tuition fee. Each year, the fee level is adjusted in line with inflation (currently, the measure used is the Treasury GDP deflator). Fees displayed here are therefore subject to change and are usually confirmed in the spring of the year of entry. For more information on the Research Council Indicative Fee please see the RCUK website.
The UK Government has confirmed that EU nationals are no longer eligible to pay the same fees as UK students, nor be eligible for funding from the Student Loans Company. This means you will be classified as an international student. At Royal Holloway, we wish to support those students affected by this change in status through this transition. For eligible EU students starting their course with us in September 2023, we will award a fee reduction scholarship equivalent to 30% of the difference between the UK and international fee for your course. This will apply for the duration of your course. Find out more
These estimated costs relate to studying this particular degree at Royal Holloway during the 2023/24 academic year, and are included as a guide. Costs, such as accommodation, food, books and other learning materials and printing, have not been included.
Provider information
Royal Holloway, University of London
Egham
TW20 0EX