Certificate of Achievement - Screenwriting

Film and media have profound impacts on how we view the world and ourselves. Film and Media Studies explores the theory, criticism and history of motion pictures and of continually evolving media platforms that shape and influence our everyday lives.

The Film and Media Studies Department at Santa Barbara City College offers a wide variety of courses designed for film majors and interested non-majors who wish to enhance their knowledge and appreciation of film and media as part of their undergraduate education. Students are exposed to a vast array of films from the classic to the contemporary, including both American and international works.

SBCC Students are able to immerse themselves in film and media research and analysis in an academic setting, as well as in current film industry practices. The Film and Media Studies program offers a vast survey of courses on-campus, online, internationally through Study Abroad, and at film festivals, such as the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, AFI Fest in Hollywood, and the Los Angeles International Film Festival. Students also have the opportunity to gain practical work experience through the Film and Media Studies internship program.

The required courses in the Film and Media Studies Screenwriting Certificate track are designed to provide students with an introduction to film and media literature, film and media criticism and theory, a basic knowledge of film history and the motion picture industry, and a familiarity with major directors, actors and practitioners of cinema. Screenwriting courses are designed to provide students with introduction, intermediate, and advanced screenwriting skills related to script development, research, outlines, scene and sequence analyses, treatments, draft editing, and completion of a final screenplay. The courses lead to an advanced study of the structure, development, pacing, and revision of a completed screenplay. In addition to analyzing feature film and television screenplays, students complete a final draft of a screenplay, learn how to edit and revise it, how to pitch it, and how to market it.

All applicants must have the equivalent of a 2.00 U.S. GPA.

Submit a copy of your transcript.
Studied for a minimum of 3 years in English at an international secondary school.
Attended a US high school or secondary school in a country where English is the primary language of instruction for at least one year.
Completed all years of study in a secondary school in Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, or Dutch countries and received passing grades in English.
Attended a U.S. college or university for at least one semester (non-ESL courses).
Attended at least one semester of non-ESL courses at a college or university where English is the primary language of instruction.
Submit a copy of your test result showing one of the minimum scores listed below.
IELTS: 5.5
TOEFL: PBT 450, CBT 160, IBT 60
Pearson Test of English: 45
PTE Academic: 44
High School/College Transcripts
Transcripts for all coursework completed in high school (secondary school), English language programs, and university or college. Transcripts should be translated into English by an official translator and/or translating agency.
Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for admission purposes.
Official transcripts are required for athletic eligibility, and may be submitted at a later date.
If you are under 18 years old at the time of your first semester start date, you will need to submit a high school diploma.
A high school diploma is not required for students who are 18 years old or older.