You can develop communication and creative skills and work with American, British and world literature with an English minor from Carlow University. You will develop critical thinking and analytical skills highly sought by employers, and refine your writing skills.

You can adapt your learning experience to suit your academic and professional goals. Possible professions include law, teaching and professional writing.

You will be encouraged to engage with literature that intrigues you, including crime fiction, literature in translation and environmental justice literature.

This minor is open to any major. A minimum of 18 credits in English is required.

Required Courses

  • Chaucer
  • Introduction to Linguistics
  • Shakespeare

You can give yourself a competitive edge in the job market with a Marketing minor from Carlow University. In this program, you will learn how to understand consumer behavior and how people think, and how to apply marketing theory to consumer practice. You will gain hands-on experience in writing and research with an emphasis on creativity. 

The Marketing minor is particularly beneficial to students who plan to plan to pursue positions in the areas of copywriting, advertising, market analysis, public relations, and social media management.

The Marketing minor is open to any major. Since there are many facets to marketing, the minor is designed to give you the basics in marketing principles, business management and media relations. You will choose two electives from communications and business.

Required courses include:

  • Introduction to Business Management 
  • Marketing
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Public Relations

You can give yourself a competitive edge in the job market with a Modern Languages minor from Carlow University. You will take six semesters of a foreign language. Credits earned while studying abroad or during enrollment at Carlow University, earned at another college or university, or earned through study at a Pennsylvania Council of Higher Education institution are accepted.

Required courses include:

  • Introduction to Linguistics

Join a community of writers from all walks of life on an immersive and personalized educational journey. Our faculty and mentors have uniquely designed a low-residency, personalized program geared toward helping you discover and reach your full writing potential in fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry.  

An integral part of the program are four, 11-day residencies, in Pittsburgh and Dublin, Ireland, that create an opportunity for you to engage and interface with fellow students, staff, mentors, and visiting renowned writers.

You will work one-on-one with American and Irish Mentors. With their expert guidance and your skill, you will become the writer you were meant to be.

Quick facts

  • Sharpen your writing and storytelling skills in fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry
  • Learn an immersive and supportive community
  • Travel to Pittsburgh and Ireland for engaging 11-day residencies with internationally-known writers
Group of MFA students sitting around a table discussing ideas
In Grace Library, spanning the third and fourth floor of the University Commons, there are numerous quiet spaces and study rooms for individuals and groups to use.
Credits Required:

36 credits

Cost per credit:

$1,228/credit

Time to degree:

As few as 5 semesters

Delivery:

On campus, some online

You will work one-on-one with mentors both virtually and in person as you explore writing genres and engage in four, 11-day residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin, Ireland. The residencies include workshops, masterclasses, and mentor conferences as well as opportunities to engage with visiting writers and alumni.

In a required practicum, you will work on a writing and reading plan and submit work for critique, review, and collaborative feedback. By the end of the program, you will produce a publishable body of work.

Choose the creative writing specialization that is best for you

Choose the creative writing area that best fits your career goals and personal aspirations. Each specialization provides you with the opportunity to hone the writing and storytelling skills for that area.

drawing of notepad with pencil on it

Fiction

Develop your author’s voice and explore your creativity as you learn to write with a fiction focus. Choose from historical fiction, flash fiction, and young adult fiction. 

drawing of pen on booklet

Creative Nonfiction

Explore memoirs, personal essays, short narrative work, and lyric essays as you find the voice and structure that best suits your story.

drawing of pen on paper

Poetry

Understand the theories and treatment skills needed to work with a Explore your creativity, refine your voice, collaborate with other students and work with acclaimed and published poets to develop a publishable body of work.

MFA Mentors
Our American and Irish Mentors

Award-winning American and Irish writers mentor students in Carlow’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program with residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin. Our MFA mentors are dedicated teachers and writers whose work has been recognized in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Within an inclusive, supportive community, our mentors are committed to helping each student achieve their full writing potential.

View or download our latest e-newsletter [pdf].

Scholarship funds are available to current MFA students. Scholarships are awarded in spring and fall. Applications are evaluated by the program director and the scholarship committee. If you are interested in being considered for available scholarship funds, please send a letter of interest to Tess Barry, MFA Program Director, at tbbarry@carlow.edu. The letter should include a brief personal statement (250-500 words). 

There are two graduate assistantships available each semester. Applications for graduate assistantships are evaluated by the program director and MFA staff.

  • The Graduate Assistant for Residency Planning helps the MFA administrative team coordinate the logistics for the two-week writing residency each semester. (Spring GA will work on the June Dublin residency; Fall GA will work on the January Pittsburgh residency.) Approximate time commitment is 10 hours/week. The GA will receive a stipend and tuition remission.
  • The Graduate Assistant for Communications and Recruitment will work with the MFA administration team on social media, marketing and advertising, special events, and recruitment efforts. Approximate time commitment is 10 hours/week. The GA will receive a stipend and tuition remission.
  • The Teaching Assistant for the MFA program will teach an undergraduate research and writing course, Foundations of Writing (either I or II). The course is 3 credit hours; The GA will receive a stipend and be paid at the adjunct rate.

If you are interested in being considered for a GA or TA position, email calls for those positions will be posted to all enrolled students in the spring of each year.

  • Official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions you have attended
  • Two essays: Self-assessment of your writing ability and a critical response to a substantive piece of literature
  • Authored work (should match chosen specialization): 25 pages of fiction you authored, 25 pages of nonfiction you authored, or 10 poems you authored
  • Current resume or curriculum vitae
  • Two letters of recommendation that address your leadership potential and ability to succeed in graduate-level work
Apply

anytime

Start terms:

Spring & Summer

If you are interested in this graduate program, our Admissions team is available to help you with the next steps, including scheduling an on-campus visit or attending an upcoming event.


20th anniversary MFA logo

Expand your writing opportunities with an MFA in creative nonfiction

Experienced, published faculty will guide you on your writing journey in this program. You can explore memoirs, personal essays, short narrative work and lyric essays. A mentor will guide you to find the voice and structure that best suits your story.

You can take your writing skills to the next level and explore your creativity within a supportive literary community.

A Carlow students sits at her desk with her laptop. Her hands are folded and she is smiling at the camera.
Credits required:

36 credits

Cost per credit:

$1,124/credit

Time to degree:

As few as 5 semesters

Delivery:

On campus, some online

Nonfiction MFA curriculum

Carlow’s MFA in creative nonfiction program includes four 11-day residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin, Ireland, that feature workshops, master classes and mentor conferences. Practicum work will be on a writing and reading plan designed with your mentor; you will submit work for critique, review and collaborative feedback. 

By the end of the program, you will create a book-length work of publishable creative nonfiction. Seminars, lectures and readings in all genres are also available.

Quick Facts

  • Elevate your learning with small class sizes and a strong literary community
  • Cultivate connections with peers and faculty
  • Adapt your learning experience to your schedule
  • Learn to critique creative nonfiction
A female student in the nonfiction creative writing program

Career opportunities for Nonfiction writers

With the writing and creating thinking skills gained from this program, you will be well equipped to become a writing lecturer or published author or write for magazines and other publications.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for editors is slated to decrease 7% over the next 10 years, though many supplement their income with freelance work.

MFA Mentors
Our American and Irish Mentors

Award-winning American and Irish writers mentor students in Carlow’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program with residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin. Our MFA mentors are dedicated teachers and writers whose work has been recognized in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Within an inclusive, supportive community, our mentors are committed to helping each student achieve their full writing potential.

Admission requirements and application process

You can apply for free online, and must submit the following materials:

  • Official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions you have attended
  • Two essays: Self-assessment of your writing ability and a critical response to a substantive piece of literature
  • 25 pages of nonfiction you authored
  • Current resume or curriculum vitae
  • Two letters of recommendation that address your leadership potential and ability to succeed in graduate-level work
Apply

anytime

Start terms:

Spring & Summer

An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred; however, provisional admission is also possible if you do not meet all of the admission criteria but exhibit a strong possibility of academic success.

Georgia Hertz, MFA graduate
Processed with VSCO with c6 preset

Writer found a home among her Carlow peers and mentors

Creative writing graduate student Georgia Hertz ’23 loved the community she found at Carlow. “Writing – like any artform – can be a lonely path to tread, but it doesn’t have to be done in isolation. Never have I felt such warmth and compassion from a group of writers as I have from my peers and mentors at Carlow University, both in Pittsburgh and in Dublin. We all delight in our growth as writers and we celebrate each other’s successes with love, as if they were our own.”

Nonfiction MFA faculty

Contact Admissions

If you are interested in this graduate program, our Admissions team is available to help you with the next steps, including scheduling an on-campus visit or attending an upcoming event.

Earn your Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing: Poetry at Carlow

You can begin the journey toward becoming a published poet with a MFA in Poetry from Carlow University. You will explore your creativity, refine your voice, collaborate with other students and work with acclaimed and published poets. 

Three students look at a computer screen. One is pointing. They are all smiling.
Credits required:

36 credits

Cost per credit:

$1,124/credit

Time to degree:

As few as 5 semesters

Delivery:

On campus, some online

Poetry degree curriculum

Carlow’s MFA in Poetry program includes four 11-day residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin, Ireland, that feature workshops, master classes, seminars, lectures and readings. Practicum work will be on a writing and reading plan designed with your mentor; you will submit work for critique, review and collaborative feedback. By the end of the program, you will create a book-length manuscript of publishable poetry.

Quick facts

  • Develop your critical engagement with poetry
  • Prepare a publishable body of work
  • Cultivate connections with peers and faculty
  • Adapt your learning experience to your schedule

MFA in Creative Writing grad says Carlow helped her confidence

“The experience has sharpened my perspective, not just in the written expression but also in my perspective on life and the realization of the power of my voice to function as a transformative force for change.”

— Sheila Carter-Jones, MFA ’22

Career opportunities for Poetry

With your master’s in Poetry, you will be well equipped to work as a creative writing professor or become a published poet.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for poets is slated to decline 2% over the next 10 years, but many poets go on to publish their work in literary magazines and other outlets.

MFA Mentors
Our American and Irish Mentors

Award-winning American and Irish writers mentor students in Carlow’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program with residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin. Our MFA mentors are dedicated teachers and writers whose work has been recognized in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Within an inclusive, supportive community, our mentors are committed to helping each student achieve their full writing potential.

Admission requirements and application process

You can apply for free online, and must submit the following materials:

  • Official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions you have attended
  • Two essays: Self-assessment of your writing ability and a critical response to a substantive piece of literature
  • 10 poems you authored
  • Current resume or curriculum vitae
  • Two letters of recommendation that address your leadership potential and ability to succeed in graduate-level work
Apply

anytime

Start terms:

Spring & Summer

An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred; however, provisional admission is also possible if you do not meet all of the admission criteria but exhibit a strong possibility of academic success.

Phillip Border, MFA Poetry Graduate
Olivia Miller, ’21, biology major and runner on the track & field/cross country team.

Be a part of the Carlow Community

Creative writing graduate student Phillip Border ’22 said he’s amazed by the program’s ability to maintain such a strong sense of community despite many challenges. “Every member of the poetry, fiction and CNF programs all feel like extended family members to me. They are always checking up on me to see what’s new with my writing and to keep up on all of my forthcoming publications.

MFA Poetry faculty

Contact Admissions

If you are interested in this graduate program, our Admissions team is available to help you with the next steps, including scheduling an on-campus visit or attending an upcoming event.

Carlow University’s healthcare degree programs will help you learn how to become a good leader and teach you the skills needed to provide the best in patient care. You’ll master skills highly sought after by employers.

Carlow University’s Health Coach minor is designed for students who seek to work with patients or in a health care setting but not necessarily in direct patient care. Drawing from many disciplines, the minor explores concepts, theories, practices and research that are essential to developing leadership skills to create career-ready leaders who will facilitate positive change in health care delivery.

The minor can improve your career marketability in the growing health care field.

The Health Coach minor, open to any major, consists of 19 credits (4 required, 2 chosen).

Required courses include:

  • Biomedical Ethics
  • Communication and Health Care
  • Health Coach (offered online)
  • Wellness across the Adult Lifespan

Choice of two from the following:

  • Anatomy and Physiology
  • Crisis Intervention
  • Intro to Epidemiology
  • Introduction to Counseling or Introduction to Case Management
  • Management in Health Services
  • Narrative Writing in Healthcare
  • Networking in the Community
  • Organizational Communications
  • Respiratory Care Education

You can learn to help others increase their quality of life and understanding of health with a Healthcare Management minor. You will gain the skills you need to provide for patient care and well-being while establishing a foundational understanding of management in health services and business management concepts.

The Healthcare Management minor will prepare you for a number of career opportunities, including health care advocacy and working in physicians’ practices and long-term care. You will gain experience with health services management, project management and business management, along with some exposure to information technology training.

Required courses include:

  • Chemistry in Everyday Life
  • Introduction to Management in Health Services
  • Principles of Marketing
  • Biomedical Ethics

Get on track to become an occupational therapist: 3-Year Degree

You can prepare for graduate-level studies or move into work in health care with a Pre-Occupational Therapy 3-Year Degree from Carlow University. In this fast-track program, you will establish a working knowledge of Occupational Therapy and learn critical thinking and leadership skills.

Upon completion, you will meet the curricular prerequisites for Carlow’s graduate-level Occupational Therapy program, as well as most Occupational Therapy programs around the country. 

A group of college students sit outside the library. Some are on laptops and some are reading books.
Degree:

Bachelor of Science

Delivery:

On campus, some online

Campus:

Oakland

Transfer credits:

Evaluated on an individual basis

Pre-Occupational Therapy degree curriculum

The Pre-Occupational Therapy program allows you to take courses in fall, spring and summer, with summer courses offered completely online. 

First-year courses include Introduction to Health Professions, Introduction to Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, Foundations of Cell and Molecular Biology, Foundations of Organismal Biology, Quantitative Reasoning, Foundations of Writing I, and Contemplation and Action. Second-year courses include Neuroanatomy, Neurophysiology, Introduction to Sociology, Physics of the Human Body, Life Span Developmental Psychology, and Abnormal Psychology. Third-year courses include Pathology for Rehabilitation, Pathophysiology and Clinical Kinesiology, General Chemistry I, Microbiology, Epidemiology, and Communications in Health Care. The program also includes practicums, labs and internships.

Quick facts

  • Save time and money with a shorter program
  • Enter the workforce or pursue graduate studies faster
  • Attain the curricular prerequisites for graduate study at Carlow
Giving crutches. Curly young dark-haired nurse giving crutches to aged woman wearing glasses after leg surgery

Career opportunities for Pre-Occupational Therapy

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for occupational therapists is slated to grow 16% over the next 10 years.


Admission requirements and application process

  • Request that official transcripts from all current and previous institutions you’ve attended are sent directly to the Carlow University Office of Admissions.
  • Must have a minimum 3.250 cumulative high school or college GPA. 
Apply

anytime

Start term:

Fall

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Health Sciences faculty

Contact Admissions

If you are interested in this major, our Admissions team is available to help you with the next steps, including scheduling an on-campus visit or attending an upcoming event.

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Carlow University prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator, Jackie smith at jmsmith@carlow.edu or 412-578-6050.