MA Scriptwriting

Delivery:
Full time according to Funding Council definitions

Apply now
Visit us:
Visit us
Call us:
Contact us
Request a prospectus:
Request a prospectus

This course has a unique collaborative emphasis, offering the opportunity for some of your scripts you develop to be produced through close collaboration with students from the MA Producing Film and Television and MA Directing Film and Television courses, equipping you with the skills and attitude required for successful script development processes in the industry.

As a graduate on this course, you’ll have developed the skills to work in the Film, Media, TV, Scriptwriting and Production industry.

Develop your ideas from concept to industry-standard final draft, developing your own voice, learning how to critique the work of others and make industry contacts to pitch for employment in this competitive industry
All of our teaching staff have worked on Film, Television and multiplatform projects from BBC 1 and Channel 4 through to LEGO’s Character & Story division
See your scripts come to life and contribute to others’ productions by working collaboratively with students across the framework
This intense course allows you the opportunity to work both in teams in addition to producing individual writing pieces
Successful participation in this course will enable you to emerge from the course as a writer with a distinctive authorial voice, with an industry-standard portfolio of scripts, experience of writing in a range of formats and genres and a robust attitude to collaboration and development
You’ll graduate with an International Moving Image Society (IMIS) accredited degree, indicating professionalism and industry relevance, allowing you to benefit from attending events and networking with new entrants to the industry
You’ll benefit from regular industry guest speakers and alumni. Previous speakers include; Ben Cookson - Feature Film Writer/Director, Waiting for Anya 2020, Almost Married 2014, Sally Rowberry - Head of Scripted development, Red Arrow Studios, Peter Fellows - Screenwriter, Death of Stalin 2017, Veep season 2, 2015, Louis Ackerman - Screenwriter, Into the Dark for HULU 2018, Lucy V Hay - Screenwriter, blogger, Bang2write and Sam Doland De Vaux - Screenwriter, Emmerdale.

Image description — Students in the library

Key information

Next start date:

September 2021, September 2022

Location:

Bournemouth University, Talbot Campus

Duration:

1 year full-time

Accreditations:

International Moving Image Society (IMIS)

Entry requirements:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent

International entry requirements:

If English is not your first language you'll need IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component. For more information check out our full entry requirements.

Accredited by:

Course details

On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.

Download the programme specification (pdf 679kb)

Core units

Scriptwriting Across Platforms & Genres: Develop knowledge and skills in scriptwriting with an emphasis on theoretical and practical approaches to creating dramatic narratives, along with your creative voice and vision as an originating author and collaborator in the script development process. You'll develop works for short film, web drama, games and radio drama, both as standalone narratives and in context to transmedia storytelling principles. You'll also experiment with generic conventions, and participate as writers on collaborative projects with MA Directing Film and Television and MA Producing Film and Television students.
Narrative Constructions: Establishing a social, cultural and intellectual context for scriptwriting issues, combined with other practical and professional actions, this unit offers a strong critical foundation for effective script realisation. Teaching will help you collectively engage with narrative theory in a critical and analytical forum.
Creative Story Development: This unit focuses on the scriptwriting development process, in terms of the writer’s role and the skills required for supporting and taking part in creative collaboration. You'll choose a feature film or television/web series/serials for the writing elements of this unit, which are standard industry development documents. These documents form the basis of the Master's Production Project.
Professional Practice: An introduction to key skills and knowledge you'll need for employment in the media industries.

Option units (choose one)

Master’s Production Project: This unit allows you to show the scriptwriting skills, knowledge and professional competence you’ve gained on this course by producing a major scriptwriting project that is original and emerges from a development process involving workshop groups and tutorials. You’ll be supported to develop career plans as a writer beyond this course.
Master’s Research Project: You can produce a practice-based research artefact supported by a written analysis, or an individually or collaboratively written paper. The latter consists of a written investigation into an aspect of practice, supported by media artefacts. Both of these will be the basis of a presentation of research findings at a final exhibition.

Please note that option units require minimum numbers in order to run and may only be available on a semester by semester basis. They may also change from year to year.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the university’s taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready.

Your application

The admissions team will look at your online application including your qualifications, personal statement and any work experience. Please make sure your application stands out from the crowd and leaves us in no doubt that you want to study at Bournemouth University.

How and when to apply

There is no application deadline for this course. However, if you will need a visa to come to the UK to study, think carefully about the length of time it will take for your visa application to be processed and make sure your visa will be ready in time for the beginning of your course.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

Entry requirements

General entry requirements

The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry team for more information.

International entry requirements

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

China: 学士学位 (Bachelor degree) with a minimum of 65% overall.
Nigeria: Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution in Nigeria.
Thailand: Thai Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution.
Vietnam: Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of at least 7.0, or a Master’s degree/Thac si.
Turkey: Bachelor’s Degree (Lisans Diplomasi -four years) to be considered for a postgraduate course at BU.

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in writing, speaking, listening and reading, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.

RedBalloon opportunities

RedBalloon Productions is an award-winning professional production unit based in the Media and Communication Faculty at BU. RedBalloon offers paid work to second and final year students and graduates, including opportunities for editors, production managers, sound assistants and runners, a great way to enhance your CV with professional credits and networking. Students work alongside professional crew and for a wide range of clients from local charities to national organisations such as The National Trust, Exeter Cathedral and Bournemouth Courts of Justice.

Read about some recent projects our students have been working on.

Visit the RedBalloon website to find out more

Read about Sam's experience

Sam Drake BA (Hons) Television Production student worked with RedBalloon on the Body Parts Exhibition, London.

"I joined RedBalloon in the summer of 2019 and was able to get involved with the Body Parts Exhibition, London. RedBalloon had created a documentary looking at the reality of living life as a Paralympian, to be showcased in London. I was a runner at the exhibition and got some hands-on experience liaising with clients and conducting interviews with some of the artists. Executive Producer, Stephanie Farmer, was aware I wanted to pursue the career of a Television Producer and gave me the opportunity to get involved with the filming of the event, discussing narrative points with me. Once back from London, I worked in the RedBalloon office editing suite to create a cut of the exhibition film. This was a challenging task, working under the guidance of Stephanie and the client to ensure the film accurately showcased the event.

"My time at RedBalloon was both enjoyable and challenging. I felt like I was getting involved in the production thoroughly, as opposed to being used to do menial tasks. I enjoyed the production of the Body Parts event in London as I got to try a selection of roles and work alongside talented professionals.

"RedBalloon has equipped me with invaluable practical skills and experience I can apply to future productions. Having an award-winning production agency enhances my CV, showing potential employers a strong work ethic with a reputable company. RedBalloon allows students to work with a professional production company to experience what working in the industry will be like. It is a great feature of the Media and Communications faculty at Bournemouth University, equipping students with skills beyond graduation."

Read about Dimitra’s experience

Dimitra Margaritidou MA Sound Design for Film and Television student worked with RedBalloon as a sound designer.

"I worked in RedBalloon as a sound designer in two different projects. The first one was an animation with a battle scene taking place in a medieval castle. The second one was an augmented reality project in a tin mine with a focus on ambient sounds. My main role was to help source sound FX, record some additional Foley sounds, edit them and work with the professional RedBalloon editor to lay down the final mix.

"Working with RedBalloon was a great experience. I enjoyed being part of a professional team and developing my skills at sound design. Also, combining studying with a work placement helped me develop my time management skills. Furthermore, working in collaborative projects with students from other departments is a good way of having new contacts for future projects.

"While working for RedBalloon I developed my professional and communication skills as I was part of a professional project. Moreover, apart from the skills that I acquired, my CV is more enhanced.

"I believe that having RedBalloon in the faculty is very beneficial as it provides students with an insight of how the media industry works before they graduate. Also, it gives them the chance to actively participate in the field and get hands-on experience with working conditions.

"I would highly advise other students to look for opportunities offered by RedBalloon as they can gain relevant experience on their filed of interest whilst studying, work under a professional environment and enhance their CV at their same time."

Read about Jemma's experience

Jemma Wood BA (Hons) Television Production had the opportunity to work as a mentor on the Breda University of Applied Science project (BUAS) as part of RedBalloon Productions.

"The BUAS project involved mentoring a group of 40 Dutch students from the University of Breda, completing one of their university units in BU’s live television studio. My role was to facilitate the students in any way I could as most of them hadn't been in a studio environment before. I supported them to source contributors and locations, assisted with paperwork in order to film field segments, helped them to buy props and advised in the studio.

"I really enjoy working for RedBalloon, it’s a great way to be able to get some really valuable experience and meet some amazing people at the entry level I am currently at. I enjoy being able to share my passion with other like-minded individuals. Throughout the project, I found taking a step back most challenging and letting the students learn from their mistakes. It was great after to help them understand why they made that mistake and how to prevent doing it again. It is also great making contacts with students from other countries, I have many of them on LinkedIn so we can stay in touch for the future."

Jemma has also worked for RedBalloon as a Producer, creating a charity promo film for children who have survived brain tumour.

"RedBalloon is a great thing to have in the faculty, often in this industry getting work experience is very difficult as you have to have experience to be able to get experience. RedBalloon gave me the chance I needed to get some real experience and enhance my CV to help me stand out from the crowd. It's an amazing thing to get involved with at university, it could be the first ‘real‘ (production) experience you get which can lead onto further opportunities."

Careers

The knowledge and skills you will gain from this degree will enable you to pursue relevant roles in the film and television industries such as a Director, Script supervisor, Script Editor, Scripted Development, Storyliner, Reader, Scriptwriter, Script Editor, and Creative Producer.

Industries worked in

Further study

Costs and fees

You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate fees and funding section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to the fee status).

All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per year. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course

Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students

No hidden extras

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement.
A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) scheme
Disability and additional learning support
The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Costs of living and other expenses you need to consider

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

Laptops, tablets and mobile devices
Accommodation and living costs. Our accommodation price guide can be found on our website
Travel costs, outdoor wear and footwear for optional field trips (where applicable)
Text books, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of text books and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses
Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas). Information about funding your placement year can be found on our website
SportBU membership.

Repeat units

Deposits

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable £3,000 deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.

Financial help available from BU

Our staff

On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. Please note that teaching staff can change.

Dr Phil Mathews - Course Leader

Phil Mathews is a BAFTA nominated screenwriter who has written for film and television and has taught screenwriting for twenty years. His research interests are in narrative theory, the character arc and the romance genre. Phil began his career in special effects make-up working on everything from Saving Private Ryan to Judge Dredd, then directed pop promos before moving into screenwriting.

View Dr Phil Mathews staff profile

Lydia Yeoman

Lydia is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Asia where she gained her MFA in Dramatic Writing whilst working as a script reader for FilmNation Entertainment. As a script editor she has worked on several award-wining shorts, helping many writer-directors break their stories and craft their ideas into tight, compelling narratives.
She is currently pursuing a PhD by practice in screenwriting with her research initially funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Her thesis, “God, ghosts, and grief: magical realism and emotional excess in contemporary television drama”, takes a poetical approach to the study of a writer’s process in character creation.
She has taught at Royal Holloway, University of London and the University of Hertfordshire and has spoken at the Screenwriters Research Network, the Association of Adaptation Studies and Surrey New Writers Festival. She is deputy editor at the Journal of Screenwriting, a field-leading journal in screenwriting research.
Lydia is a working screenwriter with several television projects at various stages of development in both the UK & the US.

View Lydia Yeoman's staff profile

Resh Somauroo

Resh is a Lecturer in Screenwriting at Bournemouth University’s Faculty of Media and Communication, has a PG Cert in Education Practice, is a Fellow of the HEA (Higher Education Academy) and is an active, full-voting member of B.A.F.T.A. His practice-based doctoral research focuses on storytelling, industry practices and ethics in relation to storytelling to children, and other research includes application of industry story/script development practices within Higher Education via the internationally recognised and highly successful ‘Deep Dive’ initiative. Career highlights: BBC (Education Dept.), Channel Four Television (Programme Commissioning, helping oversee the development and production of over 30 programmes a year, and responsible for the department’s drama development slate), UK Film Council (freelance Script-Editor) and LEGO (International Head of Development for LEGO’s Character & Story division charged with the development and implementation of original stories and characters for use with play-materials, international marketing campaigns and multi-media activities, helping win numerous international awards).

View Resh Somauroo's staff profile

Course changes

Changes in 2018

Date	Changes to this course
13/11/2018	Where the change was made: Your application Changes: Creative writing requirement removed. Previous text: Applicants are encouraged to provide details of relevant work experience on their application and will need to provide examples of creative writing. Examples could include pieces of scriptwriting work (fictional pieces for film, TV drama, radio drama, online drama, etc) or factual pieces (television documentary ideas or scripts, radio features, corporate films, commercials, etc). Produced work, if available, would also be acceptable.
29/01/2018	Where the change was made: Full entry requirements Changes: Amended text to: 'The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are: A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent Applications are also welcome from experienced professionals working within the media industry Applicants without a first degree but with significant industry experience may be considered in exceptional circumstances Applicants are encouraged to provide details of relevant work experience and will need to provide examples of creative writing with their application.' Previous text: 'The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are: A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent Applications are also welcome from experienced professionals working within the media industry Applicants without a first degree but with significant industry experience may be considered in exceptional circumstances Applicants are encouraged to provide details of relevant work experience and will need to provide examples of creative writing with their application An interview may be required.'
29/01/2018	Where the change was made: Selection criteria Changes: Amend Selection methods text to: 'The academic team will look at your online application including your qualifications, personal statement and any work experience. Please make sure your application stands out from the crowd and leaves us in no doubt you want to study at Bournemouth University. For more information, take a look at our post graduate how to apply pages.' Previous text: 'The academic team will look at your online application including your qualifications, personal statement and any work experience. Please make sure your application stands out from the crowd and leaves us in no doubt you want to study at Bournemouth University. We may also interview applicants who have a 2:2 (or equivalent qualification) either at the university or over Skype for international students. The interview will mark you on the following criteria and you can request feedback afterwards: Commitment to radio/audio media Capacity for level 7 inquiry Commitment to academic study Evidence of engagement with radio output Relevant work or volunteer experience For more information, take a look at our post graduate how to apply pages.'

Date

Changes to this course

13/11/2018

Where the change was made: Your application
Changes: Creative writing requirement removed.

Previous text: Applicants are encouraged to provide details of relevant work experience on their application and will need to provide examples of creative writing. Examples could include pieces of scriptwriting work (fictional pieces for film, TV drama, radio drama, online drama, etc) or factual pieces (television documentary ideas or scripts, radio features, corporate films, commercials, etc). Produced work, if available, would also be acceptable.

29/01/2018

Where the change was made: Full entry requirements
Changes: Amended text to: 'The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent
Applications are also welcome from experienced professionals working within the media industry
Applicants without a first degree but with significant industry experience may be considered in exceptional circumstances
Applicants are encouraged to provide details of relevant work experience and will need to provide examples of creative writing with their application.'

Previous text:

'The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:

A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject, or equivalent
Applications are also welcome from experienced professionals working within the media industry
Applicants without a first degree but with significant industry experience may be considered in exceptional circumstances
Applicants are encouraged to provide details of relevant work experience and will need to provide examples of creative writing with their application
An interview may be required.'

29/01/2018

Where the change was made: Selection criteria
Changes: Amend Selection methods text to: 'The academic team will look at your online application including your qualifications, personal statement and any work experience. Please make sure your application stands out from the crowd and leaves us in no doubt you want to study at Bournemouth University.

For more information, take a look at our post graduate how to apply pages.'
Previous text:

'The academic team will look at your online application including your qualifications, personal statement and any work experience. Please make sure your application stands out from the crowd and leaves us in no doubt you want to study at Bournemouth University.

We may also interview applicants who have a 2:2 (or equivalent qualification) either at the university or over Skype for international students.

The interview will mark you on the following criteria and you can request feedback afterwards:

Commitment to radio/audio media
Capacity for level 7 inquiry
Commitment to academic study
Evidence of engagement with radio output
Relevant work or volunteer experience

For more information, take a look at our post graduate how to apply pages.'

Changes in 2017

Date	Changes to this course
13/07/2017	Where the change was made: Fees: For September 2017 entry Changes: Course fees Previous text: For September 2017 entry: UK/EU/Channel Islands: £7,250 International (non-EU): £12,500