Chatham University

MFA Program

See writers who attended this program
Program Established: 
2002
Location: 
Pittsburgh, PA
Genre: 
Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
Residency: 
Full
Duration: 
2 Years
Incoming Class Size: 
8-10
Application Deadline: 
February 1, 2026
Application Fee: 
$0
Contact E-mail: 
Contact Name: 
Sheila Squillante
Core Faculty Includes: 

David Blackmore: pedagogy, literature
Heather McNaugher: poetry, nonfiction, literature
Marc Nieson: fiction, travel Writing, literature
Anjali Sachdeva: climate fiction, speculative fiction, literature
Sheila Squillante: poetry, nonfiction, publishing, pedagogy

Funding/Employment Opportunities: 

The program offers partial funding. The program offers teaching fellowships, teaching assistantships, the Margaret Lehr Whitford Fellowship, and the Fourth River Fellowship.

Affiliated Publications/Publishers: 
Other Features: 

The program offers the Fallingwater Residency in Nature and Place-Based Writing, a five-day experience at Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece just outside of Pittsburgh. It also features specialty courses in food writing, nature writing, travel writing, pedagogy, publishing, and social engagement.

Through a Pennsylvania state grant, students have the opportunity to mentor underserved Pittsburgh area high school students. The pedagogy courses train students to teach in college settings and in community spaces.

The application deadline for funding and early decision is February 15, and requires a 3.5 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale; regular decision applications will continue to be accepted and considered for admission until July 1.

Graduates: 

Chris Barzak, Laura Jackson, Elias Dubus, Caitlyn Hunter, Derek Maiolo, Sarah Capdeville, Lisa Slage Robinson, Robert Isenberg, Sarah Reis, Cedric Rudolph, Mark Anthony Rolo, Ryan Rydzewski, Christine Stroud, Karen Zhang

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