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2023 Playwriting & Screenwriting Degree Guide

Playwriting & Screenwriting Degrees Decreasing

#521 Most Popular Major
683 Degrees Awarded
-9.2% Increase in Graduates

Playwriting & Screenwriting was the 521st most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 683 degrees in this year alone. This represents a 9.2% reduction in playwriting and screenwriting degrees awarded over the prior year's total of 746.

This year's Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Schools ranking compares 31 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of playwriting and screenwriting programs later in this article.

2023 Best Colleges for Playwriting & Screenwriting
2023 Overall Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Colleges >

Best Playwriting & Screenwriting Schools by Degree

Associate Degrees in Playwriting & Screenwriting
Bachelor's Degrees in Playwriting & Screenwriting
Master's Degrees in Playwriting & Screenwriting

Playwriting & Screenwriting Degree Requirements

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience is a required skill for playwriting and screenwriting majors. Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents and talking to others to convey information effectively are all required skills for careers related to this major.

Prior Education for a Playwriting and Screenwriting Program

playwriting and screenwriting degree applicants generally need have finished high school or their GED. Many schools may also have GPA and SAT/ACT score minimums that must be met. Once you obtain your degree, additional playwriting and screenwriting certifications required to pursue a career in this field.

Types of Playwriting & Screenwriting Degrees

There are various different levels of playwriting and screenwriting degrees. Playwriting & Screenwriting programs offered by schools range from a to a , which is the highest playwriting and screenwriting degree you can get. How long it takes to complete some common playwriting and screenwriting degree levels is shown below.

Degree Credit Requirements Typical Program Length
Associate Degree 60-70 credits 2 years
Bachelor’s Degree 120 credits 4 years
Master’s Degree 50-70 credits 1-3 years
Doctorate Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation At least 4 years

A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to playwriting and screenwriting, with approximately 30.0% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for playwriting and screenwriting workers below.

Level of Education Percentage of Workers
Master’s Degree 34.6%
Bachelor’s Degree 25.2%
Doctoral Degree 22.1%
Less than a High School Diploma 6.7%
High School Diploma 5.3%

78.1% of playwriting and screenwriting workers have at least a bachelor's. The chart below shows what degree level those who work in playwriting and screenwriting have obtained.

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This of course varies depending on which playwriting and screenwriting career you choose.

Playwriting and Screenwriting Careers

Average Number of Jobs
77.8k Avg. Related Jobs Salary
10% Growth Job Outlook 2016-26

Solid Growth Projected for Playwriting and Screenwriting Careers

Want a job when you graduate with your playwriting and screenwriting degree? Playwriting & Screenwriting careers are expected to grow 9.7% between 2016 and 2026.

The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to playwriting and screenwriting.

Occupation Name Projected Jobs Expected Growth
Writers and Authors 141,200 7.6%
Art, Drama, and Music Professors 137,200 12.0%

Playwriting and Screenwriting Degree Salary Potential

As you might expect, salaries for playwriting and screenwriting graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.

Highest Paid Playwriting and Screenwriting Careers

Salaries for playwriting and screenwriting graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers playwriting and screenwriting grads often go into.

Occupation Name Median Average Salary
Art, Drama, and Music Professors $82,560
Writers and Authors $73,090

Getting Your Playwriting & Screenwriting Degree

With over 87 different playwriting and screenwriting degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased playwriting and screenwriting school rankings to help you with this.

Playwriting & Screenwriting is one of 9 different types of Drama & Theater Arts programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Theater Arts 11,385
Acting 1,793
Theater Design & Technology 1,164
Musical Theater 995
Other Dramatic/Theatre Arts & Stagecraft 862

View All Playwriting and Screenwriting Related Majors >

References

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