Certificate in Screenwriting & Story Development
Learn to develop your own original stories into professional scripts for film, television, and other media platforms.
Digital Cinema – Screenwriting & Story Development, Certificate
Certificate in Screenwriting & Story Development
Offered as an Academic Certificate
The Certificate in Screenwriting and Story Development is offered to students who wish to pursue careers in writing for film and television or in story development for the entertainment industry and especially students interested in pursuing graduate studies in screenwriting. Students in the certificate program study an inclusive canon of landmark screenplays from a diverse range of professional screenwriters and develop their own portfolio of writing samples, including short scripts, script coverage, treatments, and either a completed feature spec script or television pilot script. Courses in the certificate address narrative structure and foundational storytelling principles, script development, pitching, inclusive screenwriting, the history of scripting practices from an international perspective, and narratological theories of the screenplay.
Degree Fit
Program Preparation
The Certificate in Screenwriting & Story Development is open to all degree-seeking students at SOU. The certificate pairs especially well with the BFA in Creative Writing.
Degree Roadmap
Students take courses in storytelling foundations, short scriptwriting, script development and screenwriting for film and television, screenwriting theory, and seminars in great screenplays.
Degree Integration
Many students are delighted to find that a Certificate in Screenwriting & Story Development complements their major. Whether a student is getting a degree in Creative Writing, Business, Communication, or Environmental Science, a Certificate in Screenwriting & Story Development can enhance a wide range of studies and make a graduate more agile and competitive on the job market.
Guided Pathways
Contact: Christopher Lucas – 541.552.6425 – digitalcinema@sou.edu
Similar Majors
Similar Micro-Credentials
Broadcast News Production – Cinema Production Technology – Film Business & Management – Set Skills for Cinema Production – Story Development for Screenwriting
Sample Graduate Degrees
MFA in Peter Stark Producing, USC – MFA in Producing, Chapman – MFA in Producing, AFI
Credit for Prior Learning – Learn More
Career Opportunities & Outlook
Section Contents: Digital Cinema Programs
*The Certificate in Animation & Motion Design is housed within the Emerging Media & Digital Arts program; listed the SOU Catalog.
*The Certificate in Scenic and Environment Design is housed within the Theatre program website.
*The Certificate in Sound Design is housed within the Emerging Media & Digital Arts program website.
*The Broadcast News Production and Film & Business Management micro-credentials are housed within the Communications program website.
Contact the Digital Cinema Program
SOU Digital Cinema Program
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
541.552.6425
– Questions About Digital Cinema? –