Television Fiction Writing

UK & EU Students

Course Details

Classification:MA

Course Duration:1 Year

Course Start Date:13 September 2010

Course Mode:Full Time

Subject Area:Creative and Design, Journalism and Media Studies

Course Fees

Year Fee Description/Notes
2010/11 £7875 Find out about merit based scholarships at: http://www.gcu.ac.uk/cbs/study/scholarships

Entry Requirements

Minimum RequirementsCandidates must be able to satisfy the general admissions requirements of Glasgow Caledonian University.

Applicants should have:
  • the equivalent of a UK Honours degree
  • experience working in the industry, and
  • a stock of current projects/creative ideas they would like to take to market
Additional RequirementsIn the Personal Statement section of the Application Form candidates must demonstrate evidence of prior interest and/or achievement in writing fiction for television and/or the general field of creative writing.
 
This must be supported by samples of personal creative writing (up to 3 short pieces ie: short stories, scene from play or screenplay). These works do not need to have been published or performed.

Additionally applicants must make a clear and unequivocal statement of why they wish to pursue a career in television writing.
Interview/TestCandidates will also be required to attend and pass an interview and test as part of the application process. The test will consist of a previously unseen dialogue scripting exercise conducted under class test conditions.

Further information regarding the interview and test will be provided after review of a candidate's application.

Programme Description

Raw Talent, New Voices

Television is where the vast majority of practising screenwriters work and where there is an abundance of writing slots and creative opportunities. This award has been developed in close collaboration with the television Industry and wholly with its screenwriting needs in mind. Students will be taught by both academic staff and top TV scriptwriting practitioners. This programme forges an exciting new partnership between industry and education to produce the next generation of market-ready script writers for the 21st Century. Crucially, graduates will be capable of script development within the constraints and opportunities presented by a competitive global market for television drama.

Through this Masters, students will gain knowledge and skills that are essential to succeeding in contemporary television markets. We aim to maximise employment opportunities for students through close exposure to the industry, to some of its most successful practitioners and to their professional practice in action. However, 'skills only' training, without opportunities to reflect critically upon creative processes and dynamics, upon industry imperatives and synthesis of the relationship between these into a sustainable model of professional action, would not enable students to become flexible and independently minded TV scriptwriters. In other words, students will not only know 'how' but also crucially 'why'.

Visit our blog at: http://caledonianblogs.net/tvfictionwriting/

Why choose this programme?

It is housed within the Department of Cultural Business at the Caledonian Business School and, as such, it is in an excellent position to bridge both creative development and business aware skill sets for the TV industries.

The teaching programme has been developed in close collaboration with the television industry, ensuring that a real workplace context and direct market relevance is maintained. As well as input from Shed Productions (New Tricks, Waterloo Road, Footballers Wives), we are also in talks with the BBC over access to River City writers and story conferences.

It focuses solely on writing for the growing television sector which is a key element of the Scottish, UK and global economies.

Successful students will graduate with both a masters degree and at least one project or script ready to take to market.

Its learning programme is underpinned by both academic research credibility and cutting edge and successful industry interventions

Competitive, industry-sponsored scholarships are available for this programme.

Programme content

There are four main strands to this Masters:

Story and Script Techniques (2 modules) - students study story telling and narrative, genre, character and voice, developing their critical and evaluative skills as well as their creative writing talents.

Writing for Existing Long Running TV Drama (2 modules) - students gain understanding of how creative and writing processes work on long running dramas such as soap operas or medical dramas, and then write their own mock storylines and scripts.

Developing and Writing Original TV Drama (2 modules) - students tackle the challenge of creating their own original drama in the context of current commissioning trends.

Researching TV Drama Markets - students will explore the terrain of the TV fiction market, the main channels (home and abroad), commissioning policies and audiences in order to enhance their market readiness.

Programme structure

To achieve the full Masters award students must successfully complete 8 taught modules and an Independent Script Project in which students research and write (with supervision and support) material for an original six-part television drama series.

The full-time programme runs over 12 months. Students take four modules in Semesters A (Sept - Jan), and four modules in Semester B (Feb - May). Following this, students continue work on their Independent Script Project which is submitted in September.

Industry support

"The Shed Productions team have worked in television drama for nearly two decades and have experienced a real shortage of writers trained to work specifically for the television medium. Getting quality training and education is expensive which is why we need generous people and organisations to help support students who otherwise would never have a chance to attend this course and the possibility of career in television. We want real people to benefit and our industry will flourish as a result."
Eileen Gallagher
Shed Productions


"As Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University and with my own background in the media, it gives me great pleasure to endorse this new MA course in TV Fiction Writing. I am certain that such a practical programme will be a very good thing for the participants themselves, but also for the future of script writing all across the UK. I am also certain that we must attract the very best students to this course, and many of them will come from backgrounds where participation in higher education is a new concept. We must facilitate their participation and so this call for help to establish a scholarships programme is timely."
Lord (Gus) Macdonald of Tradeston

Scholarships

There are five sponsored scholarships for MA TV Fiction Writing. (Full Scholarships include some living expenses).
  • Shed Productions (2 Full Scholarships)
  • MG Alba (Full, must be fluent Gaelic speaker)
  • Highlands and Islands Enterprise (Full, must live in Highland and Island region)
The application process for scholarships is separate from the admissions process, although you can do both at the same time. We will be asking all short listed applicants for the programme to come for interview and test, and we'll conduct scholarship interviews on the same day.

For more information, please see 'How to Apply'

Programme Contact

Contact UK/EU:
Dr Catriona Miller
E: matv@gcu.ac.uk
T: 44 (0) 141 331 8097

Contact International:
E: cbsinternational@gcu.ac.uk
T: 44 (0)141 331 8621
F: 44 (0)141 331 8729

Non UK/EU Students

Course Details

Classification:MA

Course Duration:1 Year

Course Start Date:13 September 2010

Course Mode:Full Time

Subject Area:Creative and Design, Journalism and Media Studies

Course Fees

Year Fee Description/Notes
2010/11 £9800 Find out about scholarships at: http://www.gcu.ac.uk/cbs/study/scholarships

Entry Requirements

Minimum RequirementsCandidates must be able to satisfy the general admissions requirements of Glasgow Caledonian University.

Applicants should have:
  • the equivalent of a UK Honours degree
  • experience working in the industry, and
  • a stock of current projects/creative ideas they would like to take to market
English LanguageStudents whose first language is not English will normally be required to hold the equivalent of an IELTS test score of 7.0 with no element less than 6.5.
Additional RequirementsIn the Personal Statement section of the Application Form candidates must demonstrate evidence of prior interest and/or achievement in writing fiction for television and/or the general field of creative writing.
 
This must be supported by samples of personal creative writing (up to 3 short pieces ie: short stories, scene from play or screenplay). These works do not need to have been published or performed.

Additionally applicants must make a clear and unequivocal statement of why they wish to pursue a career in television writing.
Interview/TestCandidates will also be required to attend and pass an interview and test as part of the application process. The test will consist of a previously unseen dialogue scripting exercise conducted under class test conditions.

Further information regarding the interview and test will be provided after review of a candidate's application.

Programme Description

Raw Talent, New Voices

Television is where the vast majority of practising screenwriters work and where there is an abundance of writing slots and creative opportunities. This award has been developed in close collaboration with the television Industry and wholly with its screenwriting needs in mind. Students will be taught by both academic staff and top TV scriptwriting practitioners. This programme forges an exciting new partnership between industry and education to produce the next generation of market-ready script writers for the 21st Century. Crucially, graduates will be capable of script development within the constraints and opportunities presented by a competitive global market for television drama.

Through this Masters, students will gain knowledge and skills that are essential to succeeding in contemporary television markets. We aim to maximise employment opportunities for students through close exposure to the industry, to some of its most successful practitioners and to their professional practice in action. However, 'skills only' training, without opportunities to reflect critically upon creative processes and dynamics, upon industry imperatives and synthesis of the relationship between these into a sustainable model of professional action, would not enable students to become flexible and independently minded TV scriptwriters. In other words, students will not only know 'how' but also crucially 'why'.

Visit our blog at: http://caledonianblogs.net/tvfictionwriting/

Why choose this programme?

It is housed within the Department of Cultural Business at the Caledonian Business School and, as such, it is in an excellent position to bridge both creative development and business aware skill sets for the TV industries.

The teaching programme has been developed in close collaboration with the television industry, ensuring that a real workplace context and direct market relevance is maintained. As well as input from Shed Productions (New Tricks, Waterloo Road, Footballers Wives), we are also in talks with the BBC over access to River City writers and story conferences.

It focuses solely on writing for the growing television sector which is a key element of the Scottish, UK and global economies.

Successful students will graduate with both a masters degree and at least one project or script ready to take to market.

Its learning programme is underpinned by both academic research credibility and cutting edge and successful industry interventions

Competitive, industry-sponsored scholarships are available for this programme.

Programme content

There are four main strands to this Masters:

Story and Script Techniques (2 modules) - students study story telling and narrative, genre, character and voice, developing their critical and evaluative skills as well as their creative writing talents.

Writing for Existing Long Running TV Drama (2 modules) - students gain understanding of how creative and writing processes work on long running dramas such as soap operas or medical dramas, and then write their own mock storylines and scripts.

Developing and Writing Original TV Drama (2 modules) - students tackle the challenge of creating their own original drama in the context of current commissioning trends.

Researching TV Drama Markets - students will explore the terrain of the TV fiction market, the main channels (home and abroad), commissioning policies and audiences in order to enhance their market readiness.

Programme structure

To achieve the full Masters award students must successfully complete 8 taught modules and an Independent Script Project in which students research and write (with supervision and support) material for an original six-part television drama series.

The full-time programme runs over 12 months. Students take four modules in Semesters A (Sept - Jan), and four modules in Semester B (Feb - May). Following this, students continue work on their Independent Script Project which is submitted in September.

Industry support

"The Shed Productions team have worked in television drama for nearly two decades and have experienced a real shortage of writers trained to work specifically for the television medium. Getting quality training and education is expensive which is why we need generous people and organisations to help support students who otherwise would never have a chance to attend this course and the possibility of career in television. We want real people to benefit and our industry will flourish as a result."
Eileen Gallagher
Shed Productions


"As Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University and with my own background in the media, it gives me great pleasure to endorse this new MA course in TV Fiction Writing. I am certain that such a practical programme will be a very good thing for the participants themselves, but also for the future of script writing all across the UK. I am also certain that we must attract the very best students to this course, and many of them will come from backgrounds where participation in higher education is a new concept. We must facilitate their participation and so this call for help to establish a scholarships programme is timely."
Lord (Gus) Macdonald of Tradeston

Scholarships

There are five sponsored scholarships for MA TV Fiction Writing. (Full Scholarships include some living expenses).
  • Shed Productions (2 Full Scholarships)
  • MG Alba (Full, must be fluent Gaelic speaker)
  • Highlands and Islands Enterprise (Full, must live in Highland and Island region)
The application process for scholarships is separate from the admissions process, although you can do both at the same time. We will be asking all short listed applicants for the programme to come for interview and test, and we'll conduct scholarship interviews on the same day.

For more information, please see 'How to Apply'

Programme Contact

Contact UK/EU:
Dr Catriona Miller
E: matv@gcu.ac.uk
T: 44 (0) 141 331 8097

Contact International:
E: cbsinternational@gcu.ac.uk
T: 44 (0)141 331 8621
F: 44 (0)141 331 8729

Further Education Students

Course Details

Classification:MA

Course Duration:1 Year

Course Start Date:13 September 2010

Course Mode:Full Time

Subject Area:Creative and Design, Journalism and Media Studies

Course Fees

Year Fee Description/Notes
Contact us

Entry Requirements

Minimum RequirementsCandidates must be able to satisfy the general admissions requirements of Glasgow Caledonian University.

Applicants should have:
  • the equivalent of a UK Honours degree
  • experience working in the industry, and
  • a stock of current projects/creative ideas they would like to take to market
Additional RequirementsIn the Personal Statement section of the Application Form candidates must demonstrate evidence of prior interest and/or achievement in writing fiction for television and/or the general field of creative writing.
 
This must be supported by samples of personal creative writing (up to 3 short pieces ie: short stories, scene from play or screenplay). These works do not need to have been published or performed.

Additionally applicants must make a clear and unequivocal statement of why they wish to pursue a career in television writing.
Interview/TestCandidates will also be required to attend and pass an interview and test as part of the application process. The test will consist of a previously unseen dialogue scripting exercise conducted under class test conditions.

Further information regarding the interview and test will be provided after review of a candidate's application.

Programme Description

Raw Talent, New Voices

Television is where the vast majority of practising screenwriters work and where there is an abundance of writing slots and creative opportunities. This award has been developed in close collaboration with the television Industry and wholly with its screenwriting needs in mind. Students will be taught by both academic staff and top TV scriptwriting practitioners. This programme forges an exciting new partnership between industry and education to produce the next generation of market-ready script writers for the 21st Century. Crucially, graduates will be capable of script development within the constraints and opportunities presented by a competitive global market for television drama.

Through this Masters, students will gain knowledge and skills that are essential to succeeding in contemporary television markets. We aim to maximise employment opportunities for students through close exposure to the industry, to some of its most successful practitioners and to their professional practice in action. However, 'skills only' training, without opportunities to reflect critically upon creative processes and dynamics, upon industry imperatives and synthesis of the relationship between these into a sustainable model of professional action, would not enable students to become flexible and independently minded TV scriptwriters. In other words, students will not only know 'how' but also crucially 'why'.

Visit our blog at: http://caledonianblogs.net/tvfictionwriting/

Why choose this programme?

It is housed within the Department of Cultural Business at the Caledonian Business School and, as such, it is in an excellent position to bridge both creative development and business aware skill sets for the TV industries.

The teaching programme has been developed in close collaboration with the television industry, ensuring that a real workplace context and direct market relevance is maintained. As well as input from Shed Productions (New Tricks, Waterloo Road, Footballers Wives), we are also in talks with the BBC over access to River City writers and story conferences.

It focuses solely on writing for the growing television sector which is a key element of the Scottish, UK and global economies.

Successful students will graduate with both a masters degree and at least one project or script ready to take to market.

Its learning programme is underpinned by both academic research credibility and cutting edge and successful industry interventions

Competitive, industry-sponsored scholarships are available for this programme.

Programme content

There are four main strands to this Masters:

Story and Script Techniques (2 modules) - students study story telling and narrative, genre, character and voice, developing their critical and evaluative skills as well as their creative writing talents.

Writing for Existing Long Running TV Drama (2 modules) - students gain understanding of how creative and writing processes work on long running dramas such as soap operas or medical dramas, and then write their own mock storylines and scripts.

Developing and Writing Original TV Drama (2 modules) - students tackle the challenge of creating their own original drama in the context of current commissioning trends.

Researching TV Drama Markets - students will explore the terrain of the TV fiction market, the main channels (home and abroad), commissioning policies and audiences in order to enhance their market readiness.

Programme structure

To achieve the full Masters award students must successfully complete 8 taught modules and an Independent Script Project in which students research and write (with supervision and support) material for an original six-part television drama series.

The full-time programme runs over 12 months. Students take four modules in Semesters A (Sept - Jan), and four modules in Semester B (Feb - May). Following this, students continue work on their Independent Script Project which is submitted in September.

Industry support

"The Shed Productions team have worked in television drama for nearly two decades and have experienced a real shortage of writers trained to work specifically for the television medium. Getting quality training and education is expensive which is why we need generous people and organisations to help support students who otherwise would never have a chance to attend this course and the possibility of career in television. We want real people to benefit and our industry will flourish as a result."
Eileen Gallagher
Shed Productions


"As Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University and with my own background in the media, it gives me great pleasure to endorse this new MA course in TV Fiction Writing. I am certain that such a practical programme will be a very good thing for the participants themselves, but also for the future of script writing all across the UK. I am also certain that we must attract the very best students to this course, and many of them will come from backgrounds where participation in higher education is a new concept. We must facilitate their participation and so this call for help to establish a scholarships programme is timely."
Lord (Gus) Macdonald of Tradeston

Scholarships

There are five sponsored scholarships for MA TV Fiction Writing. (Full Scholarships include some living expenses).
  • Shed Productions (2 Full Scholarships)
  • MG Alba (Full, must be fluent Gaelic speaker)
  • Highlands and Islands Enterprise (Full, must live in Highland and Island region)
The application process for scholarships is separate from the admissions process, although you can do both at the same time. We will be asking all short listed applicants for the programme to come for interview and test, and we'll conduct scholarship interviews on the same day.

For more information, please see 'How to Apply'

Programme Contact

Contact UK/EU:
Dr Catriona Miller
E: matv@gcu.ac.uk
T: 44 (0) 141 331 8097

Contact International:
E: cbsinternational@gcu.ac.uk
T: 44 (0)141 331 8621
F: 44 (0)141 331 8729
video_thumbnail.jpg/media/gcalwebv2/gcal-site/fla/courseVideoPlayer.swf
How to Apply.

Caledonian Business School

Find out more about the School delivering this course.

Questions about applying

Postgraduate Team

Tel: +44 (0)141 331 8640

Fax: +44(0)141 331 8676

Email: postgraduate@gcu.ac.uk