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Chatham University - Academics - Academics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.46

Academics

B
Where does this grade come from?View all Academics rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Academics Grades:

Quick Stats

Student-Faculty Ratio 10:1
Full-Time Student Population 1,397
Part-Time Student Population 799
Full-Time Instructional Faculty 88
Part-Time Instructional Faculty 180
Total FT Faculty 88
Faculty with Terminal Degree 94%
Average Faculty Salary $62,598
Full-Time Retention Rate 73%
Graduation Rate 60%
Programs/Majors Offered 66
Academic/Career Counseling? Yes
Remedial Services? Yes
Class Sizes
  • Fewer than 20 students: 77%
  • 20 to 49 students: 22%
  • 50 or more students: 1%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Whether it's 8 in the morning or 6:30 at night, Chatham classes keep students busy. Students say Chatham classes challenge them and make them work to earn their grades, and there is help for those who need it. If a student falls behind, she can ask for tutoring at the PACE Center or talk to a professor for extra help or feedback. Chatham classes are small, and class sessions are rarely just lectures. The professors keep energy flowing through the room, and students are expected to participate, discussing and thinking about what they're learning from several viewpoints. The reward is that they start to see the world in a unique way and think about how they engage it as a woman, a student, and a human being. The classes aren't easy, but the professors are understanding—they will give students an extension if there is an emergency or recommend tutors to help them. Whether a student is a science major or studying English, Chatham gives them the fuel to think and the tools to succeed.

The dark side of a small, personal campus is limited class offerings, which can make the scheduling process difficult. Students either have to schedule very carefully or take advantage of cross-registration at several of the surrounding universities, which is nice when you need to fulfill a requirement that isn’t being offered at a convenient time at Chatham. Faculty advisers within each major are assigned to help students with these and other scheduling and class issues. Chatham's academic reputation is highly regarded within the Pittsburgh region and rightly so because students mention that each grade is earned due to hard work on their part.

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Chatham Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Academics at Chatham University

geeklove1027

Nursing '13

5.0
A+

Professora

My Microbiology professor genuinely loved what she was teaching and was excited to have students to pass that love on to. It worked. A course that could have been really difficult was made accessible & interesting. She was a wonderful teacher and I was lucky to have been one of her students. This has been a good example of the professors at this college.

Jan 17, 2012

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Academics at Chatham University

owlfox

Creative Writing '15

4.2
A-

Good Academics for the Courses I Was Interested, but I'm Annoyed With the Required Courses That Seem to Have Nothing to Do With My Life.

Well, I only picked 'Creative Writing' as my major because there stupidly wasn't an option on this site to choose 'Undecided,' which is what I am. I'm not really a Creative Writing major, so I can't answer that first question.

As far as the academics, they're probably the only superb thing at Chatham. The professors, in my experience, have all been absolutely wonderful (though I've heard some nasty things from a lot of my friends about the professors in the Biology department). The workload, although higher than my personal preference, has been manageable enough. The curriculums have been fine, as have been the facilities.

I do feel I've learned a lot from my professors. However, I have a problem with the courses required by Chatham. Why should I be forced to take a lab course if my life is going to have nothing to do with labs? Not to mention this horrid SDE101 business, a class I did not need and learned nothing from in the least. It was a fifty-minute chunk I could've spent studying something more meaningful and helpful to my life. Let us take what we want, and leave us be! We're not the frightened little kittens you believe us to be, and dammit, most of us do not need SDE!

Dec 15, 2011

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Academics at Chatham University

silverykua

English '15

4.6
A

Chatham

Chatham's education is brilliant. The professors are fun and entertaining, they keep the class interested in what's going on. The English program is very highly recommended simply because some of the professors here went to Chatham for college.

Dec 15, 2011

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Page 1 of 10
User rating for Chatham University - Academics is 4.6 out of 5 based on 30 user reviews.

Photos of Chatham University's Academics

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Chatham University - Opening ConvocationOpening Convocation
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Opening Convocation This is one of Chatham University's many traditions.
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Chatham University - Laughlin Music HallLaughlin Music Hall
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Laughlin Music Hall Laughlin Music Hall is home to practice rooms for music students.
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Chatham University - Louis Comfort Tiffany Alumnae Memorial WindowLouis Comfort Tiffany Alumnae...
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Louis Comfort Tiffany Alumnae Memorial Window This window, commissioned in 1889, was extremely covered in soot, so it was packaged in crates in 1925. The window was restored in 2000 and now hangs in Buhl Science Building.
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Photo by edorssom

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate your school’s professors on the following topics

Rate your school’s academic environment on the following topics

Facts

Instructional Programs Occupational: No
Academic: Yes
Continuing Professional: No
Recreational/Avocational: No
Adult Basic Remedial: No
Secondary (High School): No
Special Credit Opportunities Advanced Placement (AP) Credits: Yes
Dual Credit: Yes
Life Experience Credits: Yes
Undergraduate Schools/Divisions
  • Chatham College for Women
  • School of Sustainability & the Environment
Degrees Awarded
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Doctorate - Professional practice
  • Master's degree
  • Post-bachelor's certificate
Most Popular Majors
  • Counseling Psychology: 4%
  • Physical Therapy: 4%
  • Physician Assistant: 3%
  • Registered Nursing (RN): 9%
Graduation Requirements
  • Arts/fine arts
  • Computer literacy
  • English (including composition)
  • History
  • Humanities
  • Mathematics
  • Sciences (biological or physical)
  • Social science
Special Study Options
  • Distance learning opportunities
  • Study abroad
  • Teacher certification (below the postsecondary level)
  • Weekend/evening college
Other Academic Offerings
  • Accelerated program
  • Cooperative education program
  • Double major
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Semester at sea
  • Student-designed major
  • Washington semester
Best Places to Study
  • Basement of the library—it's quieter than anywhere else in the library, with fewer interruptions.
  • Café Rachel—there's always coffee available.
  • The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh—it's a cool building with tons of study space, and it's relatively quiet. The only downside is there's no wireless Internet, but that could be an upside, too.
  • Third floor of the Athletic & Fitness Center—it's quiet, and the scenery is a little different.

Online Courses

Chatham offers online courses in a variety of subjects, including business, nursing/healthcare professions, and professional writing, but the class offerings change each semester. Online courses at Chatham are usually offered in a read-discussion format. This means students read a lecture, a section of course text, or a linked article or Web page, and then "participate in class" by posting a response to the text or answers to questions on the class discussion board. Several classes also ask that students read and comment on other students’ postings. These courses require students to use their laptop computers, a course shell called Moodle, and outside Web resources. Student-teacher relationships in online courses are not as close as they are in regular courses; however, professors do, for the most part, attempt to leave meaningful feedback on online postings and are generally responsive to student emails regarding the course. Relationships with other students in the class are not usually highly fostered in the online setting, but students interact by commenting on one another's postings, as well as participating in informal discussions outside of class.

Did You Know?
  • Chatham has an "SAT Optional" policy. Students who choose not to take the SAT or who do not wish to use their scores may instead submit a portfolio of work, including a graded writing sample, along with an interview with an admissions counselor.
  • In fall 2011, Chatham University changed its graduation requirements for those entering in 2011 and beyond. First-year students will now be required to complete classes related to each of Chatham's initiatives: "Global Understanding," "Women's Leadership," and "Sustainability & the Environment," among others.
  • According to the National Survey of Student Engagement, students at women's colleges reported higher levels of academic challenge and were more likely to engage in higher level thinking and integrative activities that lead to deep learning than their counterparts at coed institutions.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Elizabeth Dorssom
Hometown
Redondo Beach, CA
Major
Women's Studies
Grad Year
2012

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

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How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.