Chatham University MFA in Creative Writing

Reviewer's Name:

Amy

Review Date

August 05, 2010

Year of Graduation:

2010

Review Title:

Interesting program, devoted faculty, unique opportunities...

Full Review of the Program:

The MFA in Creative Writing at Chatham University is a really solid program. It is relatively new, and as such its competitiveness is not as high as that of other programs--but what this offers is a community of students that is smaller and more close, with great attention paid to each individual student. The MFA faculty I've had the chance to work with so far really know their subject matter, and are passionate about literature and craft. I'm a creative nonfiction student, and I've found the workshops I've taken to be very helpful, and the students amicable toward one another (I can't speak for every genre, but this has been my experience). I've made a lot of friends and found the courses to be challenging, interesting, and helpful.

Some highlights of Chatham's MFA program include certificates (either Pedagogy, Publishing, or Travel Writing), field seminars (a chance to travel abroad and write about it), a plethora of campus readings and events, and various fellowship opportunities. Additional highlights include very reasonable tuition costs, and an emphasis on nature and environmental writing. As a student pursuing a Certificate in Literary Publishing, I can speak highly of The Fourth River Practicum (a chance for students to work for Chatham's literary journal) and Independent Literary Publishing (a chance to work with an author of your choice, publish, market and sell a chapbook). On the whole, the MFA program is small, but its options far outweigh its size.