Admissions: Master’s Degree Programs

Each applicant must be a graduate of a college or university and must provide a completed application form, a résumé, an essay discussing his/her reasons for applying, GRE scores, TOEFL scores for international students, transcripts from colleges and universities attended, and three letters of reference. (See Application Procedures for detailed instructions.)

The Mid-Career Program is a one-year (two-term) M.E.M. or M.F. degree program for professionals who have worked for seven or more years in the natural resource and environmental fields and who wish to advance their current careers through additional training. The Mid-Career Program is not intended for those who are contemplating a major shift in fields of interest; for this purpose, the two-year degree program is more appropriate.

Applicants to the master’s degree programs are required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). When taking the GRE, applicants should indicate the School’s Institution Code Number 3996; no department code is necessary. Applicants for whom English is not a native or customary language of instruction must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Both these tests are administered by the Educational Testing Service, Princeton NJ 08541. For further information applicants should write directly to these organizations, or visit their Web sites at http://www.gre.org/com.html/ or http://www.toefl.org/index.html/. Official test results should be sent directly to the Office of Admissions, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 205 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511-2509.

All applicants must have satisfactory undergraduate records, but there are no arbitrary standards or cutoffs for GRE scores or grade point averages. Letters of reference from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s scholarship, professional activities, leadership skills, and career goals are especially valuable. The School looks for students capable of making effective contributions to scientific knowledge or to professional service in addressing environmental problems. The School gives special weight to relevant experiences obtained subsequent to graduating from college. Clarity regarding professional career goals is a critically important part of the applicant’s statement.

Faculty teams read all applications to the master’s degree programs. The final decision on admission rests on an integrated assessment of all the components described above.

Preparation for Admission

The School welcomes applications from individuals who have undergraduate degrees in the biological and physical sciences, engineering, social sciences, humanities, or interdisciplinary programs. A disciplinary focus with some interdisciplinary breadth is valuable. Exposure to the biophysical sciences, the social sciences, and college mathematics permits students to take greater advantage of course work at the graduate level. Students with adequate undergraduate breadth also have better access to graduate course offerings in other professional schools and departments of the University.

Experience has demonstrated the special value of a short list of selected courses that provide a good foundation for all master’s programs in the School. The Committee on Admissions therefore favors applicants who have successfully completed the courses listed below before beginning a degree program at the School. The specific courses listed under each distribution area are judged to be most suitable for helping students gain the maximum benefit from Yale course offerings. The ideal applicant has had the first two courses listed under each of the following three categories:

1. College mathematics—two terms selected from:

a. calculus
b. statistics
c. linear algebra
d. discrete mathematics

2. Natural science—four terms selected from:

a. general biology
b. general chemistry
c. geology/earth science
d. general physics

3. Social science—four terms selected from:

a. introductory economics
b. political science
c. sociology (micro and macro)
d. anthropology

Students who wish guidance in arranging their undergraduate programs in anticipa-tion of graduate study at Yale are invited to correspond or consult with the Director of Admissions.

English as a Second Language Training Requirement

The Admissions Committee may require as a condition of acceptance that applicants for whom English is a second language, whose undergraduate degree work has not been conducted in English, or whose application suggests such a need, complete a six-week instructional program in written and spoken English conducted by Yale’s Summer and Special Programs (or an equivalent program elsewhere).

This program begins on June 30, preceding the summer training modules in technical skills, and includes fourteen hours per week of language instruction as well as general orientation to the United States, New Haven, and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. For information about this program, please contact the Yale English Language Institute, PO Box 208355, New Haven, CT 06520-8355, U.S.A., or visit their Web site at http://www.yale.edu/eli/.

Application Procedures

Application forms for admission to studies leading to the professional degrees of M.E.M., M.E.Sc., M.F.S., or M.F. may be acquired in several ways. The application form explains in detail the supporting documents required by the School. The application fee is $60.00.

Online application. We anticipate having an online application in place by fall 2003. Please check our Web site at http://www.yale.edu/environment/ for this option.
Download application forms. Application forms may be downloaded directly from our Web site http://www.yale.edu/environment/. They should be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 205 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511-2509, U.S.A.
E-mail fesinfo@yale.edu for application forms and they will be mailed to you.
Call the Office of Admissions at 1.800.825.0330 to request the forms.
Write directly to the Director of Admissions, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 205 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06511-2509, U.S.A.

The deadline for applications is February 1. Students are admitted only in the fall.

Learning About FES

Our Web site is full of information about the School, and hard copies of information may be requested at fesinfo@yale.edu. But the best way to get to know the School is to come to New Haven to visit, if possible.

Three Open Houses for prospective students are held during the fall term; a fourth is held in April for admitted students. Please visit the F&ES Web site www.yale.edu/environment/ for the schedule. The Open Houses are full-day programs, including breakfast and lunch, where participants will learn from faculty, students, and staff about the mission and goals of the School, opportunities for research and applied projects, career development, and life at Yale.

Each Thursday morning when School is open (please check calendar), Information Sessions will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. Prospectives will meet with members of the Admissions staff and current students. To register for an information session please e-mail us at fesinfo@yale.edu, or call the Office of Admissions at 1.800.825.0330.

We encourage prospective students to visit campus at other times if they are unable to attend an Open House or Information Session. It is best to visit campus on Monday through Thursday if possible. Fridays are generally reserved for field trips. You are welcome to sit in on any classes of interest with no advance notice; the class schedule each term is posted on our Web site. Feel free to contact faculty whose work is of interest to you directly; e-mail is best. We do not conduct formal interviews. To schedule a visit, please contact us as described above.

Finally, we will be pleased to correspond with you about the School by e-mail or you may schedule a telephone conversation with our Admissions staff.

Admissions: Doctoral Degree Program

The doctoral program is designed to develop the broad knowledge, analytical powers, technical skills, and creative thinking demanded of leaders in environmental and natural resources disciplines. Applicants should hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a field related to natural resources such as forestry, or in a relevant discipline of the natural or social sciences such as biology, chemistry, economics, or mathematics.

Application Procedures

Two doctoral degrees exist at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. The first is the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, which is administered jointly by the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The second is the Doctor of Forestry and Environmental Studies (D.F.E.S.) degree, which is administered solely by the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. In the 2003–2004 academic year, the D.F.E.S. program has merged with the Ph.D. program. The D.F.E.S. program will continue to exist until all its current students complete the program. No additional students will be admitted into the D.F.E.S. program. New students will be admitted into the Ph.D. program.

Applications for the Ph.D. program can be obtained from the Web site of the Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/admissions/index.html/, or by contacting the Yale Graduate Admissions Office, 320 York Street, New Haven CT 06520; telephone, 203.432.2771. The application deadline for the Ph.D. program is January 2, 2004.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test is required of all applicants. Contact GRE-ETS, PO Box 6000, Princeton NJ 08541-7670; telephone, 609.771.7670; Web site, http://www.gre.org/.

International applicants whose native language is not English and who have not studied for at least two years at a university where English is the primary language of instruction are required to present evidence of proficiency in English by satisfactorily completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants should take the test no later than November, and no earlier than eighteen months prior to application. For information regarding registration, dates, and test centers, contact TOEFL/TSE Services-ETS, PO Box 6151, Princeton NJ 08541-6151; telephone, 609.771.7100; e-mail, toefl@ets.org; Web site, http://www.toefl.org/.

Tuition, Fees, and Other Expenses

Tuition and Fees, 2003–2004

Master’s Programs

The 2003–2004 tuition for master’s degrees (Master of Environmental Management, Master of Forest Science, Master of Environmental Science, and Master of Forestry) is $22,760. Tuition for special students is based on the number of courses taken. The School reserves the right to revise tuition as it deems appropriate. Tuition does not include the summer training modules in technical skills, the required University hospitalization insurance fee, or materials fees charged by other schools and departments in the University.

Two-year master’s students must pay full tuition for two years, regardless of the number of courses they take.

A fee of $900 is charged each participant in the training modules in technical skills. A single student in the module program should anticipate living expenses of approximately $865 for a three-week period.

Doctor of Philosophy Program

The tuition for the Ph.D. degree is $25,600. Most doctoral students receive a University fellowship that covers the costs of the first four years of tuition, health insurance, and a stipend during the academic year. Doctoral students must pay a nominal continuing registration fee for no more than four years thereafter.

Doctoral students must pay full tuition for four years.

For 2003–2004, students should also anticipate expenses of $1,000 for hospitalization coverage and $1,025 for books and supplies. A single student can expect living expenses of approximately $10,115 for a nine-month period.

Registration

All students in the master’s programs must register for courses at the Office of the Registrar of the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies within two weeks of the first day of classes in the fall and spring terms (see calendar). A penalty of $25 will be charged for late registration.

International students are required to complete a nonacademic registration at the Office of International Students and Scholars prior to their regular academic registration.

Part-Time Program

The charge per term for part-time students is 25 percent of tuition for one course, 50 percent for two courses, 75 percent for three courses, and full tuition for four or more courses.

Continuous Registration

Master’s degree students who wish to pursue their research through a six-month or one-year internship are permitted to do so and are considered enrolled on a full-time basis. This sequence must be followed by a related project course upon return to the School. A fee of $250 per term for this continuous registration is charged under this option.

Tuition Deposit

Upon acceptance of admission, a deposit of $500 payable directly to the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies is required to hold a place in the entering class. If a decision is made not to matriculate, the deposit will not be refunded.

Tuition Rebate and Financial Aid Refund Policies

Students enrolled at F&ES who withdraw during an academic term are subject to the following policies.

Students must submit a written request for withdrawal to the associate dean of academic affairs.
Tuition will be rebated on the following schedule:
1. The summer module fee will be refunded in full if the student withdraws before the modules begin; thereafter no fee will be refunded.
2. 100 percent of tuition will be rebated for withdrawals on or before the end of the first 10 percent of the term. In the fall term, that date is September 12, 2003; in the spring, that date is January 22, 2004.
3. One-half (50 percent) of tuition will be rebated for withdrawals after the first 10 percent of the term but on or before the last day of the first quarter. The first quarter date is September 27, 2003 in the fall term and February 6, 2004 in the spring term.
4. One-quarter (25 percent) of tuition will be rebated for withdrawals after the first quarter of the term but before the midterm. In the fall, the midterm date is October 22, 2003; in the spring the date is March 4, 2004.
5. Students who withdraw after the midterm date will not be eligible for a tuition rebate.
6. The death of a student shall cancel tuition charges pro rata to the date of death
Financial aid is refunded pro rata up to 60 percent of the term. The last day for refunds of federal student aid is November 1, 2003; March 30, 2004 is the 60 percent date for spring. Federal regulations require that aid be refunded in the following order: first to the Unsubsidized and Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan; then to Federal Perkins Loan; next to any other federal, state, private, or institutional scholarships and loans; and finally, any remaining balance to the student.

Loan recipients must complete an exit interview in compliance with federal regulations. The Student Loan Office will contact recipients.

Student Accounts and Bills

Student accounts, billing, and related services are administered through the Office of Student Financial Services, which is located at 246 Church Street. The telephone number is 203.432.2700.

Yale Charge Account

Students who sign and return a Yale Charge Card Account Authorization form will be able to charge designated optional items and services to their student accounts. Students who want to charge toll calls made through the University’s telephone system to their accounts must sign and return this Charge Card Account Authorization. The University may withdraw this privilege from students who do not pay their monthly bills on a timely basis. For more information, contact the Office of Student Financial Services at 246 Church Street, PO Box 208232, New Haven CT 06520-8232; telephone, 203.432.2700; fax, 203.432.7557; e-mail, sfs@yale.edu.

Yale Payment Plan

The Yale Payment Plan is a payment service that allows students and their families to pay tuition, room, and board in eleven or twelve equal monthly installments throughout the year based on individual family budget requirements. It is administered for the University by Academic Management Services (AMS). To enroll by telephone, call 800.635.0120. The fee to cover administration of the plan is $50. The deadline for enrollment is June 20. Application forms will be mailed to all students. For additional information, please contact AMS at the number above or visit their Web site at http://www.tuitionpay.com/.

Bills

A student may not register for any term unless all bills due for that and for any prior term are paid in full.

Bills for tuition, room, and board are mailed to the student during the first week of July, due and payable by August 1 for the fall term; and during the first week of November, due and payable by December 1 for the spring term. The Office of Student Financial Services will impose a late charge if any part of the term bill, less Yale-administered loans and scholarships that have been applied for on a timely basis, is not paid when due. The late charge will be imposed as follows:

If fall-term payment in full is not received Late charge

by August 1 $110

by September 1 an additional 110

by October 1 an additional 110

If spring-term payment in full is not received Late charge

by December 1 $110

by January 2 an additional 110

by February 1 an additional 110

Nonpayment of bills and failure to complete and submit financial aid application packages on a timely basis may result in the student’s involuntary withdrawal from the University.

No degrees will be conferred and no transcripts will be furnished until all bills due the University are paid in full. In addition, transcripts will not be furnished to any student or former student who is in default on the payment of a student loan.

Charge for Returned Checks

A processing charge of $20 will be assessed for checks returned for any reason by the bank on which they were drawn. In addition, the following penalties may apply if a check is returned:

If the check was in payment of a term bill, a $110 late fee will be charged for the period the bill was unpaid.
If the check was in payment of a term bill to permit registration, the student’s registration may be revoked.
If the check was given in payment of an unpaid balance in order to receive a diploma, the University may refer the account to an attorney for collection.

Master’s Financial Aid, 2003–2004

Policy and Procedures

The School offers a combination of scholarships, employment, and loans to students with demonstrated financial need. To be considered for financial aid, students must complete the aid applications on time.

The level of funding for each student is determined at the time of admission; therefore, it is critical that all financial aid application deadlines are met. Students must apply for aid each year; however, the level of School aid will remain the same as long as there is demonstrated financial need and the student remains in good academic standing.

Financial aid materials are updated annually, incorporating new regulations, changes in eligibility requirements, and other pertinent information. New financial aid applications are available in November of the year prior to matriculation—November 2003 for matriculation in fall 2004, for example. New forms are available at the School’s Web site, http://www.yale.edu/environment/ or from the Financial Aid Office anytime after November 1. Financial Aid applications must be postmarked by February 15.

U.S. citizens requesting financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available in public libraries and on the Web at http://www.fafsa. ed.gov/ and a School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Financial Aid Application, available from the School. International students must complete an International Student Financial Aid Application and a School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Financial Aid Application.

Scholarships
Students who demonstrate financial need may receive a scholarship to cover a portion of the tuition. Because funds are limited, scholarships are awarded to the top admissions candidates only. In combination with employment and loans, these students can meet the full cost of their education. In addition to School scholarships, there are several special scholarship awards:

The Rockefeller-Underhill Scholarship for Tropical Conservation provides full funding to a native of Central or South America who intends to pursue a career in tropical conservation in Latin America. The Evan Frankel Fellowships are funded under a grant from the Evan Frankel Foundation, and are geared to providing deep scholarship support to students from developing countries, particularly those countries with high biodiversity. Applicants must submit the International Student Financial Aid Application.

The GE Fund Environmental Scholars Program has been established to provide scholarship assistance for students from traditionally underrepresented communities in the United States. Applicants must complete the School’s Financial Aid Application and the FAFSA.

A number of additional endowed scholarships are available to second-year students. Grants range from $2,000 to $8,000 and are awarded on the basis of need, scholarship, professional promise, and other criteria specified by the donors. The Philip Laurance Buttrick Fund makes awards to selected students, with preference given to students of American Indian descent. The Paul Douglas Camp Scholarship is awarded to a student or students interested in forestry, forest management, or the use of forest products. The recipient of this scholarship must be a resident of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, or Georgia. The Crown Zellerbach Foundation Fund provides graduate fellowships, with preference given to graduates of institutions in Oregon or Washington. Students entering in 2004 who are planning to pursue conservation careers may apply for approximately ten Doris Duke Conservation Fellowships provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation to assist them with one subsequent year of tuition support. Funds are also available to aid these Fellows in summer internships with nonprofit and public agencies in the conservation field and for loan repayment assistance. The Enid Storm Dwyer Scholarship is awarded to a student with an interest in conservation and the environment. The John S. Griswold Scholarship is awarded to a student demonstrating financial need. The H. Stuart Harrison Fellowships are awarded to students of environmental studies. The Marvin Klemme Fellowship is awarded to a student interested in research on the genetics of oaks or other slow-growing tree species, or to a student interested in research on tropical ecosystems. The Kroon Family Tercentennial Fund provides scholarships to Yale College graduates interested in pursuing an advanced degree in Forestry & Environmental Studies. The Fred Krupp Scholarship in Environmental Studies is awarded to graduate students who intend to pursue a position with an American nongovernmental environmental organization upon gradutation. The John A. MacLean Scholarships are awarded to graduate students interested in forest conservation. The John M. Musser Fellowships in Population and Environment are awarded to candidates who study the relationship between human population and the use and management of the environment, with priority given to women and minority students. The Alan N. Mann Memorial Fellowships are awarded to students demonstrating financial need. The Carl F. Norden Scholarship is awarded to a student demonstrating financial need. The Gilman Ordway Family Scholarship Fund for Environmental Studies makes awards to students who will give serious consideration to a career in environmental studies either with a nongovernmental private organization or in a government job devoted to national resource protection. The Leonard Carpenter Scholarships are awarded to students engaged in the study of environmental and natural-resource topics. The Mrs. James Wiley Scholarship Fund makes awards to students interested in conservation and conservation biology. The Charles F. Wilson and the Ray L. Wilson Scholarships are awarded to students interested in forestry.

National Fellowships and Scholarships
Students and applicants are strongly urged to compete for outside fellowships and scholarships which can be used at Yale. These fellowships are sponsored by both public and private agencies and are often generous. In addition to financial advantages, the student who wins an award in a national competition earns genuine distinction. In the past, F&ES students have been recipients of awards from the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Science Foundation, the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation, the Leopold Schepp Foundation, and the Institute of International Education (Fulbright), among others. Enrolled students can compete for fellowships offered by the Heinz Family Foundation to support master’s project research. Outside awards may be matched with School awards up to combined levels that are no higher than the normal educational expense budget. More information is available on the Web.

Employment Opportunities
Student Employment opportunities are listed at the Student Employment Office at 246 Church Street, or on its Web site at http://www.yale.edu/seo/. Positions are located throughout the University and the City of New Haven, with hourly rates of $11 to $15. A list of jobs at the School is available in late summer.

Teaching Fellowships are also available at the University. Each department makes its own hiring decisions; therefore, interested students must contact them directly. The usual salary is $3,500 per term.

Loans
Yale University participates in two federal student loan programs: the Stafford program and the Perkins program. To qualify, a student must be a U.S. citizen and meet certain requirements determined by the FAFSA.

Graduate students are eligible to borrow up to $18,500 in Stafford loans, of which up to $8,500 may be subsidized by the federal government. Perkins loans, capped at $6,000, are available to students who demonstrate need beyond the level of a subsidized Stafford loan. While Stafford loans are available to all eligible borrowers, Perkins loans are limited by available funds. For more details on these programs, refer to the government Web site at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

International Student Financial Aid
In order to apply for financial aid from the School, international students must complete two applications: the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Financial Aid Application and the International Student Financial Aid Application. Both applications are available on the Web and must be completed and postmarked by February 15.

Three full scholarships will be offered to international students from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. All admitted students are automatically considered. Awards are based on the strength of the applicant’s admissions material and will cover all costs for the two-year program. The School also has agreements with a number of international organizations to provide matching funds in order to cover all costs for two years. Students are encouraged to contact organizations such as the Muskie Program administered by the Open Society Institute (a Soros foundation) for students from countries once belonging to the former Soviet Union, the Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship Program for students from countries supported by the World Bank, the LASPAU program for Latin Americans, and the ATLAS program for African students. The Financial Aid Office offers scholarships and employment opportunities to as many international students as our resources will allow; however, most students need additional support. It is for this reason that international students are encouraged to seek support from their government, employer, or various international agencies.

International students must certify full funding for their entire course of study before visa documents can be issued. Instructions and forms are mailed with admission decisions. More information is available at the Web site of Yale’s Office of International Students and Scholars (http://www.oiss.yale.edu/).

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