Master’s Programs
Each of our 6 master’s degrees and 17 joint degree programs are designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and incorporate diverse perspectives on critical environmental issues.
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Professional Master’s Degrees
Experiential learning that prepares students to understand complex environmental science, management, and policy issues and make an immediate impact.
Master of Environmental Management
In the Master of Environmental Management degree program, students learn to understand the relationships between environmental science, management, and policy and how they can be leveraged to help solve problems and achieve sustainability.
Master of Forestry
The Master of Forestry degree, which is accredited by the Society of American Foresters, prepares students for careers in sustainable natural resource management and policy — solving critical sustainability challenges and resource conflicts across a complex web of social, political, and ecological systems.
Research-Focused Master’s Degrees
Develop critical research skills and learn grant-seeking strategies in these highly individualized programs which offer a deeper disciplinary focus on forest-related topics (Master of Forest Science — MFS) or other environmental issues (Master of Environmental Science — MESc).
Executive Master’s Degrees
The Executive Master of Environmental Management (EMEM) and Executive Master of Forestry (EMF) programs bring candidates with an established track record of leadership in the environmental (EMEM) and/or forestry (EMF) fields to this 10-month residential program to deepen their expertise, expand their leadership capabilities, and increase their ability to advance effective and equitable environmental solutions.
Joint Degree Programs
These programs are ideal for students interested in applying environmental management frameworks to particular research or professional contexts beyond the scope of YSE’s traditional offerings.
Masters Degree Programs Comparison
Master of Environmental Management — MEM
Focus
In the Master of Environmental Management degree program, students learn to understand the relationships between environmental science, management, and policy and how they can be leveraged to help solve problems and achieve sustainability.
Outcomes
The core curriculum plus additional coursework in areas of specialization prepares students for leadership roles in industry, government, academia, and NGOs. Internships and professional skills modules empower graduates to enter their chosen fields with a profound depth of knowledge, an understanding of diverse perspectives and approaches, and the interpersonal and leadership skills to make an immediate impact.
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Master of Forestry — MF
Focus
The MF curriculum focuses on two major themes:
- multidisciplinary exposure in the biological and social sciences
- a progressive growth of experience in resource measurement, analysis, management, and policy
Outcomes
The two-year Master of Forestry degree, which is accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), prepares students for careers in sustainable natural resource management and policy — solving critical sustainability challenges and resource conflicts across a complex web of social, political, and ecological systems.
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Master of Environmental Science or Master of Forest Science — MESc or MFS
Focus
These science degrees are intended to provide students a deeper disciplinary focus than the School’s management degrees, while holding to the core value of the School that students should be allowed flexibility in course selection in order to meet their educational goals.
Outcomes
The Master of Environmental Science (MESc) and Master of Forest Science (MFS) programs are designed for students wishing to conduct scientific research that contributes toward basic and applied knowledge.
The MFS degree is intended for those students wishing to work on forest-related topics, and the MESc degree is intended for students wishing to work on non-forest related environmental issues.
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Executive Master of Environmental Management or Executive Master of Forestry — EMEM or EMF
Focus
The executive master’s programs are tailor made to each student’s professional interests, through 6 credits of an individualized capstone experience and a minimum of 24 credits of elective work from YSE and other graduate and professional schools at Yale. The 10-month residential program enables students to deepen their content knowledge, enhance their leadership skills, and expand their global networks.
Outcomes
In every region of the world, Yale School of the Environment alumni are working to conserve and protect our planet; the EMEM and EMF programs help students gain the skills and perspectives needed to tackle complex environmental problems. The curriculum of the EMEM and EMF programs is designed to allow flexibility for students to deepen their content knowledge in the environmental and forestry fields while further developing their leadership skills, allowing them to pursue new roles with increasing responsibility after graduation.