Program: B.A., Cinema and Television Arts
Screenwriting Option
Program Description
The Screenwriting option includes the conceptualization, structuring and writing of scripts for film, television and new media.
Program Requirements
All lower and upper division courses taken toward completion of the CTVA major must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. In addition, students intending to continue in the Screenwriting option must pass CTVA 220 with a grade of “B-” or better.
1. Lower Division Common Core (12 units)
CTVA 100 Introduction to Mass Communication Arts (3)
CTVA 210 Television-Film Aesthetics (3)
CTVA 220 Foundations of Media Writing (3)*
Select one of the following production courses:
CTVA 240 Fundamentals of Video Production (3)
CTVA 250 Fundamentals of Film Production (3)
CTVA 260 Introduction to Digital Filmmaking (3)
*Note: Students intending to continue in the Screenwriting option must pass CTVA 220 with a grade of “B-” or better.
2. Upper Division Common Core (12 units)
History
Select one of the following courses (3 units):
CTVA 305 History of Television (3)
CTVA 310 History of American Cinema (3)
Criticism
Students must take the following course (3 units):
CTVA 319 Criticism in Cinema and Television Arts (3)
Entertainment Management
Select one of the following courses (3 units):
CTVA 351 Anatomy of Film Producing (3)
CTVA 480 Electronic Media Management (3)
CTVA 482 Network Program Development (3)
CTVA 487 Social Controls and Regulation of Electronic Media (3)
Professional Preparation
Select one of the following courses (3 units):
CTVA 329A/B or CTVA 329C Program Production (3)
CTVA 494A/B Internship (1/2)
3. Screenwriting Option (21 units)
Screenwriting Core Requirements (12 units):
CTVA 309 Film as Literature (3)
CTVA 320 Writing for Film and Television (3)
CTVA 420 Screenplay Adaptation (3)
CTVA 425 Advanced Screenwriting (3)
Select one of the following courses (3 units):
CTVA 350 Film Directing (3)
CTVA 440 Theory and Techniques of TV Directing (3)
Select one of the following courses (3 units):
CTVA 422 Writing the Episodic Series (3)
CTVA 428 Writing Screenplay Comedy (3)
Additional Units (3 units)
Select 3 additional units in CTVA or an allied field, with the approval of an advisor, as prescribed in the official departmental advisement form for Screenwriting.
4. General Education (48 units)
Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.
6 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: CTVA 309 satisfies upper division C1 Arts; and CTVA 100 satisfies E Lifelong Learning and fulfills the Information Competence requirement.
Total Units in the Major/Option: 45
General Education Units: 42
Additional Units: 33
Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120
Contact
Department of Cinema and Television Arts
Chair: Jared Rappaport
Manzanita Hall (MZ) 195
(818) 677-3192
CTVADept@csun.edu
Program Learning Outcomes
Students receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema and Television Arts will be able to:
- Identify and critically analyze the fundamental components and aesthetics of audiovisual storytelling.
- Develop and write scripts for fiction and nonfiction audiovisual productions.
- Demonstrate knowledge of historical, cultural, critical, theoretical and emergent aspects of media arts.
- Demonstrate the skills necessary to manage entertainment business structures and to produce, research and/or present an entertainment industry or other media project.
- Demonstrate the skills, knowledge and problem-solving abilities that are pertinent in a professional setting.
ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Maps
Students who have graduated with a verified Associate Degree for Transfer and have been admitted to a CSUN program that has been deemed similar will be able to complete the baccalaureate degree within 60 semester units. For additional information, see ADT/STAR Act Degree Road Maps.