Application Deadline
Tuesday, March 24, 2026 — there is no application fee
On This Page
Who Should Apply?
- Individuals committed to the work of building and adapting cities for a changing climate
- Public, private, and nonprofit professionals with a bachelor's degree — especially those from the Global South — eager to learn both from the world’s foremost experts in their fields and alongside a global network of online learners
- Environmental leaders eager to grow in knowledge and skillset to make the greatest impact in their communities
- Champions of equitable land use planning, clean energy deployment, low-carbon mobility, thriving greenspaces, and much more
Information Sessions
1 hour session introducing the program and answer questions for prospective students
Tuition & Payments
- The tuition for the 2026-2027 academic year is $7,500.
- Some employers offer educational benefits, tuition assistance, and/or professional development funding. Here is a sample email to your employer to help get this discussion started.
- Tuition support is also available
- There is no application fee
Payments Schedule and Refund Policy
Should you be admitted to the program, reserving your place requires the submission of your Intent to Enroll form.
May 19, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET
Due date for your Intent to Enroll Form
June 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET
Due date for first installment of tuition
August 31, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET
Last day to withdraw from the program and receive a full refund
January 12, 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET
Due date for second installment of tuition
Tuition Support
Tuition Support is available and competitively awarded. Apply for support during the program application process.
You will be notified of any tuition support at the time of your admissions decision. Any tuition support will be applied equally to both semester’s tuition. Please note because this is a non-degree bearing program, traditional financial aid is not available. However, we encourage you to apply for scholarships and inquire with your employer whether training and professional development funds may be applied to finance this program.
Application Process
All of the information you need to prepare your application is on this page. You can find resources and an overview of our application process below.
The application system opens in February and closes in late-March. Decisions regarding admission and tuition support will be sent out in late-April.
Candidates will be placed on a waitlist once when the program has been filled. Candidates placed on the waitlist will be notified if a spot is available prior to the start of the program in August. The Admissions Review Committee seeks to balance the cohort across sectors and regions of the world.
Before you apply, please review the curriculum, program dates and application requirements to ensure you are able to complete the program and attend the required events.
Application Readiness Checklist
This Application Readiness Checklist is meant to help you prepare your application and make the process as easy as possible. For guaranteed consideration of your application, the required materials below must be submitted electronically to the Certificate application system no later than the application deadline.
Required Materials
Note: English translations are required for all documents not published in English. Translations do not need to be notarized.
Completed online application form
Resume or CV
- Recommended length of two pages and maximum three pages
- Please include dates of service, employers, titles, nature of duties, and any significant volunteer experience.
- Please note for each job/internship/volunteer position whether it was full or part time, and list original research work, reports, or publications.
- Documents should be submitted in a single PDF with the following naming convention: “LastName_FirstName_Resume”
Personal statement - 300 words max:
- Write a personal statement discussing your interests, life experiences, and goals as well as your motivations for applying to this program.
Short answers - 300 words max for each - to both of the following essay questions:
- Drawing on your professional and/or academic experience, please describe one challenge urban areas face in their efforts to address climate change.
- How do you intend to manage your time effectively given your current commitments to work and your personal life? While valuable for your career, this certificate can be demanding, and we want to ensure that you have a plan to manage your time effectively.
Tuition Support
Three Cairns Fellows
The Three Cairns Fellows Program aims to expand access to YSE online certificate programs for individuals working on climate solutions in the Global South. Individuals admitted to this competitive program receive full or nearly full tuition support for their participation. Eligible candidates must:
- possess primary citizenship from a country in the Global South
- have professional and/or academic experience relevant to climate solutions
- are actively working on climate solution implementation in your home country and/or region.
Are you interested in applying to the Three Cairns Fellows Program?
- This is a competitive application for tuition support focused on increasing the availability of environmental education to applicants from under-resourced countries.
- To be considered for this award, candidates must submit a supplemental essay.
Essay prompt: Please describe how you are currently helping to advance climate solutions in the Global South. How will the program help you further the impact of your work on climate solutions in the near and long term? (200-450 words) - Applicants may be requested to also participate in a virtual interview.
There is no application fee
Optional Materials
Optional materials must be submitted by the application deadline. These materials can include a letter of recommendation from a professional or academic supervisor or additional scanned or electronic transcripts (official or unofficial) from any other accredited U.S. college or university or an international equivalent you attended.
Yale University’s Nondiscrimination Statement
Yale University is committed to basing judgments concerning the admission, education and employment of individuals upon their qualifications and abilities and affirmatively seeks to attract to its faculty, staff and student body qualified persons of diverse backgrounds.
In accordance with this policy and as delineated by federal and Connecticut law, Yale does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment against any individual on account of that individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a protected veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.
With the increasing urgency, cities must lead in building healthy, equitable, and sustainable urban futures. Investing in urban climate education will accelerate the crucial leadership needed to protect urban populations and provide critical urban services to the most vulnerable. As the scale and scope of urban demands exceeds our planetary boundaries, we need empowered urban leaders to scale and leverage cities as powerful climate solutions.”
