Master’s Application Materials List

Required Materials

1. Completed online application form

Complete the YSE Application Form

2. Essays and Statements

The essay prompts and statements will be available once you start an application for admission. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to begin your application as early as possible. This will give you ample time to consider the prompts and develop thoughtful responses, which are crucial components of your application.

Starting your application early allows you to:

• Access the essay prompts and begin crafting your responses.
• Manage your time effectively to submit a well-prepared application.
• Address any questions or issues that may arise during the application process.

We look forward to learning more about you through your written responses.

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 are able to submit your application. However,  please note that your letters of recommendation must be submitted by the Application Deadline. We encourage you to ask recommenders early and communicate with them often to ensure we receive their materials on time; applicants are responsible for sharing all deadlines with their recommenders.  

5. Transcripts

• A four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or the international equivalent is required.
• Transcripts from every college or university you have ever attended must be provided in the following formats: 
  • Unofficial Transcripts – If providing unofficial transcript(s), please upload them directly into the School History section of the application.
  • Official Transcripts - If providing an official transcript(s), all transcripts must be issued directly from the conferring institutions, as official transcripts addressed to the applicant will not be accepted.
  • Electronic Transcript - If sending an electronic transcript, each transcript must be sent directly from the conferring institutions to quetcy.maldonado@yale.edu. Transcripts addressed to the applicant will not fulfill the requirement and will be automatically discarded.
  • Parchment Transcripts – if you are sending your transcript through Parchment, you must have it sent to quetcy.maldonado@yale.edu via the “third party” option. Transcripts sent to Yale University will not be received by YSE and your application will therefore be incomplete.
     
  All transcripts must include:
  a. Grades for all coursework  
  b. Degree type  
  c. Graduation/degree conferral date  
  d. Date of Birth: not required, but must match your application if included
  e. Legal first name and last name 
  
  Documents for the following are required:
  a. Study abroad courses  
  b. Exchange Programs  
  c. Transfer credits (excluding Advanced Placement courses)  
  d. All non-degree courses: If a letter grade or a numeric grade (A, B, C, D, Pass, Fail- cannot be listed as CR or blank) is not listed on the degree-granting institution’s transcript, then you must contact the university at which the courses were completed and request a transcript.

  Attention applicants from international institutions: 

  • Official (notarized) English translations are mandatory for academic records and transcripts not originally published in English. A certified translation of the diploma certificate must also be uploaded or provided if the transcript does not include the date of graduation and the type of degree awarded. 
  • Applicants completing a bachelor’s degree outside the United States or Canada are encouraged (but not required) to submit a transcript evaluation from World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE). The evaluation should be a course-by-course or ICAP evaluation of all transcripts and diplomas. The reports must include a certification of U.S. bachelor’s degree equivalency. If using evaluation services for graduate-level degrees, the same requirements apply. Applicants are responsible for any related fees pertaining to any type of evaluation.
  • For WES or ECE evaluations: Submit your official transcripts/diplomas directly to WES or ECE, not Yale. Do not have institutions send transcripts if using one of the listed services. 
  • If sending an official report, it must be mailed directly to the Office of Admission by WES, rather than by you or another third party. Any report not sent by WES will not be considered an official document. If uploading a copy of the report, please upload it directly into the application.
• 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 some instances WES or ECE evaluations may be required after review.  

Important Note: If admitted, you must submit any outstanding 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 conditional upon receiving and verifying official/final documents.

If your university does not offer an electronic service, you may provide them with the following mailing address:
Admissions Office 
Yale School of the Environment 
Attn: Quetcy Rivas Maldonado 
PO Box 208354 
300 Prospect Street 
New Haven, CT 06511 
 

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: E-Delivery = Yale University-Yale School of the Environment; 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.
• The Yale School of the Environment does not accept Duolingo English Test (DET) at this time.

7. Application fee

• YSE does not charge an application fee.

Optional Materials

1. 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.

2. Official test score reports

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 email a copy of the score report to Yale School of the Environment: 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 6 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.
• 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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