Programs in playwriting and screenwriting prepare people to write and edit scripts for live theater, television, and films. Students learn how to write dialogs for actors, how to create scenes, and how to write camera or stage instructions. They also learn to read and develop scripts that are written by others.

"Scriptwriting [for film] is the toughest part of the whole racket. . . the least understood and the least noticed." So said Frank Capra, director of the movies "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and "It's a Wonderful Life."

But don't let this famous director's claim deter you. If you have a script for a play or a film in your head that you're dying to put into writing, or if you want to learn how to improve an existing script, you may find the right kind of help in a playwriting or screenwriting program.

Fortunately, we've come a long way since the screenplays of Frank Capra's day - even longer since the great bard Shakespeare was writing plays. Thanks to motion pictures, videos, television, and even the Internet, many more writers can find markets and forums for their works these days. And with computers and word processing programs, writers can also revise and edit their work much more easily.

But even though more writers see their plays and dramas in performance, not all of them necessarily match Shakespeare or other dramatic masters for depth or quality. Studying in a playwriting or screenwriting program helps you to develop and refine your craft so that you can write outstanding dramatic literature.

In this program of study, you take a combination of courses in literature, the visual arts, cinema, theater, and practical techniques. You typically study dramatic literature, analyze films, and try to extract practical lessons from these examples. You get a chance to present your work in workshops so that you and your colleagues can constructively critique each other's writing. You also learn the basics of filmmaking and theatrical production. These courses help guide you from first draft to umpteenth draft, idea to finished production.

A few colleges and universities offer programs that lead to bachelor's and master's of fine arts degrees in playwriting and screenwriting. Many of these schools offer these programs as concentrations in a general creative writing degree curriculum. For this reason, these programs are often connected to either the English, creative writing, or theater departments at a school.

In general, a bachelor's degree takes about four years of full-time study after high school. A master's degree takes between one to three years after that.

Some schools do offer independent playwriting and screenwriting programs for both bachelor's and master's degrees. In addition, you can sometimes earn a certificate, which typically takes about a year of full-time study.