The Master's in Creative Writing is a broad program of study (two years, 36 credits) designed to prepare students for careers as writers or other positions requiring similar professional skills, such as editing, publishing, and content development for the web; to enable students to improve their writing in more than one genre through interaction with our faculty and other writing students; and to become experienced critics of literary works.

Most full-time students will be able to complete the program in two years. This program is distinct from the MFA in Creative Writing in that no thesis is required. Except for the thesis, the program is exactly the same as the MFA in Creative Writing.

Admission Requirements

Pre-requisite:

• Have a completed baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, with an overall undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
  If a Student has below a 3.0 GPA, please feel free to apply if you show extreme promise through other achievements. Additional Admissions documents may be requested.
• Six credits of undergraduate courses in writing are recommended, but not required.

Completed application for admission by the posted deadline, including:

• Online application
• Admissions Essay (current prompt found in application portal)
• Curriculum vitae or Resume
• Two official letters of recommendation, preferably written by former writing teachers or professors who can speak to your writing
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Creative writing sample in your primary genre ranging from 10-20 pages (maximum). It can be one creative work or several pieces combined.

Admissions Materials can be uploaded in the application or submitted to:
Chatham University
Office of Graduate Admission-Berry Hall
Woodland Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
graduate@chatham.edu

Integrated Degree Program

Chatham University undergraduates applying through the Integrated Degree Program (IDP) must complete all requirements outlined on their respective admission or track tab on the IDP Portal Site. All IDP applicants should work closely with their academic advisor to ensure they are meeting all requirements according to their IDP course of study.

International Applicants

International Applicants must submit additional documentation to the Office of Admissions. A list of these documents can be found on the International Admission web page.

Learning Outcomes

Students in the Chatham MA program will:

• Develop and hone skills in writing, editing, and revision in the student’s primary genre.
• Demonstrate the ability to read and respond thoughtfully and critically in both oral and written form to other student's work.
• Analyze and write with care about literary texts of considerable difficulty. Recognize critical positions, including the student’s own critical position. Demonstrate a good reading knowledge of modern and contemporary literature. 
• Cultivate a professional identity in terms of self-presentation in both written and oral forms. Write and publicly present (orally) a polished creative manuscript of marketable quality. 

Curriculum

+Degree Requirements

Complete 36 credit hours of graduate coursework beyond the BA or BS. Students who have not completed an undergraduate major in writing, or in English with a writing focus, may be required to take a basic core of 3 course before registering for the advanced curriculum.

One craft course in your primary genre [3 credits]
ENG523	The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres This course may substitute for any other craft course for students specializing in any genre. Students will be introduced to the craft of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, and will also be introduced to the workshop method and given instruction on sending out work for publication.	3
ENG581	The Craft of Fiction This is a required course for MFA students specializing in fiction. Students will experiment with creating scene, sense of place, summary, dialogue, framing, flashbacks, and transitions. Students will be introduced to the workshop method and given instruction on sending work out for publication.	3
ENG582	The Art and Craft of Narrative Readings and writing in this multi-genre course will focus on constructing narratives in fiction, nonfiction, poetry or writing for children. Students will be introduced to the workshop method and given instruction on sending work out for publication.	3
ENG583	The Art and Craft of the Lyric Readings and writing in this multi-genre course will focus on writing lyrically in poetry and prose. Students will be introduced to the workshop method and given instruction on sending work out for publication.	3
Primary genre craft course must be taken during the fall of student's first year. Craft courses are Prerequisites(s): for all workshops of any genre. One readings course in student's primary genre (3) chosen from the following:
ENG531	Readings in Contemporary Lyricism This course is a graduate seminar focusing on the close reading of text from various genres (poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and children's writing) that use lyricism as a primary craft device. Designed to complement the craft workshop, this course or Readings in Contemporary Narrative is required for all MFA students.	3
ENG532	Readings in Prose and Poetry This course is a graduate seminar focusing on the close reading of prose and poetry drawn primarily from the modern and contemporary periods. Designed to complement the craft workshops, this course is required of all MFA students.	3
ENG533	Readings in Contemporary Narrative This course is a graduate seminar focusing on the close reading of narrative texts from several genres (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children's writing), drawn from modern and contemporary periods. Designed to complement craft workshops, this course or Readings in the Contemporary Lyric is required of all MFA students.	3
Readings in prose Two advanced writing workshops (6 credits) in your primary genre chosen from the following:
ENG535	Writing Poetry: Form A poetry writing workshop to focus on form. Pre Requisite: ENG583 Pre-requisites Complete all 2 of the following courses: ENG583 The Craft of Poetry ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres	3
ENG539	Writing Creative Nonfiction: Memoir A creative Non-Fiction workshop focusing mainly on the memoir. Pre requisite: ENG582 Pre-requisites Complete all 2 of the following courses: ENG582 The Craft of Nonfiction ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres	3
ENG537	Writing Poetry: Literary Movements A poetry workshop focusing on readings from a particular poetic movement, and writing poetry that models or responds to movement. Pre-requisite: ENG583 Pre-requisites Complete all 2 of the following courses: ENG583 The Craft of Poetry ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres	3
ENG548	Writing Creative Nonfiction This course is designed to teach the techniques and practice of creative nonfiction through participation in a process of peer review and commentary, reading and discussions of selections of other writers and stories, and regular submissions of original creative compositions. The course is taught in a workshop format. Pre-requisite: ENG582 Pre-requisites Complete all 2 of the following courses: ENG582 The Craft of Nonfiction ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres	3
ENG551	Writing Fiction: The Short Story This course furthers one's technique and practice of fiction writing via focusing on the short story. Classic models are read and analyzed for variety of P.O.V., character development, story structure, etc. Students are expected to participate in ongoing discussions and weekly peer review. This course is taught in a workshop format. Pre-requisites Complete all 2 of the following courses: ENG581 The Craft of Fiction ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres	3
ENG553	Writing Poetry This course is designed to teach the techniques and practice of poetry writing through participation in a process of peer review and commentary, reading and discussions of selections of other poets and poems, and regular submissions of original creative compositions. The course is taught in a workshop format. Pre-requisites Complete all 2 of the following courses: ENG583 The Craft of Poetry ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres	3
ENG554	Writing Fiction This course is designed to teach the techniques and practice of fiction writing through participation in a process of peer review and commentary, reading and discussions of selections of other writers and stories, and regular submissions of original creative compositions. The course is taught in a workshop format. Pre Requisite: ENG581 Pre-requisites Complete any 1 of the following courses: ENG581 The Craft of Fiction ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres ENG582 The Craft of Nonfiction	3
ENG557	Writing Fiction: Story Collections/Novel-in-Stories This course furthers one's technique and practice of fiction writing via studying book length story collections and/or story cycles. Contemporary models are considered for their creative melding of varied themes. P.O.V.'s structures, etc. Students are expected to participate in ongoing discussions and weekly peer review. This course is taught in in a workshop format. Pre requisite: ENG581 Pre-requisites Complete all 2 of the following courses: ENG581 The Craft of Fiction ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres	3
ENG589	Creative Writing: Multi-Genre A multi-genre craft course that includes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, children's writing and hybrid genres. This course fulfills the craft requirement for all genres. Pre-requisites Complete the following course: ENG523 The Craft of Creative Writing: Multiple Genres	3
One of Environmental Imagination or Travel Writing:
ENG584	The Environmental Imagination This is a multi-genre course that focuses on the art and craft of nature and environmental writing. Students will read and study contemporary nature and environmental writing, and will be expected to generate creative work that illustrates a deep understanding of the literary tools available to writers in this genre.	3
ENG585	Travel Writing This course focuses on the art and craft of travel writing. Students will read and study contemporary travel writing, and will be expected to generate creative work that illustrates a deep understanding of the literary tools available to writers in this genre.	3
Four content courses (12 credits), at least 2 of which must be literature-based courses. Sample courses include:
ENG546	Wildness and Literature Students read poetry, nonfiction and fiction that explore the relationship between wilderness and humans as well as the relationship between wilderness and culture. This seminar will trace the idea of wilderness in American literature through the twenty-first century.	3
ENG552	Ecofeminist Literature This course brings together theoretical, non-fictional, and fictional approaches to the study of women and the environment. This course focuses particularly on how representations of women and environment can help students rethink and re-imagine their relationships to the Earth.	3
One elective (3) from any course in the MFA program that does not require pre-requisites