MEM Curriculum Details

Exposure

Requirement: The Fall Perspectives courses and Math Foundations for all first-year MEMs.

Fall-1 (1.5 credits) 

Perspectives on Environmental Leadership: A Leadership Toolkit 
This course promotes a common experience, providing all first-year MEM students with a leadership toolkit and systems-thinking foundation, grounded in the complex challenges and opportunities of environmental management. Students engage in reflective exercises, peer discussions, and case-based exploration of diverse leadership models across sectors. The course equips students with practical tools to navigate YSE, Yale, and their future careers with purpose, while fostering an inclusive and collaborative learning community. 

Fall-2 Options (1.5 credits)

Perspectives (continued) or Foundations of Applied Math
For Fall-2, students choose between:

• Perspectives on Environmental Leadership: Systems Change — This applied course enables students, grouped by interest, to collaboratively explore the environmental systems they care most about. Students apply leadership and systems-thinking tools through interactive exercises, small-group work, and practitioner-led discussions. Guest speakers from diverse sectors and geographies offer real-world insights into system change strategies such as coalition-building, entrepreneurship, and organizational leadership. The course is designed to support them in system exploration and identifying tangible next steps for academic and professional growth.
• Foundations of Applied Math for the Environment aims to help students refresh and acquire new math skills, understanding of mathematical concepts, and the ability to apply math to problems across environment fields.

Interdisciplinary Conversancy

Requirement: four 1.5 credit courses, focused on interdisciplinary foundational knowledge, and one 3-credit Statistics course.

Students are introduced to a common foundation of concepts, principles, and tools required of all professional environmental managers, providing a level of understanding necessary to succeed in the initial MEM courses and to be conversant in foundational topics relevant to environmental management more broadly.

For incoming students with substantial academic or professional experience in any of the five areas, waiver exams will be made available each spring and summer preceding enrollment at YSE. More information about the MEM Foundational Knowledge and Statistics requirements.

Specialization Depth

Requirement: students must choose at least one specialization before the end of their first year.

All MEM students must choose at least one specialization and satisfy its requirements. All specializations consist of two core courses and four electives. Student may choose one or two specializations, but one must be declared before the end of their first year of study. The specific requirements for each specialization are outlined at the links above.

Breadth

Requirement: a minimum of 18 credits in general electives courses.

Students are offered tremendous flexibility in their electives, enabling them to explore courses on relevant or aligned topics across YSE and Yale more broadly. There is also the option to complete a second specialization.

Integration and Application

Requirement: one capstone course or independent project during the second year of study.

A designated capstone course or independent project with a faculty advisor provides a culminating opportunity to focus on applied problem solving. It relies on the application of knowledge, methodological approaches, and interpretive techniques gained throughout the earlier stages of the MEM. This opportunity allows for the integration of different experiences into a single representation of a student’s work.

Experience and Career Exploration

Requirement: between ten and twelve weeks of summer internship or research.

During the summer between the first and second academic years, students must complete an internship or research project that gives them a chance to apply knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom, gain professional experience, build networks, and investigate potential career paths. Students design their own summer internships or research experience, closely aligned with individual academic and career goals in collaboration with the Office of Career and Professional Development.

Professional Skills

Requirement: complete at least four of the eight (short, non-credit) modules offered over two years of study.

The professional skills requirement is designed to strengthen student competency in core areas considered essential to all professionals: verbal communications; visual communications; negotiation; cultural competence; fundraising; project management; stakeholder engagement; and meeting facilitation. Students are able to choose among different alternatives depending on interest and prior experience. Although completion of at least four is required, students are encouraged to take as many as they like. (MEM-5 students need to complete two PSMs, and MEM students in a joint degree program need to complete three PSMs.) Further details are available on the Professional Skills Modules page.