College Profile:
Chatham College

The College of World Ready Women

Chatham College, the oldest private educational institution in Pittsburgh and one of the nation’s oldest women’s colleges, has been preparing World Ready Women since 1869. A group of forward-thinking Pittsburghers established the college—then called Pennsylvania Female College—to give women an education comparable to that which men received. At the new college, women would do what at that time was considered unthinkable: study challenging academic disciplines, including science.

The name was changed in 1890 to Pennsylvania College for Women and in 1955 to Chatham College in honor of William Pitt, the first Earl of Chatham. More importantly, the curriculum was adapted through the years to reflect the changing needs of women. Speech, philosophy, and the arts supplemented the initial offerings of Latin, French, German, mathematics, history, English, natural sciences, and fitness and wellness. After World War II, the college became one of the first to add a Bachelor of Science degree.

Today’s undergraduate World Ready Women may pursue a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Social Work degree. Science is a Chatham mainstay—a remarkable 25 percent of students graduate in the sciences—but the college offers its more than 1,000 students 50 programs, including undergraduate liberal arts and pre-professional majors, master’s degrees, post-baccalaureate teaching certification, and other professional certificates.

Through the Integrated Degree Program, well-qualified full time Chatham students have the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree in the major of their choice and a master’s degree in five years. The Integrated Degree Program requires a demanding undergraduate load for three years, followed by full-time graduate studies.

Since 1993, when the college first added coeducational graduate programs to its offerings, graduate education has been an important part of Chatham’s mission. The college now boasts 15 master’s programs—some nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report. In 1998, Chatham College North was established in Wexford, Pennsylvania, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional certification level courses at another convenient site.

The college’s 12-1 student-to-faculty ratio gives students the ability to learn and express their individuality in an intimate setting. Chatham also prides itself on grounding its undergraduates in a quality program of liberal arts and sciences regardless of their major, an experience capped off by the senior tutorial—an original research project guided one-on-one by a Chatham professor.

Chatham is recognized as a national college with international connections. U.S. News & World Report ranked Chatham fourth in the nation for the percentage of students who study abroad (69% of Chatham’s students in 2001). Students travel during their sophomore year with faculty and classmates to destinations including Costa Rica, Peru, Ireland, England, France, Italy, and Eastern Europe. Additionally, through exchange partnerships with Doshisha Women’s College in Kyoto, Japan, and Seoul Women’s College in Seoul, Korea, Chatham students go abroad for longer study and international students attend Chatham.

Chatham students and the Pittsburgh community also benefit from the initiatives and educational missions of the college’s centers of excellence—the Rachel Carson Institute, the Pittsburgh Teachers Institute, the Center for Women in Politics in Pennsylvania, and the Global Focus program.

The Rachel Carson Institute, founded in honor of 1929 alumna and environmental activist Rachel Carson, advances environmental education and awareness. The Pittsburgh Teachers Institute, a collaboration among Chatham, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Pittsburgh Public Schools, helps classroom teachers learn new topics and further develop their curricula and teaching skills. The Center for Women in Politics in Pennsylvania is the first statewide academic center to focus specifically on women’s political involvement in Pennsylvania. The Center provides training and education in applied politics – a natural fit for a college whose political training and engagement of its students dates back to the early 1900s.

Chatham’s on-campus international initiatives are highlighted by the Global Focus Program. Since 1995, the campus has concentrated each year on one country or region of the world for study through coursework, service learning, visiting authors, scholars and experts, exhibits, and cultural events. The program is enriched through the participation of leaders in the local international communities. Because all events are open to the public, the Chatham community and the broader Pittsburgh community are linked in a common area of inquiry and celebration.

Student life at Chatham College is dynamic, with activities such as choir, dance collective, arts society, black student union, outdoor adventure club, and the campus newspaper (18 student group offerings in all). Chatham is also home to nine club and intramural sports and six NCAA sports: basketball, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball and the first female collegiate ice hockey team in Western Pennsylvania. A new Athletic and Fitness Center will open in Fall 2004.

Chatham’s beautiful 32-acre Shadyside campus was declared an arboretum in 1998. Four residence halls and two apartment buildings, with single, double and triple occupancy room options, offer on-campus accommodation for 411 students. In addition, students can choose to live in the Laughlin Intercultural House or on the Community Service Wing. Three of Chatham’s residence halls are mansions formerly owned by Pittsburgh industrialists. These transformed homes accommodate today’s students but retain historic features such as lead glass windows, fireplaces, sun porches and solariums. Each residence hall and apartment building is wired and equipped with a 24-hour computer lab.

Admission is offered on a rolling basis, but applicants are encouraged to complete the application process by March 1 (for Fall enrollment) in order to receive preferred consideration for Chatham’s financial aid programs.

Personal tours are offered Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday by appointment only. Reservations for all tours are strongly recommended. Class visits, overnight stays and meetings with faculty, staff, students and coaches are available upon request. To discover more about becoming a World Ready Woman, contact the admissions office at 800-837-1290.

Editorial provided by Amy B. Scerba, ’99. She is the PR Specialist/Writer at Chatham College.