Application Requirements

Application Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in any academic program.
• GRE test scores are NOT required to apply.
• Official academic transcripts showing a recommended 3.0 undergraduate GPA or above in relevant courses. To avoid delay please request an official copy from your previous college or university to be sent directly to Western’s Graduate Studies (graduatestudies@western.edu). You can also request them from Student Clearing House.
• One-page Statement of Purpose describing your intellectual and professional interests in environmental management and potential idea for a master’s project, submitted within the online application.
• Answer six short essay questions within the online application.
• Upload a resume or one-page document that outlines your past environmental employment, leadership, and volunteer experience.
• Two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors in related fields.
• If you plan on attending from a distance: As part of your application, you’ll be asked whether you plan to attend as a residential or low-residency student. If you select the low-residency option, please briefly describe how you will stay engaged in environmental management work or related activities while completing your degree from a distance. Share how your experiences will support your learning, professional growth, and contribute to the perspectives within your cohort. Be sure to include the timeframe during which you plan to pursue the low-residency path. Low-residency students are fully integrated into courses, projects, and learning activities alongside residential students.

All three tracks (Global Sustainability, Integrative and Public Land Management, and Sustainable and Resilient Communities) require a BA or B.S. degree and the following prerequisites, which must be completed no later than the end of the first fall term:

• College-level statistics course
• Two, college-level, natural or environmental science courses (Biol, Geol, Envs, Phys, Chem, Sci), at least one of which included a lab or field component
• Two, college-level, social science courses

Additional Integrative and Public Land Management track recommended prerequisites:

• One upper-level Ecology course
• One GIS course

Additional Sustainable Resilient Communities track recommended prerequisites:

• One course in Economics (Micro or Macro preferred)
• Financial Accounting

*Please note that strong applicants missing prerequisites may be provisionally admitted with some prerequisites, such as statistics, being able to be completed for free online prior to beginning the program or by the end of the first fall term. Please also note the 3+2 pathways available to Western undergrads.

Application Deadlines

• Applications are accepted year-round with a preferred deadline of February 15th. Students can enter the program on July 1st or at the start of the spring term (the second full week of January).
• June 1 – MEM Program begins
  • The first summer course is held weekly online via Zoom, accessible globally. It then culminates in a one-week in-person Clark Family School intensive held annually in mid-August, at our campus in Gunnison, CO.
• Residential and distance options for the two-year degree available.
• Find out more information on the MEM program prerequisites.

If you have any questions about the application process, please contact MEM.

Teacher Licensure/Alternative Teacher Licensure + MA in Special Education:

• Proof of Fingerprint Background check can also be documented by submitting a copy of a current Substitute Teaching License
• Payment of university application fee
• Official transcript of conferred bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university showing recommended 3.0 GPA or higher
• Two prompt-based essays
• Proof of knowledge of the content area by one of the following**
  • Passing a Praxis Subject Assessment (Special Ed. and Elementary Ed must pass the Elementary Praxis – Three Subject Bundle #5901)
  • A conferred degree in relevant content area
  • A content evaluation of 24 semester hours of transcripted college coursework
• Two professional letters of recommendation

**Please note that CDE requires its own content area check for licensing upon completion of the licensing program in May.

Additional Requirements for Alternative Teacher Licensure Candidates

• Secure a full-time teaching position in your endorsement area and submit your employment contract with your application.
• Submit a Statement of Assurance to CDE after being admitted.

Application Deadlines

• March 15 – Priority Deadline in all programs to be considered for Education Department Scholarships
• July 15 – Final deadline for application to all programs, including:
  • Teacher Licensure + MA in Education
  • Principal Licensure + MA in Education
  • Special Education Licensure + MA in Special Education, including Added Endorsements
  • MA in Education, Educator Effectiveness (MAEE), including Added Endorsements

Candidate must submit:

• An official transcript of the bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university showing recommended 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher.
• An 800- to 1,000-word personal statement describing the applicant’s experience and commitment to writing. This statement should include a self-assessment of qualifications for admission to Western’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing for the chosen degree and concentration.
• A writing sample in the appropriate genre, double spaced and numbered, or properly formatted for the appropriate genre:
  • The Genre Fiction concentration sample should include 20 to 25 pages, ideally from a single work.
  • The Screenwriting concentration sample should include a screenplay of 15-30 pages.
  • The Nature Writing concentration sample should include 20 to 25 pages, in any creative writing genre or a mix of genres.
  • The Poetry concentration sample should include 10 to 15 pages of poetry.
  • The Publishing concentration sample should consist of a 3- to 5-page critical assessment of a story’s suitability for publication (story to be provided to applicant during application process).
• Two letters of professional recommendation from those capable of assessing the applicant’s preparation to succeed in graduate-level work. All letters must be originals submitted on letterhead, must be signed by the person giving the recommendation, and must be less than a year old.

Provisional Admission to the MA in Creative Writing

An applicant who does not meet the requirements for full admission to the Master of Arts in Creative Writing may be considered for provisional admission upon the recommendation of the program director and approval by the Dean of Graduate Studies. A provisionally admitted student will have a maximum of one calendar year to complete any pre-requisite academic coursework. The program director or Dean of Graduate Studies may set additional timeline requirements.

Admission Requirements & Application

Western’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing considers applications on a rolling basis from August 1 through May 22, and all admitted students begin their coursework in early June, with online courses. Once a cohort has filled for the coming year, applications will be waitlisted or pushed to the following year’s cycle.

We make admissions decisions on all completed applications within 4 weeks of receipt. Students may be accepted, accepted with provisions (e.g. a requirement to finish their undergraduate degree before matriculating in the graduate program at Western), waitlisted (with a notification of a final decision by May 1) or rejected.

Candidate must submit:

• An official transcript of the bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university showing recommended 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher.
• An 800- to 1,000-word personal statement describing the applicant’s experience and commitment to writing. This statement should include a self-assessment of qualifications for admission to Western’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing for the chosen degree and concentration.
• A writing sample in the appropriate genre, double spaced and numbered, or properly formatted for the appropriate genre:
  • The Genre Fiction concentration sample should include 20 to 25 pages, ideally from a single work.
  • The Screenwriting concentration sample should include a screenplay of 15-30 pages.
  • The Nature Writing concentration sample should include 20 to 25 pages, in any creative writing genre or a mix of genres.
  • The Poetry concentration sample should include 10 to 15 pages of poetry.
  • The Publishing concentration sample should consist of a 3- to 5-page critical assessment of a story’s suitability for publication (story to be provided to applicant during application process).
• Two letters of professional recommendation from those capable of assessing the applicant’s preparation to succeed in graduate-level work. All letters must be originals submitted on letterhead, must be signed by the person giving the recommendation, and must be less than a year old.

Provisional Admission to the MFA in Creative Writing

An applicant who does not meet the requirements for full admission to the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing may be considered for provisional admission upon the recommendation of the program director and approval by the Dean of Graduate Studies. A provisionally admitted student will have a maximum of one calendar year to complete any pre-requisite academic coursework. The program director or Dean of Graduate Studies may set additional timeline requirements.

• Admission will be based on an overall package that considers academic excellence as well as relevant work experience, research, and community involvement. Admissions materials must be submitted online and must include: academic transcripts showing a recommended minimum 3.2 GPA from the degree-granting school; a resume or Curriculum Vitae outlining related research, leadership, outreach, professional experience and /or volunteer work; a letter of purpose describing the student’s interests and goals regarding behavioral science and/or community health; a writing sample ( course paper or professional report) of at least 3 single-spaced pages; and two.letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors in related fields.
• GRE scores will be accepted but are not required for admissions consideration. International students must submit their score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or IETLS. Students with a degree from a college or university where English is the language of instruction are not required to submit the TOEFL/IETLS score.
• Applicants are expected to have been in contact with an MBS program faculty member prior to submission of application. Documentation of this will be included as a formal expectation in the application process.

Provisional Admittance Policy

Students who have some deficiency in undergraduate training or incomplete credentials may be approved for provisional admission into the MBS in Rural Community Health program upon the recommendation of the Director of the MBS and approval by the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

To be admitted provisionally into the MBS program, applicants must demonstrate:

• some formal background or training in community health, psychology, sociology, or related field (e.g. coursework, internships, work study), and:
• ability to manage the assigned graduate courses while completing their undergraduate program or other provisions (e.g. the personal statement and references should indicate the candidate’s ability to undertake such an academic load and course work at the graduate level).

In accordance with School of Graduate Studies Admissions Policies, a provisionally admitted student will have a maximum of one calendar year to complete any prerequisite academic coursework.

The MBS Program Director will assess provisionally admitted student progress towards completion of prerequisites and success in all MBS program and course work through meetings scheduled monthly and at the end of each semester within the required completion timeline.

Prerequisites

BA or BS degree in biology or related field with college courses in Statistics and upper-level Ecology with a minimum grade of B, completed prior to the student’s first fall in the program.

Application Materials

Admissions packages will include:

• Academic transcripts
• A resume outlining related research, leadership, and volunteer experience
• A statement of purpose describing the student’s intellectual and professional interests in ecology
• Three letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors in related fields
• Applicants are expected to have been in contact with a faculty advisor prior to submission of application

Application review will begin February 1, with initial acceptance and offers soon thereafter. Later applications may be considered on a rolling basis, depending on faculty availability. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact us.

Candidate must submit:

• Official Transcript of BA or BS degree in Exercise and Sport Science, or related field from a regionally accredited college or university showing cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
• Undergraduate Prerequisite Coursework (all prerequisites must be completed by the end of the first year of the MS. Students cannot start the program with more than two course deficiencies.):
  • General Health and/or Wellness course (lower or upper division)
  • Kinesiology or Biomechanics (lower or upper division)
  • Statistics (lower or upper division)
  • Chemistry (1 year lab-based) (lower or upper division)
  • Biology (general biology with lab) (lower or upper division)
  • Anatomy (with lab), Physiology (with lab) – can be a combined course (lower or upper division)
  • Exercise Physiology (with lab) (upper division)
  • Physics (lower or upper division)

Provisional Admission: An applicant who does not meet the requirements for full admission to the MS in Exercise & Sport Science: Applied Exercise Science and Performance program may be required to submit additional materials in order to be considered for provisional admission upon the recommendation of the program director and approval by the School of Graduate Studies. Prerequisite courses that must be completed prior to entering the AESP program include Anatomy and Physiology and Exercise Physiology (with lab). A provisionally admitted student will have a maximum of one calendar year to complete any pre-requisite academic coursework. The program director or the School of Graduate Studies may set additional timeline requirements.

International Students: see Graduate Academic Catalog section, Criteria for International Admission.

For admissions requirements for B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science, Clinical Exercise Physiology Emphasis & MS in Applied Exercise and Science Performance (3+2) program, please refer to the guidelines outlined in the undergraduate academic catalog under exercise & sport science.

All admission requirements to the MBA Program will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis with respect to work experience, including managerial experience and leadership roles.

• BA or BS degree in Business or related program from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Prospective students with a BA or BS in an unrelated area may be provisionally admitted. Provisionally admitted students with this requirement must earn a B- in the fall semester pre-term course MBA 690: MBA Essentials prior to classes starting.
• Prospective students with a degree in a related area may be provisionally admitted. Provisionally admitted students with this requirement must earn a B- in the fall semester pre-term course MBA 690: MBA Essentials prior to classes starting:

• Intro to Financial Accounting (lower or upper division)
• Statistics (lower or upper division)
• Microeconomics (lower or upper division)
• Macroeconomics (lower or upper division)
• Business Finance (upper division)
• Principles of Marketing (lower or upper division)
• Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is desirable. Official transcript required.¹
• Greater than three years of outdoor industry work experience.²

¹ Those candidates with significant work experience with less than the minimum GPA will be considered.

² Candidates with less than three years of outdoor industry experience will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Provisional Admission: If an applicant applies without all of the requirements listed above, they will be reviewed for provisional admission. Students who enter the program with prerequisite deficiencies can make up those deficiencies during the fall semester pre-term prior to their first year. In that case, MBA students will enroll in the required MBA 690 course once accepted to the program. These students will be considered “provisional admits” (this status will be removed once a student has completed the prerequisite).

International Students: See Graduate Academic Catalog section, Criteria for International Admission.

Application Deadlines and Requirements

• Application Priority Deadlines: February 1, May 1, November 1
• Applications received after the priority deadlines will be reviewed ongoing
• Enrollment Deposit Deadlines: March 1 (for early applicants), July 1 for all rolling admissions

*GRE/GMAT/GMAC are NOT required for our program.

All admission requirements to the MBA Program will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Ideal applicants will have:

• More than three years of work experience
• Applicants with significant work experience and less than the minimum GPA will be considered
• Those with less than three years of work experience will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis
• A bachelor’s degree in business-related studies is preferred. Applicants with other academic background will be considered on a case-by-case basis
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is desirable
• Demonstrated preparations for graduate-level courses in business

Provisional Admission: If an applicant applies without all of the requirements listed above, they may be reviewed for provisional acceptance. Students who enter the program without an academic business background must complete the 3-credit MBA 690: MBA Essentials course before the regular OIMBA fall semester begins. Course registration information is provided upon admission to the program.

Admission Overview: Admission to any OIMBA certificate program will be based on a comprehensive assessment of academic achievements and relevant work experience. We welcome applicants who demonstrate a keen interest and potential in the outdoor industry, regardless of their specific area of focus. The application process is conducted online and requires the following materials:

Academic Transcripts

• Submit official or unofficial transcripts from a regionally accredited university. Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded to expedite application review; however, official undergraduate transcripts are required for full admission.
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is strongly recommended. Significant work experience may compensate for a lower GPA.
• Prospective students with a BA or BS in an unrelated area may be provisionally admitted and required to complete MBA 690: MBA Essentials with a B- or higher.

Cover Letter

• Should describe relevant interests, goals, and motivation for pursuing the OIMBA program.
• Should demonstrate an interest and involvement in outdoor activities or the outdoor industry, though direct experience in the outdoor industry is not mandatory.

Professional Resume

• Should highlight relevant work experience and showcase potential for positions related to the certificate being pursued.
• More than three years of outdoor industry work experience is preferred; candidates with less experience will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Two Letters of Recommendation

• Should come from professionals or academics who can attest to the applicant’s potential for success in the OIMBA program. A mix of professional and academic recommendations is beneficial, though not mandatory.

Provisional Admission Policy

Applicants with incomplete credentials or who lack in certain areas may be provisionally admitted to an OIMBA certificate program, subject to the following conditions:

• Must demonstrate the ability to manage the graduate course load effectively.
• Provisional students may be required to earn a B- or higher in MBA 690: MBA Essentials during the fall semester pre-term.
• Progress of provisionally admitted students will be regularly reviewed by the Program Director, with a focus on their ability to meet prescribed criteria and excel in the program.

*Candidates who do not meet the minimum GPA but have significant work experience will be considered.

**Candidates with less than three years of professional experience will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Applications will be holistically reviewed by certificate faculty to ensure appropriate placement and student success based on past achievement and potential. Entry into the program will mirror the Master of Environmental Management admissions process, with both fall and spring semester entry possible. A baccalaureate degree in environmental science, natural resource management, or a related field from an accredited college or university, with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or appropriate work experience and background required.

Submit:

• Official undergraduate or graduate transcript
• A resume or CV
• One-page professional intentions statement outlining student goals and experiences

Admission Requirements

Admission Overview: Admission will be based on an overall package that considers academic excellence as well as relevant work experience, research, and community involvement. The application process is conducted online and requires the following materials:

Academic Transcripts

• Submit official or unofficial transcripts from a regionally accredited university. Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded to expedite application review; however, official undergraduate transcripts are required for full admission. Preferred qualifications include a BA or BS in fields such as psychology, sociology, social work, health sciences, public health, Native American Studies, anthropology, regional planning, or communications.
• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale is recommended.

Statement of Purpose

• The statement should describe the student’s interests and goals related to training and education in leadership, facilitation, and restorative practices

Professional Resume

• Should outline related research, leadership, outreach, professional experience and /or volunteer work.

Two Letters of Recommendation

• Should come from professors or supervisors in related fields who can attest to the applicant’s potential for success in the Restorative Facilitation certificate program.