Screenwriting
Screenwriting is the craft of writing for the screen, whether that screen is in a cinema, a living room, a tablet, or a phone. It is a discipline that requires a distinctive skill set: the ability to tell stories through visual images, dialogue, and action rather than through description or internal monologue, and to structure those stories in ways that hold an audience across minutes or hours of viewing. The best screenwriters understand character, conflict, genre, and the conventions and possibilities of the medium they are writing for, while also having something genuinely original to say and a distinctive voice to say it with.
At the University of Suffolk, the BA (Hons) Screenwriting is offered on a part-time basis, making it accessible to students who are developing their writing practice alongside other work or commitments. You will develop your craft as a writer for film and television, learning the structural and technical aspects of screenwriting alongside the creative development process that moves an idea from initial concept to finished script. The programme engages with the full range of screen genres and formats, and it develops both your practical writing skills and your critical understanding of how successful screen storytelling works.
Screenwriting graduates pursue careers across the screen industries in writing, development, and related roles. Many work as freelance screenwriters, developing scripts through the pitching and development process while building relationships with producers, development executives, and agents. Others move into script editing, development roles at production companies and broadcasters, writing for television and streaming platforms, or the growing world of online and interactive content.
The communication, storytelling, and narrative skills that screenwriting develops also transfer into advertising, digital content creation, and communications. Further study in screenwriting, film production, or creative writing is an option for those who want to deepen their expertise.