The New York Film Academy Associate of Fine Art degree programs are stand-alone degree programs intended to prepare students for a career in the industry. They are designed to give students the opportunity to focus almost exclusively on the subject in a studio based curriculum without standard distribution requirements. These AFA programs are not intended to be components of longer bachelor's degree programs nor are they structured for transfer.

Screenwriters play a critical role in the creation of every film and television show. Screenwriting is a learned craft, and a writer must write every day to train for the demands of this field, and to truly understand the elements that make a screenplay or teleplay functional, as well as engaging.