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Screenwriting

MA, PG Cert

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Key information

Key information for 2026-27

Start date:

October 2026

Study route:

MA:

  • One year full-time, on campus
  • Two years part-time, on campus

PG Cert:

  • One year part-time, on campus
Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:

Full-time | Part-time | On campus

Course overview

This postgraduate screenwriting course offers aspiring writers the opportunity to develop their work to a professional standard. You will be guided by leading practitioners with years of industry experience, including the Programme Director Daragh Carville, co-creator and lead writer of hit ITV crime drama The Bay.

  • Why choose this course?
    • You will be taught by leading industry professionals, including BAFTA award-winning writer and script editor Barbara Cox (The Bill, Cardiac Arrest, Holby City), writer, director and actor Anna Maguire (Saving Private Ryan, Constellations, Violation), and former BBC producer and script editor Tanya Nash (EastEnders, Holby City).
    • A distinctive feature of the course is its fast-track core module designed to offer all students, regardless of their academic background, the chance to gain comprehensive knowledge of screenwriting theories, conventions and formats, and develop the ability to apply these to their writing practice.
    • You will also benefit from industry talks with guest speakers, and a four-day summer school, which focuses on the writer working in the industry, and includes pitching and storytelling workshops.
    • On successfully completing this course, you will have built up a portfolio of projects across a range of genres, and with our practical, hands-on, industry-facing focus you will be well placed to take your own first steps into the industry.

  • What will I learn?

    Working closely with tutors and fellow students in an interactive workshop setting, you will learn the essential skills of screenwriting, from the planning stages - writing outlines and treatments - through to the practicalities of formatting, polishing and presenting finished scripts, for both film and TV.

    You will gain a practical working knowledge of:

    • story structure, including three-act, five-act and alternative structures
    • scene design
    • characterisation
    • visual storytelling
    • dialogue.

    As well as writing finished scripts for film and TV, you will receive a thorough grounding in writing documents that are essential in the industry, such as proposals, outlines and treatments. You will also study classic and contemporary screenplays, films and TV series to gain an understanding of how screenwriting has developed over time and continues to evolve today.

  • How will I learn?

    Teaching on this screenwriting course is on campus in evening sessions designed to help you balance your studies with work and other commitments. It includes formal lectures, seminars and tutorials, but the workshop model is at the heart of our approach. Working closely with tutors and other students in small groups, you will respond to work-in-progress, sharing your work in an atmosphere that is both focused and supportive.

    We offer this course as a Master’s and a Postgraduate Certificate. For the Certificate, you study fewer modules and do not complete a dissertation.  

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time: Three to four evenings a week, October to July.

    Part-time: One to two evenings a week, October to July.

  • Course disclaimer

    Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

    Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the How will I learn? section.

More highlights

  • This postgraduate screenwriting course allows graduates in other subjects to achieve professional standards of practice and understanding of the industry.
  • We have state-of-the art cinema and exhibition spaces, all housed in a historic building that was a former home to key members of the Bloomsbury Group, including the author Virginia Woolf and the artist Vanessa Bell. Birkbeck has a number of institutes specifically designed to foster work across disciplines, such as the Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image.
  • Located in central London, in the heart of historic Bloomsbury, Birkbeck is within easy reach of cinemas, theatres and galleries, as well as facilities such as the British Film Institute and the British Library.
  • We offer a number of bursaries for postgraduate students.

Modules and Teaching

School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication

The school's teaching and research is highly interdisciplinary, spanning cultures and periods. Academic and practice-based study will equip you for a career in the creative and cultural industries.

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Entry requirements

A second-class honours degree (2:2) or above in any related subject; other qualifications will be considered.

Applications are encouraged from those with or without prior screenwriting experience.

As part of your application, you will need to submit the opening ten pages of a script for a film or TV drama, or a complete short film script.

To submit your writing please do the following:

  • Submit application.
  • Wait up to 48 hours.
  • Submit the ten pages of your script in a single file (Word or PDF) by logging into your MyBirkbeck profile, then going to the ‘Manage my application’ link and attaching the document.

After reviewing your application and entrance task, the admissions tutors may invite you to attend an interview.

Applications are reviewed on their individual merits and your professional qualifications and/or relevant work experience will be taken into consideration positively. We actively support and encourage applications from mature learners.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

  • What are the English language requirements?

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don't meet the minimum English language requirements, please contact us or see our international study skills page for more details about how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

  • What are the visa and funding requirements?

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply to study on our courses full-time as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol to study part-time courses at Birkbeck (with the exception of some modules).

    As a Student visa student, you should also apply to study on campus only, as online and flexible options of study (if they are available for your course) may affect the conditions of your visa.

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

  • Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits. It may be possible to transfer these from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

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Fees

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £6,000 per year
Full-time home students: £12,000 per year
Part-time international students: £10,425 per year
Full-time international students: £20,850 per year

PG Cert: One year part-time, on campus, starting in October 2026

Academic year 2026-27

Part-time home students: £4,000 per year
Part-time international students: £6,950 per year

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating from this MA Screenwriting at Birkbeck, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including in:

  • media literacy
  • critical thinking
  • the ability to work independently and also as part of a team
  • the ability to work to deadlines
  • professional formatting and presentation.

Studying this course will prepare you for roles in a range of fields and professions including in:

  • screenwriting
  • script editing
  • film and TV developments
  • theatre and dramaturgy
  • journalism
  • gaming
  • teaching and lecturing.

Some of our graduates from this course have gone on to be employed at the BBC, Channel 4, the British Film Institute (BFI), AbbottVision, Rocket Pictures and Stolen Picture.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

Related courses

Study routes for Screenwriting (MA, PG Cert)

Please select a study route below to continue your application.

Please note that international students who require a Student visa to study in the UK can only apply for full-time, on campus routes.

Starting in October 2026

Full-time

Part-time