The UCD MA in Writing for Stage and Screen builds on the tradition of Irish playwrights, allowing students to write, evolve and reflect on their own creative practices.

Graduates of the MA will leave well-equipped to work in theatre, media, film and the narrative arts.
Intensive one-on-one and group feedback will be given on an ongoing basis. The practical aspects of film-making will also be addressed, with the involvement of professionals from the worlds of film and television. Seminars, process/studio sessions, theatre visits, critical and creative prompts and creative mentorship will also be included.
Respect for diversity of creative approach and the individual aspirations of participants will be central. Graduates will be offered the chance to take part in an advanced “writers-group” after the course, recognising the importance of continuity of care as they make their way in the world of media and the arts.

What will I study?

Students complete a Play/Screenwriting Project, which includes group sessions with members of Fishamble Theatre Company, who are renowned for their role in the development and production of new work. Similar collaborators will be in place for those interested in writing for screen.
Professional contributors over the past number of years include Conor McPherson, Frank McGuinness, and more recently Mark Doherty, Rachel Feehily, Declan Hughes, Sophie Motley and Noelia Ruiz

Students will also study a range of modules, including:
– Writing for Theatre 1 (taught in association with a leading Playwright/Director)
– Writing for Stage 1
– Stagewriting/Screenwriting- Adaptation
– Research and Analysis in Drama and Performance
– Issues and Perspectives
– Creative Writing Project- A play or Screenplay

Graduates of the MA are equipped to work in theatre, media, cultural and educational settings, but, above all to actively pursue their own writing projects. The UCD School of English, Drama and Film offers unique insights to students through its deep involvement in the progress of Irish literary affairs. Many of Ireland’s leading writers were educated at UCD including: Edna O’Brien, Éilís Ní Dhuibhne and Neil Jordan.