Emily Jack-Scott, Yale College Class of 2008 and F&ES 5-year joint degree Master's Degree candidate, working with kindergarteners, about to release ‘head-starter’ terrapins.    

A Master's Degree Option: Joint Yale College - School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Baccalaureate and Master's degree program

1. Who should consider the 5-year Joint Degree Program?

The Joint Yale College (YC) - School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) Baccalaureate and Master’s degree program is a five-year program that is designed for undergraduate students who want to pursue a career in the environmental field. The program is designed to provide well-prepared Yale College students with accelerated graduate training in environmental science and management. Graduates from the School’s master’s degree programs have become highly successful leaders within government, corporations, non-profit organizations, and academia.

All Yale College students pursuing either a B.A. or B.S. degree in Yale College are eligible to apply for a Master of Environmental Management (MEM) degree or a Master of Environmental Science (MESc) degree, regardless of major. Normally the School awards master’s degrees following two years of graduate study and admission is offered only to those holding a bachelors degree. This program accelerates the master’s degree program through careful integration of undergraduate curriculum with graduate requirements. As Yale undergraduates, students in the program should fulfill the prerequisites and complete the equivalent of one year of coursework that counts towards the completion of a master’s degree.

Yale College students interested in the five-year joint degree program should apply to the program at the end of the fall semester of their senior year.  The application deadline for the next round of admissions is January 6, 2010.  Applicants interested in applying to the MESc should make an appointment to talk to Debbie Broadwater at deborah.broadwater@yale.edu prior to applying.

2. Recommended preparation for the 5-year Joint Degree Program?

F&ES welcomes individuals from a variety of undergraduate backgrounds including the biological and physical sciences, engineering, social sciences, mathematics, humanities, or interdisciplinary programs. However, the Admissions Committee favors applicants who have successfully completed a combination of the courses listed below before beginning a master’s degree program. For this reason, it is highly recommended that an applicant for the five-year joint degree program complete the following coursework.  If this coursework has not been completed at the time of the application, a plan for completion by the end of the senior year should be provided. 

• Quantitative methods: 2 courses (calculus, statistics, linear algebra, discrete mathematics)
• Biological sciences: 2 courses (biology, ecology)
• Physical sciences: 2 courses (chemistry, physics, geology/earth science, hydrology/soil science)
• Social science: 4 courses (anthropology, economics, political science, sociology)
• AP courses taken in high school and acknowledged by Yale College can be included.
• Non-Yale college courses may be approved by the Admissions Committee.

3. What are the Program and Course Requirements?

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The Master’s programs of F&ES prepare students for professional practice or doctoral studies in environmental management or science.  For both the five-year joint degree program in either environmental management or environmental science have the following requirements in common:

• Completion of the summer Training Modules in Technical Skills prior to the fall term in residence at F&ES.
• A minimum of one full academic year in residence at F&ES.
• 24 credits of courses with satisfactory results.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: MASTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

• In order for the five-year joint degree student to fulfill the program requirements in the MEM degree program, it is recommended that the student complete three courses that will either apply toward fulfilling the distributional areas or the advanced training courses before graduating from Yale College. 
• Completion of seven distributional courses (at least one course from each distributional area).  Using the five digit F&ES course number, the second digit of these courses have a number of 1-7 to indicate which distributional area it fulfills.
• Completion of two advanced training courses in a concentration broadly represented by nine focal areas: (1) Ecology, Ecosystems and Biodiversity; (2) The Social Ecology of Conservation and Development; (3) Forest Science, Management, and Conservation; (4) Global Change Science and Policy; (5) Environment, Health, and Policy; (6) Industrial Environmental Management; (7) Policy, Economics, and Law; (8) Urban Ecology and Environmental Design; (9) Water Science, Policy, and Management.  Using the five digit F&ES course number, the second digit of these courses have a zero to indicate that is considered an advanced training course.
• Completion of a Master’s Project and a project course.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS: MASTER OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

• Completion of one of the two research methods courses (F&ES 70002 or F&ES 70003) during the fall-term when matriculating full-time at F&ES (if not earlier).
• Completion of a data analysis course.
• Completion of three Master’s Project courses.
• Completion of a Scholarship project with the expectation that the work will be publishable in a peer-reviewed journal or other forum.
• Presentation of their research findings at the annual Masters Student Research Colloquium (will receive a grade of Satisfactory Completion for this effort).

4. What is the difference between the MEM and the MESc degree?

The MEM degree is designed for students interested in pursuing careers in environmental policy and analysis, stewardship, education, consulting, or management dealing with natural resource, pollution control, and other environmental issues. The program requires coursework in both the natural and social sciences, with a particular focus on the complex relationship between science, management, and policy. The ultimate purpose of the degree program is to provide students with a scientific understanding of ecological and social systems, which then can be applied in a policy or management context.

The MESc degree is designed for students interested in conducting scientific research that contributes toward basic and applied knowledge. This degree is intended to provide students a deeper disciplinary focus than the MEM, while holding to the core value of the school that students should be allowed flexibility in course selection in order to meet their educational goals. The course of study includes formalized training in the philosophy and practice of science.
 
Typically, students interested in pursuing a PhD or research-based career choose the MESc, while students interested in a non-research career choose the MEM. This distinction is not definitive, however, as some MEM students go on to get a PhD.

NOTE:  If a student intends to apply for the MESc degree program, then he/she MUST secure a F&ES faculty member as an advisor for the MESc degree program before applying to the 5-year program.  Additionally, the F&ES faculty advisor must provide a letter as part of the student’s application stating his/her agreement to become the prospective student’s F&ES advisor.

5. What are the internship/research project requirements for the 5-year program?

Internships and/or research projects are a crucial component of the 5-year program.  An applicant must complete an approved internship/research project during the summer between graduating from Yale College and matriculating full-time at F&ES.

6. When should students apply? What is the application deadline? What application materials are needed to apply to the program?

Students apply to the program in their senior year at Yale.  Applicants interested in applying to the MESc should make an appointment to talk to Debbie Broadwater at deborah.broadwater@yale.edu prior to applying.

The application deadline is January 6, 2010. Individual application files completed by this date are guaranteed to receive a review by the Committee on Admissions. Applications and supplemental materials may still be submitted after this date, but no guarantee is given that they will be considered by the committee. Therefore we encourage serious applicants to submit all necessary materials to the Office of Admissions prior to the January 6thndeadline.  The following materials are required:

• A completed application form found online.
• A résumé or curriculum vitae.
  • Please include dates of service, employers, titles, nature of duties, and any significant volunteer experience.
  • List also original research work, reports, or publications.
• A personal statement (600-word maximum).
  • Describe your career objectives and how Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies can help you achieve them.
  • Include other considerations that explain why you seek admission to the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.
• Official transcripts.
  • You are required to provide a transcript from every college or university you have ever attended.
  • If admitted, you will be required to submit official transcripts for all registered coursework from each college or university you have attended in sealed and signed envelopes from the registrar or designated school records officer. For international institutions issuing no such documents, send attested diplomas or certificates. 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 provided if the transcript does not include the date of graduation and the type of degree awarded.
• Three letters of reference.
  • Letters from individuals who can evaluate the applicant's scholarship, professional activities, leadership skills, and career goals are especially valuable.
  • Letters from undergraduate professors and/or professional supervisors are preferred. Letters from family, friends or nonsupervisory colleagues are not acceptable.
  • The submission of the recommendation form and a one-page letter is expected.
• Official GRE, GMAT or LSAT score report.
  • GRE (www.gre.org) and GMAT (www.mba.com/mba) scores must be sent directly from the official testing service and generally arrive two to three weeks after the examination date. Copies sent by applicants will not be accepted. Please plan testing so that scores will arrive by the January application deadline.
  • The GRE institution code is 3996; there is no department code.
  • The GMAT institution code is 3TJ-WT-45.
  • Applicants taking the LSAT (www.lsac.org) should be aware that LSAC does not send score reports to schools other than law. 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 a copy of the report to Master’s Admissions, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies: 203-432-7297.
• Application fee.
  • $75.00 must be submitted by credit card or electronic transfer via the on-line process.

7. How do I apply for financial aid?

The deadline to submit all required financial aid application forms (U.S. and permanent residents or international students) is March 1, 2010 by 4:00pm.

All financial aid questions should be addressed to:
F&ES Office of Financial Aid
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Kroon Hall 105/107
195 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511-2189
(203) 432-6100
FAX: (203) 432-7297
fesfinancialaid@yale.edu

 

Contact Information
Initial inquiries about the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES)/Yale College (YC) 5-year Joint Degree Program should be made to Debbie Broadwater (deborah.broadwater@yale.edu), Program Manager of the Yale College/School of Forestry & Environmental Studies Master's Degree Program.

 

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