Master’s Application Materials List

Required Materials

1. Completed online application form

Complete the YSE Application Form

2. Essays and Statements

A. Professional Degrees: Master of Environmental Management or Master of Forestry — MEM or MF

1. Statements

   1. MEM/MF Personal Statement
      Describe your academic background, educational goals and post-degree professional goals, and how Yale School of the Environment can prepare you to achieve those objectives.
      • Required if applying to all MEM/MF programs, including 5-year program.
      • No more than 650 words
   2. Yale College/Yale NUS 5-year Program Statement
      Identify undergraduate coursework satisfying prerequisites and your proposed senior-year courses.
      • Required for Yale College / Yale NUS 5-year applicants ONLY.
      • No more than 300 words
      • In outline format
   3. TOEFL/IELTS
      Describe any educational, professional, and/or personal experiences that reflect your knowledge of the English language (e.g. courses, internships, study-abroad, etc).
      • Required if your native language is not English or if English was not your primary language of instruction at your degree-granting undergraduate institution.
      • No more than 300 words
      • In paragraph format

2. Short Essays — answer all 3 questions: No more than 100 words per question.

   1. In your opinion, what is the most significant environmental or forestry related issue of our time. Please give a very brief summary of the issue and one possible strategy for resolving it.
   2. Which of the following lens do you think is most important to view environmental or forest related issues: biophysical sciences, human dimensions, or policy – or another? Why?
   3. At YSE, we are interested in building a community of students who are diverse in every way, i.e. ethnicity, interests, values, and backgrounds. How will you contribute to our diverse population?

B. Research-Focused Degrees: Master of Environmental Science or Master of Forest Science — MESc or MFS

1. Statements

   1. MESC/MFS Research Statement

      • Required
      • No more than 650 words total
      1. Please explain your scientific research experience and your proposed research project.

   2. MESC/MFS Supplemental Statement

      • Required
      • No more than 300 words
      1. Write one short paragraph for each advisor you would like to work with describing the interactions you have had with them and why they are a good match to serve as your advisor. Please list faculty in order of preference.

   3. TOEFL/IELTS Statement

      • Required if your native language is not English or if English was not your primary language of instruction at your degree-granting undergraduate institution
      • No more than 300 words
      1. In paragraph format, describe any educational, professional, and/or personal experiences that reflect your knowledge of the English language (e.g. courses, internships, study-abroad, etc).

2. Short Essays
   Answer all 3 questions: No more than 100 words per question.

   1. Tell us why you chose and how you developed your academic area of interest. 
   2. Tell us about your most formative research experience.  
   3. At YSE, we are interested in building a community of students who are diverse in every way, i.e. ethnicity, interests, values, and backgrounds. How will you contribute to our diverse population?

3. Résumé or curriculum vitae 

(Do not send hard copies; they will not be read or returned.)

• Include dates of service, employers, titles, nature of duties, and any significant volunteer experience.
  • Please include a notation for each job/internship/volunteer position you have held describing whether the position was full or part time.
• List also original research work, reports, or publications.

4. Three letters of reference

(Extra letters will not be accepted.)

• Academic letters and/or letters from professional supervisors are preferred. These individuals can evaluate your scholarship, professional activities, leadership skills, and career goals.
• The submission of the recommendation form and a one- to two-page letter is expected. Letters from family, friends or nonsupervisory colleagues are not acceptable.
• Letters of recommendation do not need to be received before you will be able to submit your application. However, since programs begin reviewing applications shortly after the respective application deadline, please be sure that your letters of recommendation are submitted promptly.

5. Official transcripts

• A four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent.
  • Applicants with a three-year degree from an accredited international institution are eligible to apply, but potential admission will depend upon an equivalency evaluation of your degree. Most evaluations can be done at YSE upon submission, but in certain cases WES or ECE evaluations may be required after review.
• A scanned or electronic copy of each transcript from every college or university you have ever attended.
  • Electronic transcripts must officially list your name and the name of your college/university. Documents may not be altered by applicant.
  • If you have already completed a bachelors degree at the time of completion, please ensure that the transcript submitted for that institution shows the date of degree conferral.
  • Documents for the following are required: Study abroad, Exchange Programs, Transfer credits (exception Advanced Placement courses), any Non degree granting courses; regardless of the courses being referenced on the degree-granting institution transcript.
• If submitting official transcripts, all final transcripts must include the degree type and graduation/degree conferral date.
• Although not required for admission, applicants completing a bachelor’s degree outside of the United States or Canada are encouraged to submit a transcript evaluation from World Education Services (wes.org) or Educational Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org). The evaluation should be a course-by-course or ICAP evaluation of all transcripts and diplomas (undergraduate and graduate) and must included a certification of U.S. bachelor’s degree equivalency. Applicants are responsible for any fees associated with these evaluations.
  
  For WES or ECE evaluations: Submit your official transcripts/diplomas directly to WES or ECE and not to Yale. YSE does not need to see your transcripts if you use one of these services.
  
  Official (notarized) English translations are required for academic records and transcripts not published in English. A certified translation of the diploma certificate must also be uploaded if the transcript does not include the date of graduation and the type of degree awarded.
   
  Attention applicants from China:  Admitted students submitting transcripts and degree certificates from Chinese Universities MUST arrange for a degree & transcript verification report by WES (course by course). Do not request your verification report from WES until your degree has been awarded. The reports must be mailed directly to the Office of Admission by WES, rather than by you or another third party. Any document not mailed by WES will not be considered as a final official document.

• Important Note: Do not mail unofficial paper copies of transcripts, grade reports or mark sheets to apply to Yale School of the Environment. Unofficial documents should be uploaded online and official documents only should be mailed to Yale School of the Environment. If admitted, however, you must submit official or certified transcripts for all registered coursework from each college or university you have attended before enrolling at Yale School of the Environment. All offers of admission are conditioned on the receipt and verification of official documents.

6. Official test score report — TOEFL/IELTS

• TOEFL/IELTS
  • The TOEFL exam or the IELTS exam is required if your native language is not English or if English was not your primary language of instruction at your degree-granting undergraduate institution.
• TOEFL: Institution code = 3996; there is no department code (ets.org/toefl)
  • Minimum iBT = 100/120
• IELTS: Institution code = 3996; there is no department code (ielts.org)
  • Minimum overall band = 7.0 (please note: you must receive a minimum of a 6.5 on each individual section)
  • Copies or reproductions of test score reports will not be accepted by Yale School of the Environment. Score reports must be sent directly from the testing service.
• Copies or reproductions of test score reports will not be accepted by Yale School of the Environment. Score reports must be sent directly from the testing service.
• Applicants should schedule any necessary standardized tests no later than November, to allow time for official scores to reach YSE before the program application deadline.
• Duolingo English Test (DET)  
  The Yale School of the Environment does not accept Duolingo English Test (DET) at this time.

7. Application fee

• US $80.00 (Fee waived for the 2022-2023 application cycle)

Optional Materials

Explanation of gaps in resume

In no more than 5 sentences, please describe any gaps in your resume (where you were not employed, in school, or interning) lasting longer than 3 months.

Official test score report — GRE, GMAT or LSAT

GRE, GMAT or LSAT (Optional)

• GRE: Institution code = 3996; there is no department code (www.gre.org)
• GMAT: Institution code = 3TJ-WT-45 (https://www.mba.com/exams/gmat)
• LSAT: While the LSAT is also optional, the scores should only be submitted for current applicants to Pace/Vermont/Yale Law School’s joint degree programs. LSAC will not send score reports to Yale School of the Environment (www.lsac.org). If you take the LSAT, you must contact the Office of Admissions or Registrar’s Office at a law school to which you have applied and ask that they fax or email a copy of the score report to Yale School of the Environment: 203-432-5528 or admissions.yse@yale.edu.
  • Copies sent by applicants will not be accepted.
  • The GRE, LSAT, GMAT score reports must be dated within the last five years.
  • Name and birthdate on test exam reports must match the name on application exactly. You must use your “legal” name on all materials otherwise they will not be accepted.
  • Tests taken by December 15 will be considered “received” by the deadline.
• Copies or reproductions of test score reports will not be accepted by Yale School of the Environment. Score reports must be sent directly from the testing service.

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