"This avenue to allow students to complete their Bachelor’s and Master of Fine Arts in only five years is hugely advantageous to aspiring writers."
Earn a B.F.A. or B.A. + an M.F.A. in Five Years
Students can earn a B.F.A. in screenwriting or a B.A. in cinema arts with a screenwriting concentration and an M.F.A. in writing for the screen and stage in five years as part of our fast-track bachelor's to master's programs.
"The most important thing is the writer’s portfolio and the breadth and depth of knowledge students have about writing, writing theory and human nature," said Professor Nelson Chipman, Ed.D. "This accelerated track to the M.F.A. gives students the time to build a broad, outstanding portfolio, have a deeper understanding of writing and all the tools needed to pursue careers in screen and stage writing. On top of it all, the M.F.A. degree also provides those interested in teaching pathways to pursue that."
Undergraduate students in the B.F.A. or B.A. program apply to the M.F.A. program in their junior year. They begin taking graduate-level courses in their senior year, followed by one additional year of study to complete the M.F.A. program.
How the Fast-Track Program Works
Students must be academically and artistically admitted to the B.F.A screenwriting or B.A. cinema arts (screenwriting concentration) program.
B.F.A. students can apply to the M.F.A. program in their junior year and will begin online graduate classes in their senior year. Fifteen hours of graduate work will be counted towards both the student's undergraduate and graduate degrees. Students will take 29 credits as a graduate student to complete the M.F.A. program.
Enrollment and completion criteria
Point Park screenwriting students may apply for the fast-track program junior year during their undergraduate studies. If accepted into the program, students must be a senior undergraduate student with 3.0 or higher GPA to start taking their master's program classes. Applicants should submit their artistic portfolio through Acceptd via Point Park University's Acceptd home page, which includes:
- An essay
- Two Point Park University references
- Two creative writing samples (these do not need to be full-length, think 30 pages total)
Applicants do not need to send their Point Park transcript - the Office of Graduate Admission will pull that for you.
Contact Us
Contact the Office of Graduate Admission: gradadmission@pointpark.edu or 412-392-3808.