Suggested 4-year Plan
- We encourage you to select your General Education (GE) and minor/second major/Themed Inquiry/Honors program around the plan below. Once you fill your GE classes around your major classes, you will have a better idea of space remaining each semester when choosing your Exploration Focus.
- To be enrolled full time, you must take at least 12 credits a semester.
- In order to graduate within 4 years, we recommend you take 30 credits a year.
Year 1
Fall Semester (9 credits for major)
- SW 127 Writing for Film and TV I (3 credits)
- FTV 130 Introduction to Visual Storytelling (3 credits)*
- SW 155 Short Film Analysis (3 credits)
Spring Semester (9 credits for major)
- FTV 140 - Introduction to Film Aesthetics (3 credits)
- SW 128 - Writing for Film and TV II
- TWP 246 - History of Television
* You must earn at least a B- in FTV 130 in order to satisfy major requirements. (You must earn a C- or above in all other courses to satisfy major requirements.)
Year 2
Fall Semester (12 credits for major)
- FS 244 - History of Film to 1959, Lecture and Laboratory (3 credits)
- SW 257 - Feature and Series Story Analysis (3 credits)
- SW 277 - Feature Screenwriting I (3 credits)
- SW 297 - Short Script Workshop (3 credits)
Spring Semester (9 credits for major)
- FS 245 - History of Film 1960 - Present, Lecture and Laboratory (3 credits)
- SW 287 - Feature Screenwriting II (3 credits)
- SW 310 - Pitching and Coverage (3 credits)
Year 3
Fall Semester (6 credits for major)
Spring Semester (6 credits for major)
- SW 317 - Writing From Research (3 credits)
- SW 328 - Series Writing: Hour-Long (3 credits)
Year 4
Fall Semester (9 credits for major)
- SW 417 - Writing for Evolving Platforms (3 credits)
- SW 498 - Writing Thesis (3 credits)**
- TWP 440 - Creating the Television Series - Non-Production (3 credits) or TWP 487 - Writing the Pilot - Production (3 credits)
Spring Semester (6 credits for major)
- SW 471 - Development Process for Film and Television (3 credits)
- SW 498 - Writing Thesis (3 credits)**
** SW 498 is a required course that will be completed over 2 semesters for a total of 6 credits.
Suggested Electives
In addition to the plan above, 1 upper-division elective (3 credits) is required and may be taken in any semester.
- AVE 310 - Animation and Visual Effects Industry Insiders (3 credits)
- FTV 310 - Industry Insiders (3 credits)
- FTV 317/HUM 317 - Unsung Stories and New Expressions (3 credits) [DEI credit]
- FS 342 - Film Genre and Auteur Studies (3 credits)
- PRA 351 - Business Presentations (3 credits)
- FTV 377 - Agents and Managers (3 credits)
- DOC 380 - Community Voices: Pre-Production (3 credits)
- FS 443 - Advanced Topics in World Cinema (3 credits)
- FS 444 - Advanced Topics in Film and Media Studies (3 credits)
- ENG 302 - Writing About Diverse Cultures (3 credits)
- PSY 319 - Motivation and Emotion (3 credits)
- PSY 322 - Theories of Personality (3 credits)
- ENG 328 - Writing for Video Games (3 credits)
- PHIL 340 - Philosophy of Mind (3 credits)
