Environment and Sustainability Nature Writing Emphasis (with a 3+2 MFA in Creative Writing)

The Nature Writing Emphasis allows students to complete the B.A. in Environment and Sustainability (ENVS) and the MFA in Creative Writing at Western in five years.  To remain qualified for the 3+2, upon earning 60 credits each student must: 

  • maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 3.25 GPA within the major; 

  • provide three letters of recommendation, at least one of which is to be a professional reference and at least one of which is to be an academic reference from the student’s major at Western; 

  • write a Statement of Purpose to the Graduate Program in Creative Writing’s Nature Writing concentration, detailing ideas for the eventual MFA thesis. 

  • submit a 20-30 page writing sample 

At this point, if any aspect of a student’s performance is found to be insufficient, the MFA Nature Writing Concentration Director will recommend denial of acceptance to the Graduate Studies Dean and the GPCW Director, in which case the student will need to find a new emphasis or minor in order to complete the undergraduate degree. Upon meeting the requirements above, and after Junior Year (reaching 91 credits in this plan—see “MAJOR MAP”) holding to the same GPA and general performance standards outlined above, the School of Graduate Studies will designate the student as a “Creative Writing MFA candidate with provisional acceptance.”  Upon completion of Year Four of this plan, the student will receive the BA and the School of Graduate Studies may designate the student as a “MFA Creative Writing degree seeking student.”  After Year Four, students who have completed all other requirements of the 3+2 program and all Western undergraduate requirements (120 total credits, 40 upper-division credits, general education requirements, the ENVS undergraduate courses listed under the Nature Writing emphasis, and the ENVS Nature Writing emphasis courses that come from the MFA in Year 4), yet choose to leave the Creative Writing program before Year 5, will still have completed the undergraduate ENVS  Nature Writing emphasis and have earned the 120 credits necessary for a Western undergraduate degree. 

A minimum of 78 credits is required for the B.A. components of the emphasis. In the fourth and fifth years, an additional 60 credits of Creative Writing MFA coursework results in the MFA in Creative Writing degree.  

ENVS 100Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-SS2)3
ENVS 200Writing the Environment3
ENVS 250Environmental Justice3
ENVS 301Science of Sustainability and Resilience3
ENVS 350U.S. and Western Environmental Politics3
ENVS 360Global Environmental Policy3
ENVS 390Environmental Monitoring4
ENVS 400Applied Sustainability3
ENVS 410Environmental Ethics3
Required supporting courses:
BIOL 130Environmental Biology (GT-SC2)3
BIOL 135Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1)1
ECON 215Environmental Economics3
ENG 161Introduction to Creative Writing (GT-AH1)3
PHYS 125Energy and the Environment (GT-SC2)3
One of the following:3
Borderlands: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality
Women and Literature
Literary Culture of the American West
Environmental Literature (GT-AH2)
One of the following:3
Scriptwriting
Creative Writing: Fiction
Creative Writing: Poetry
Creative Writing
Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction
One of the following:1
This Is The Headwaters
Headwaters Conference
Select one of the following:3
Cultural Anthropology (with laboratory)
Cultural Ecology
Borderlands: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality
Politics of the Environment
Politics of Social Movements
Human Rights
The Global South
Political Economy
Environmental Psychology
Multicultural Psychology
Social Psychology
Environmental Sociology
Social Problems
Social Movements
Social Class, Status, and Power
Total Credits51
Core Nature Writing MFA Courses
CRWR 600The Common Read & Writing Craft2
CRWR 681Introduction to Nature Writing3
CRWR 685Craft of Creative Nonfiction6
CRWR 686Genres of Nature Writing6
CRWR 680Writing Place: New Forms and Techniques6
CRWR 688Writing about Nature and Society6
Total Credits29

For a full description of the required Graduate coursework, please see the appropriate MFA program in the Western Graduate Catalog.

Plan of Study Grid
Year One
FallCredits
ENVS 100 Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-SS2) 3
ENG 102 Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) 3
BIOL 130
BIOL 135
Environmental Biology (GT-SC2)
and Environmental Biology Laboratory (GT-SC1)
4
HWTR 100 First Year Seminar 1
Gen Ed General Education (Area II) 4
 Credits15
Spring
ENVS 200 Writing the Environment 3
ENG 103 Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) 3
MATH 113 Statistical Thinking (GT-MA1) 3
PHYS 125 Energy and the Environment (GT-SC2) 3
Elective Elective or minor course 3
 Credits15
Year Two
Fall
ENG 161 Introduction to Creative Writing (GT-AH1) 3
ENVS 250 Environmental Justice 3
ENVS 301 Science of Sustainability and Resilience 3
HWTR 398
Headwaters Conference
or This Is The Headwaters
1
Gen Ed General Education Courses 3
 Credits13
Spring
ECON 215 Environmental Economics 3
ENG 230
Environmental Literature (GT-AH2)
or Borderlands: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality
or Women and Literature
or Literary Culture of the American West
3
ENVS 350 U.S. and Western Environmental Politics 3
Elective Elective or minor course 3
Gen Ed General Education (Area I or III) 3
 Credits15
Year Three
Fall
ENG 300
Creative Writing: Fiction
or Creative Writing: Poetry
or Creative Writing
or Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction
or Scriptwriting
3
ENVS 390 Environmental Monitoring 4
Gen Ed General Education Courses 3
Gen Ed General Education Courses 3
 Credits13
Spring
ENVS 360 Global Environmental Policy 3
Electivechosen from selection of classes on cultural, racial, ethnic, gender, sex, sexuality, and/or class contexts 3
Elective Elective or minor course 9
 Credits15
Summer
CRWR 600 The Common Read & Writing Craft 2
CRWR 681 Introduction to Nature Writing 3
 Credits5
Year Four
Fall
CRWR 685 Craft of Creative Nonfiction 6
CRWR 686 Genres of Nature Writing 6
ENVS 410 Environmental Ethics 3
 Credits15
Spring
CRWR 680 Writing Place: New Forms and Techniques 6
CRWR 688 Writing about Nature and Society 6
ENVS 400 Applied Sustainability 3
 Credits15
Summer
CRWR 682 Book-Length Considerations 3
CRWR 694 MFA Thesis 2
 Credits5
Year Five
Fall
CRWR 687 Nature Writing Workshop 6
CRWR 694 MFA Thesis 3
 Credits9
Spring
CRWR 689 Special Topics in Nature Writing 6
CRWR 695 Professional Development in Nature Writing 6
CRWR 694 MFA Thesis 1
 Credits13
Summer
CRWR 683 THESIS SEMINAR IN NATR WRITNG 3
CRWR 697 Special Topics 1
 Credits4
 Total Credits152