Creative Writing Program Outcomes

Student Outcomes
Students in the Chatham MFA program will:

• hone and develop skills in imaginative writing
• gain a deep understanding of literary genres and their conventions
• gain familiarity with works that expand environmental and place-based consciousness
• gain the critical insight to evaluate their own writing and the writing of others
• write with skill and knowledge about place as a personal, political, and natural manifestation
• develop a unique creative vision that will allow them to work independently to craft a publishable manuscript of poetry, fiction or nonfiction
• develop the oral skills to effectively present their work in public venues
• develop critical writing skills, including an understanding of critical movements and patterns
• gain practical and theoretical knowledge of how to teach creative writing

Students will be evaluated 1) in our courses as they move through our rigorous and carefully sequenced program; and 2) in their theses, book-length literary texts of original poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or a combination of pieces from various genres. Following her or his thesis defense, each student would be expected to do a public reading open to the Chatham community.