The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a broad program of study (42 credit hours) 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. Our focus on nature, environmental, and travel writing provides students unique opportunities to explore the world and travel as part of their degree programs.

Most full-time students will be able to complete the program in two years. All students must complete the program within five years of entrance into the program.

Program of Study:
Complete 42 credits 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 courses before registering for the advanced curriculum.

Admission Requirements

Early Decision Deadline for Fall 2020 for Fellowship/Assistantship MFACW Interviews: Feb 15

Recommended regular application deadline for FALL entry: April 1

Note: applications will continue to be accepted and considered for admission as long as seats remain in the class.

• 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 (3.5 or higher recommended for Assistantship/Fellowship consideration).
• 6 credits in undergraduate Writing are recommended, but not required.
  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.
• Complete application for admission, including:
  • Online application
  • In approximately 500 words, please explain why you are interested in pursuing this degree.  How will the degree impact your future personal and career goals? 
  • Curriculum vita or resume
  • Two official letters of recommendation, preferably written by former writing teachers or professors who know your writing
  • Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
  • Writing Sample ranging from 10-20 (maximum) pages. It can be one work or several pieces combined. Please provide on standard 8 ½ x 11 paper.

Admissions Materials may be submitted to:
Chatham University
Office of Graduate Admission
Woodland Road
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Fax:  (412) 365-1609
Email: graduate@chatham.edu

For specific questions about the Program, please reach out to Rachel Fiscus at 412-365-1141 or at r.fiscus@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.

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the MFA program students will:

• Develop and hone skills in creating, editing and revising in the student's primary genre.
• Demonstrate ability to read and respond thoughtfully and critically in both oral and written form to other student’s work.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how to perform in a workshop situation.
• Recognize and write within the genres of nature, environmental or travel writing.
• Write and publically present (orally) a polished creative manuscript of marketable quality.
• Cultivate a professional identity in terms of self-presentation in both written and oral forms to include reading their work aloud at public venues, interviewing other writers, attending outside readings, writing book reviews and organizing literary events.
• Demonstrate understanding of the theory and practice of literary publishing, including the practice of submitting work to literary journals and/or to quality trade publishers.
• Develop a nuanced sense of place and the ways in which place is important to the student’s work.
• Travel to a national or international destination and generate creative works from that experience
• Analyze and write with care about literary texts of considerable difficulty.
• Recognize critical positions and literary arguments, including the student’s own critical and aesthetic position.
• Demonstrate a good reading knowledge of modern and contemporary literature and how the student’s own work fits within a literary tradition.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the theory and practice of teaching creative writing.

Curriculum

+Degree Requirements

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
Note: Primary genre craft course must be taken during the fall of student’s first year. Craft courses are Prerequisite(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
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	3
ENG539	Writing Creative Nonfiction: Memoir A creative Non-Fiction workshop focusing mainly on the memoir. Pre requisite: ENG582	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	3
ENG544	Writing Creative Nonfiction: The Lyric & Formally Adventurous Essay A creative non-fiction workshop focused on lyric and experimental essay forms.	3
ENG545	Writing Creative Nonfiction: Literary Journalism A creative non-fiction workshop focusing on literary journalism. Pre Requisite: ENG 582	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	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.	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.	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	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	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.	3
ONE of Nature Writing 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 which must be literature-based courses. Sample courses include:
ENG527	Ethnicity and Place This course focuses on the connection between geographic places and cultural identities. Ethnic, regional, and linguistic markers help define writers' distinctive voices. Dislocation from the place of origination can also result in a creative tension. Students will read a variety of texts that explore the borderlands between ethnicity and place.	3
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
ENG562	Children's Literature Designed to complement "Writing for Children and Adolescents," this course surveys the best of children’s fiction and nonfiction and encourages the student to examine issues of plot, story development, character, setting, and creative use of language.	3
Note: Students in Writing for Children Track are required to take ENG 562, Children’s Literature, as one of their literature courses.
ONE elective (3) from any course in the MFA program that does not require pre-requisites.
ONE ENG710 Summer Community of Writers (6)
ONE Thesis Seminar corresponding to the student's primary genre (3). Choose from:
ENG605	Prose Thesis Seminar A workshop focusing on generating a thesis proposal, bibliography and significant creative work towards completion of the student's thesis. Readings will focus on creating and articulating a creative process and vision as well as models for longer creative projects. Normally taken the first semester of the student's second year, this course is a prerequisite for ENG698 Final Manuscript.	3
ENG606	Thesis Seminar A workshop focusing on generating a thesis proposal, bibliography and significant creative work towards completion of the student's thesis. Readings will focus on creating and articulating a creative process and vision as well as models for longer creative projects. Normally taken the first semester of the student's second year, this course is a prerequisite for ENG698 Final Manuscript.	3
ENG607	Thesis Seminar: Poetry A workshop focusing on generating a thesis proposal, bibliography and significant creative work towards completion of the student's thesis. Readings will focus on creating and articulating a creative process and vision as well as models for longer creative projects. Normally taken the first semester of the student's second year, this course is a prerequisite for ENG698 Final Manuscript.	3
Note: The Thesis Seminar is a prerequisite for Final Manuscript (698)
ONE ENG 698 Final Manuscript (3)

+Dual-Genre Concentration Requirements

By taking a craft course and one writing workshop in their secondary genre, students may attain their MFA with a Dual Concentration. Thus, students choosing this option will take one craft course, one reading course and three credits in workshops for their primary genre and one craft course plus six credits of workshops for the secondary genre. The Thesis Project for Dual Concentration may be composed of work in either genre or a combination of both.

+Concentration in the Teaching of Writing

Students who wish to earn a Concentration in the Teaching of Writing take an additional nine credits specifically in courses designed to study the pedagogy of writing. Students earning this concentration take related course work throughout the degree program aimed at increasing their knowledge and understanding of current theoretical and practical approaches to the teaching of creative writing. During the final semester, students teach in a field placement that they design and implement in a working classroom or other approved setting.

ENG514	Readings in the Pedagogy of Creative Writing This course is a pre-requisite for ENG515 and focuses on the theoretical and pedagogical readings related to the teaching of creative writing.	3
ENG515	Teaching Creative Writing Students will explore the genres of poetry, fiction, drama, and nonfiction from the perspective of a teacher, producing lesson plans, as well as developing a final curricular creative writing unit/course. Aspects of lesson design, classroom environment/management, the writing process, writing workshops, assessment, publication, and performance will be emphasized.	3
ENG678	Field Placement During this course, taken in one of the final semesters of the M.F.A., students teach/study in a supervised field placement and practice the pedagogy of creative writing in a working classroom.	3

+Concentration in Literary Publishing

Students who wish to concentrate in literary publishing may take nine hours of related courses to do so.

Choose from:
ENG595	Independent Literary Publishing This course gives students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience as publishers. Students will research independent literary presses or magazines of their own choosing, and then they will publish a literary chapbook by an author other than themselves.	3
ENG569	Practicum: Fourth River Journal-2 This course is a practicum in which grad students publish the print edition of Chatham's national literary journal, The Fourth River. All phases of the publishing process are addressed, with a special emphasis on design, production, proofreading, marketing, and distribution.	3
ENG694	Internship Internship with a publishing company, literary press or other writing organization.	3

+Concentration in Travel Writing

Students who wish to concentrate in Travel Writing must take nine hours of related courses to do so.

Choose from:
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
ENG674	Field Seminar: International The field seminar is a traveling creative writing workshop designed to push students outside the realm of comfort and make them question their assumptions about themselves and their culture. Travel locations and specific topics will vary, but will always be outside the United States. May be repeated for credit. Additional fee(s): Field Seminar fee.	3
ENG676	Artists in the Community The field seminar is a traveling creative writing workshop designed to push students outside the realm of comfort and make them question their assumptions about themselves and their culture. Travel locations and specific topics will vary, but will be within Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania. May be repeated for credit. Additional fee(s): Field Seminar fee.	3
ENG693	Independent Study Independent study on topics of the student’s choosing.	3

+Concentration in Nature Writing

Students who wish to concentrate in Nature Writing must take nine hours of related courses to do so.

Choose from:
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
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
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

+Concentration in Food Writing

Students who choose the Food Writing Concentration may count one of the FST courses as one of their MFA required content courses, and may count the other FST course as an elective. With permission of the MFA and Food Studies Program Directors students may choose to substitute a special topics Food Studies course (i.e., FST 602 Grains FST610 Culture and Politics of Sustainable Meat; FST 531 Fermentation; FST 609 Dairy; or FST 6XX Chocolate)

Required:
ENG513	Writing About Food Students will develop technique and skills for writing about food and culture by studying ethics; journalism, advertising, multimodal and new technology venues, recipe writing, food criticism, writing about food in a variety of genres from history to fiction, magazines, and websites. Course emphasizes both print and online media.	3
Plus two of the following:
FST505	Food and Representations Food is elemental to survival, culture, home, and subjectivity - to rituals of love, loss, and celebration. Focusing on representations of food and eating in spiritual narratives, epic texts, myth, novels, and film, this class examines the cultural work food performs along with the varying meanings assigned to food and eating.	3
FST683	Special Topics Special Topics	3
FST603	Food Journeys From the Columbian Exchange to eco-tourism food travels the world, the traveler journeys through food, and the citizen consumes place and goods in a journey towards selfhood. This course examines food and geographic movement with an applied emphasis on culinary tourism and writing about food in global and local contexts.	3

Contact

Sheila Squillante

Program Director

ssquillante@chatham.edu

(412) 365 - 1190