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The application deadline is July 1st, but the priority deadline for funding is February 15. Applications will be accepted after the deadline if space is available in the program.
Chatham offers an MFA (36 credit hours) in Creative Writing and an MA (30 credit hours) in Creative Writing. The majority of our students who choose a full-time academic schedule are completing either program in under two years.
A number of teaching assistantships are available to full-time, first-year students that help defray the cost of the tuition while also earning valuable experience.
In 2016 Publisher's Weekly named the program one of five distinctive MFA programs in the nation. In 2007 the Atlantic Monthly named the program one of the top five innovative MFA programs in the U.S.
The MFACW/MACW is a broad program of study designed to prepare students for careers as writers or positions requiring similar skills, such as editing, publishing, and content development for the web; to enable students to improve their writing through interaction with our faculty and other writing students; and to become experienced critics of literary works.
The Chatham MFA is thrilled to announce the launch of The Fallingwater Residency in Nature & Place-Based Writing. Join us for an immersion into creativity, community, and nature during this five-day writing residency at the Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece and UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fallingwater. The first residency is scheduled for June 16-20, 2025.
Explore the Residency : Checkerboard 1 - The Fallingwater Residency
The Graduate Creative Writing programs host the Emerging Black Writers-in-Residence program, which aims to support and feature the art and teaching of young Black writers. Pittsburgh writer Sakena Jwan Washington is the current Emerging Black Writer-in-Residence.
Emerging Black Writers-in-Residence : Checkerboard 2 - Emerging Black Writers-in-Residence Program
A number of research, special projects, and teaching assistantships are available to full-time, first-year students that can help defray the cost of tuition while also earning valuable, hands-on experience. Positions include a full tuition fellowship, a position working with The Fourth River literary magazine, and multiple teaching assistant positions.
View Funding Opportunities : Checkerboard 3 - Research & Teaching Assistantships
Chatham's Creative Writing (MFACW) faculty members are accomplished teachers, scholars, practitioners, and active leaders in the field. They serve as mentors and advisors and are there for you every step of the way.
Meet the Faculty : Checkerboard 4 - Program Faculty
Students interested in learning about the publishing industry can take ENG: 568 The Fourth River Practicum, where they have the opportunity to work as an assistant editor for The Fourth River, Chatham's national journal of nature- and place-based writing. ENG 595: Independent Literary Publishing teaches students to create and run their own literary press. There are also many opportunities for publishing internships in the Pittsburgh area, with many of our students earning internships for Autumn House Press, Creative Nonfiction, and Pittsburgh Quarterly.
Our pedagogy courses offer interested students the opportunity to learn how to teach composition and creative writing in a traditional college classroom, as well as in alternative community spaces such as libraries, youth centers, retirement homes, halfway houses, and more. Through a PA State grant program, we partner with area high schools where graduate students serve as tutors and mentors, earning stipends and gaining valuable classroom experience.
Rachel Carson ’29 is Chatham's most distinguished alumna. In her honor, students may choose from various literature courses focusing on the natural world, including Ecofeminism, Wildness and Literature, Nature and Culture, and Writing about Food, as well as a course in Environmental Imagination. The Fourth River, our national literary journal, focuses on nature and place-based writing.
Learn About Rachel Carson : Checkerboard 7 - Nature & Environment
Our MFA program offers the opportunity to meet and learn from established authors of all genres. The Melanie Brown Lecturer Series is presented each year through the generosity of The Melanie and Fred R. Brown Endowed Fund, and the selection of each year's Lecturer is guided by the desire to highlight fiction writers with a strong sense of place in her or his writing. Similarly, our annual Dialogues Reading Series invites authors of international renown to visit our campus and host readings and lectures on craft.
The cost of a graduate degree consists of university tuition (per credit charge), fees, and any other personal expenses you may require for earning your degree. Chatham also offers a 20% corporate partner discount, graduate assistantships, and professional campus work positions for many graduate programs that can help make a Chatham graduate education more affordable. Our Financial Aid and Admissions offices will also work with you to understand loan and financing options available.
Explore Tuition & Funding : Checkerboard 9 - Tuition & Funding
Start the next steps in your graduate journey at Chatham University by visiting campus or attending upcoming events. Join virtual info sessions, open houses, or admitted student sessions to learn about our programs and the application process, interact with faculty, and experience the Chatham community. Click the button below to view the schedule and register, and email graduate@chatham.edu with any questions.
View Graduate Event Schedule : Checkerboard 10 - Visits & Events
Interested in learning more? Sign up for the Chatham MFA program newsletter by clicking the button below.
Sign Up for Our Newsletter : Checkerboard 11 - Read Our Newsletter
Word Circus is a monthly reading series presented by the Chatham MFA Creative Writing Program in collaboration with Most Wanted Fine Art Gallery.
