1. Academic Programs
  2. Master’s Programs
  3. Master of Environmental Management — MEM
  4. MEM Foundational Knowledge and Statistics Guidance

MEM Foundational Knowledge and Statistics Guidance

To excel in their program of study at YSE and a career in environmental management, all MEM students must be conversant in four Foundational Knowledge areas – Physical Science, Social Science, Ecology, and Microeconomics – as well as Statistics.

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    Guidance

    Each fall semester, four thoughtfully designed 1.5-credit Foundational Knowledge courses – tailored specifically for incoming MEM students – are offered for students to learn, refresh, and deepen their understanding in each of the four areas. In the process, students lay a strong foundation to engage with the rigorous MEM curriculum and approach complex problems through an interdisciplinary lens.

    For incoming students with substantial academic or professional experience in any of the four areas, waiver exams will be made available each spring and summer preceding enrollment at YSE. Students may make two attempts to pass a waiver exam. For those students who are able to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in a Foundational Knowledge area through passing an exam, a waiver will be provided.

    Students who do not take or pass a waiver exam will be auto-enrolled by the Registrar to complete the required Foundational Knowledge course(s). These courses must be completed during a student’s first Fall semester. More information about the courses can be found by clicking on the following links:

    The Statistics requirement is similar to Foundational Knowledge with two key distinctions:

    • Between accepting admission to YSE in the spring and the start of orientation programming in the summer, incoming students will have access to ~10 hours of asynchronous instructional videos taught by YSE’s Dr. Jonathan Reuning-Scherer, along with lecture notes and self-paced practice exams. Just like with the four Foundational Knowledge areas above, Statistics waiver exams are also available each spring and summer. Students who watch all instructional videos and review the other preparation materials will be sufficiently prepared to satisfy this requirement by taking the Statistics waiver exam.
    • Students who do not take or pass the Statistics waiver exam must take S&DS 5000, Introductory Statistics. This 3-credit course is offered through Yale’s Department of Statistics and Data Science during each fall and spring semester, giving MEM students flexibility during their first year. This requirement must be fulfilled by the end of Year 1.

    Foundational Knowledge and Statistics Preparation

    The following are some examples of recommended undergraduate courses that will help prepare incoming students for the MEM curriculum:

    Physical Science

    • Earth science course covering geosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere
    • Hydrology
    • Soil science
    • Environmental chemistry
    • Climate science

    Social Science

    • Environmental Governance
    • Environmental Anthropology
    • Environmental History
    • Environmental Justice
    • Environmental Sociology
    • Human Geography
    • Political Ecology
    • Religion and Ecology

    Ecology

    • General Ecology
    • Biodiversity Science
    • Population or Community Ecology
    • Ecosystem Science or Ecosystems Ecology

    Microeconomics

    • A course in the Principles of Microeconomics

    Statistics

    • A course that covers the fundamental concepts of Statistics