Gotham Writers' Workshop is based in New York City. It offers a wide variety of online creative writing courses including beginning and advanced screenwriting. Each course spans10 weeks and is taught with lectures, exercises and instructor feedback. Students learn the craft of screenwriting through lectures then apply the techniques and create a feature-length screenplay.
E-Script offers 5- and 10-week screenwriting courses via email. The courses consist of weekly tutorials followed by an assigned exercise. The professional instructors review the completed exercises and offer feedback and suggestions for improvement. Courses can be completed on your schedule and the instructors will respond to questions via email.
Syd Field has taught professional screenwriting for more than 25 years. He offers a 5-week online screenwriting course delivered in weekly audio files that you can download and listen to as many times as you wish. The course starts with the inception of your story idea and ends with the creation of a 4-page treatment for use as a proposal to the film industry.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison offers an online screenwriting course titled "Write Your First Draft Fast". The course is delivered in six units, each covering a different aspect of the screenwriting process. These include creating a salable script, story structure, characterization and scene work. Each unit includes suggested reading, handouts and writing assignments designed to build on your understanding of the screenwriting process.
Screenwriter.com offers a masters class in screenwriting delivered in two or three evening sessions in a live chat room with master-level screenwriters. Topics of discussion include screenplay structure, premise, characters and important movies and television shows. Classes are two hours and provide the opportunity for beginning screenwriters to learn from professionals currently working in the film industry.