Prospective Students
Anyone interested in applying to the graduate program is encouraged to register as a prospective graduate student. Important notices regarding admissions and deadlines may be communicated through this online system.
Admissions
Do I need to take the GRE?
Yes -- the general GRE is required for applicants to graduate studies.
No -- dual degree applicants ONLY may use the LSAT (JD/MS) or GMAT (MBA/MS). You must give the law or business school permission to copy us on your test scores.
What are the GRE codes for CU Boulder and for the Environmental Studies Graduate Program?
CU Boulder's GRE code is R 4841 and the Environmental Studies Program is 0502. If the GRE test was taken previously, you can request ETS to send the results. GRE scores are generally valid 5 years.
How many transcripts do I need to send?
For U.S. transcripts, request that two official copies of your transcript(s) from each college or university you have attended be sent directly from the issuing institution to the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
While credits from one institution may appear on the transcript of a second institution, official transcripts must be submitted from each institution, regardless of the length of attendance, and whether or not courses were completed. Official transcripts exhibit the official seal and signature of the registrar. Transcripts that are marked student copy, or unofficial are not accepted as official and cannot be used in the admission decision.
Failure to list and submit official transcripts from all institutions will result in processing delays and could result in refusal and/or dismissal.
It is recommended that domestic applicants with transcripts from international institutions allow additional time for evaluation and processing of these credentials by submitting the application 4-6 weeks before the posted deadline.
Is there a format for letters of recommendation?
There is no particular format for the letters themselves, but they must be accompanied by the Request for Recommendation form. Three letters of recommendation (form and letter) are required. Online submission as part of the application is strongly preferred. If you must use a physical letter, print out the form from the recommendation section of the online application and send it to the person writing the letter. Paper forms and letters should be sent to the Environmental Studies Program.
Are there any prerequisites for admission?
Yes, depending on your area of concentration. For the Policy and Environmental Social Sciences secondary cores, there are no prerequisites. For Biogeosciences, a strong science background is required. For the Energy secondary core, a background in science or technology is helpful but not required. For Water and the Environment, an undergraduate science degree is strongly preferred. There is no set prerequisite for the Water and Society concentration.
Does the department admit students for the spring semester?
No, the only admittance is for the fall semester. Applications are considered by the graduate admissions committee after the deadline of January 15; we do not have rolling admissions.
How many students does the department admit each year?
It varies, but somewhere between 15 and 20 students total.
Do I need to have an advisor before I apply?
Having an advisor already determined is not required at the time of application, but it is helpful if you know of someone whose research interests may be a good match with yours. It is essential to have at least attempted contact with relevant faculty members. You are not limited to the faculty listed on our website, you may have anyone on the CU-Boulder campus serve as an advisor. Most faculty members list research interests online, either in departmental profiles or personal web pages. A survey of recent academic publications in your area of interest may also yield information useful to you.
What should be in my personal statement?
The personal statement portion of your application is your opportunity to communicate with the admissions committee directly. An ideal personal statement one to two pages and contains information on your relevant experience (including research), types of courses and projects that you'd like to pursue as a graduate student, and ultimate career plans. An important element is your description of why the Environmental Studies Program at CU-Boulder is a good fit for you and your interests.
How important are GRE scores (or my GPA)?
The Environmental Studies Graduate Program requires that the applicant have taken the general GRE test and have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0. The recommended minimum score on the GRE exam is 50th percentile or above. Letters of recommendation and student statement of interest are important considerations in the admission process. Students are admitted on the basis of a holistic evaluation of their application with an eye toward best fit with the CU ENVS program, faculty and research interests, as well as likely success in graduate studies. Therefore, it is not possible to give any sort of advance estimate of the likelihood of admission based upon test scores or other data.
Who should I ask for letters of recommendation?
It is important that those recommending you evaluate your competence and potential as a graduate student. If you have been out of school for awhile, think about people for whom you have conducted research and/or written reports. Do you work with anyone who has an advanced degree? They would have experience in grad school and might be able to say how you would fare. It is fine to include one or two professional references that comment primarily upon your abilities and/or accomplishments, along with one that directly comments upon likely success in grad school.
Does it help my application to visit campus?
You are welcome to schedule a campus visit, if you wish. It does not directly affect the decisions of the graduate admissions committee but can allow you to get a feel for the program and make personal contacts. We do not coordinate appointments with current graduate students or faculty. Most are reachable by email or phone through the contact information on our website. Our administrative office is quite small, as faculty are housed in their home departments scattered throughout the university. An ENVS staff member is available most days to meet with you in person or by phone (email is preferred for most questions). Information about scheduling campus tours and other helpful tips for prospective University of Colorado students is available online.
How do I apply for a dual degree?
Dual degrees are available in law and business. Students must apply to and meet the application requirements for each program separately. A separate application, including personal statement and fee, must be submitted to the environmental studies program. We will accept copies of LSAT/GMAT scores and transcripts from law or business applications. Applicants must give the law or business school permission to send copies of these supporting materials.
Applicants have the option to use copies of letters from their law/business applications or have different letters submitted which address specific environmental studies interests. It is important that those recommending you evaluate your competence and potential as an environmental studies graduate student.
Each program (business/law and ENVS) makes independent admissions decisions. If you wish to be considered for the ENVS program even if you are not admitted to the other school, please make that very clear in your personal statement. It is possible to be admitted only to ENVS as a dual degree applicant, but it has not yet happened.
How do I apply to be a TA or RA?
The ENVS Graduate Program is strongly committed to providing a TA experience for admitted PhD students for a year. Occasionally, individual faculty members have research projects with funding for a research assistant. That sort of opportunity generally requires a close match between the student's skill set and the research undertaken. These funding decisions are made by the admissions committee as part of the application process. MS students are generally not funded but frequently there are opportunities in other campus departments for TA positions, depending upon the student's undergraduate background.
Can I transfer credits to the program?
Yes, you can transfer a maximum of 9 graduate credits from another institution (special rules apply) to a Master’s degree. For a Ph.D. you can transfer a maximum of 21 graduate credits. Details are on the Graduate School website.
What advanced degree options are available in environmental studies?
It is not necessary to have an undergraduate degree in environmental studies to pursue an advanced degree. People come to the program from a variety of backgrounds. The importance is in the match between undergraduate and graduate study. If you wish to pursue Water or Biogeoscience as secondary core areas, an undergraduate degree in science is required. It is strongly encouraged for Energy. Policy and Environmental Social Sciences do not have prerequisites and are generally preferred by students with liberal arts backgrounds.
The dual degrees with law and business are available only at the graduate level. Both the JD and MBA may be paired with an MS Environmental Studies. The JD may also be pursued with a PhD in Environmental Studies. It is necessary to be admitted independently to each program. Each program (business/law and ENVS) makes independent admissions decisions. If you wish to be considered for the ENVS program even if you are not admitted to the other school, please make that very clear in your personal statement. It is possible to be admitted only to ENVS as a dual degree applicant, but it has not yet happened.
The Certificate in Environmental Policy is designed to complement graduate studies in areas other than Environmental Studies, such as political science or journalism. Other graduate-level certificates commonly pursued by environmental studies students are in Hydrologic Sciences and Science and Technology Policy. You must already be admitted to a CU graduate program to pursue any of the certificates.
My GPA is below 3.0. May I still apply?
It is possible to be admitted as a provisional student with a GPA below 2.75, according to CU graduate school regulations. However, the ENVS program is quite competitive. Last year, 150 applications were received for the 30 granted admission. So, other parts of your application will need to compensate for the grade point average. You should aim for a high GRE score and good letters of reference that address specifically your ability to be successful in graduate environmental studies.
Taking additional courses could be helpful if they demonstrate mastery of a relevant subject matter, or are at the graduate level. They will not change your undergraduate GPA. An additional undergraduate degree is rarely helpful. Of course, taking graduate-level courses is not advisable unless you are confident that you will do well in them. Often, having an association or at least contact with a CU faculty member is helpful. The final piece is the personal statement. Use it to address your GPA, explain if there was a particular class or circumstance that negatively affected it and why environmental studies at CU-Boulder is a good fit for you and your interests.
Career Options
Job prospects for students with advanced degrees in environmental studies vary widely, based in part upon each student's prior educational and/or work experience, his/her program of study within environmental studies, any internships or research projects undertaken and individual career goals. Alumni are listed on our web page and their current employment is listed where known.
Can I get academic credit for my professional experience?
No. This is a university decision, not one made by individual departments. The wording from the CU catalog is below.
Transfer Course Work Not Accepted by the University
The following course work will not transfer and will not count toward a degree at Boulder:
courses identified by CU-Boulder as remedial, i.e., necessary to correct academic deficiencies, such as remedial English, mathematics, science, and developmental reading;
vocational-technical courses that are offered at two-year and proprietary institutions (exceptions may be granted only by the CU-Boulder dean responsible for the student's curriculum - when exceptions appear to be warranted, appropriate department heads make recommendations to their respective deans regarding credit for such courses);
courses in religion that constitute specialized religious training or that are doctrinal in nature;
credits earned for work experience or through a cooperative education program;
credits earned in physical education activity courses;
work/life experience; and
courses or programs identified as college orientation.
International Students
International Students should be aware that the application deadline is earlier than domestic applicants to allow for the extra time needed to evaluate transcripts from non-U.S. universities. The deadline for Environmental Studies is December 1. Additional information is available at the CU International Prospective Students website.
I am an international student, where do I send transcripts?
The point of contact for international students is the International Admissions office in every aspect concerning the application itself, paper work and financial matters. International applications should NOT be sent to our department but directly to the International Admissions Team for review by December 1.
Is the TOEFL test required?
Yes, unless you fit one of two exemptions: 1. your native language is English, or 2. you have completed at least one year of full-time study at a U.S. institution, or at an institution in a country where English is the native language, at the time you apply, and within two years from your desired admission term
Environmental Studies falls into the "all others" category on the list of departmental TOEFL requirements (500 (173)(61)) on the CU International Prospective Students web site.
How is my work at a non-U.S. institution evaluated?
In general, the University of Colorado at Boulder looks for a four year bachelor degree or equivalent after 12 years of primary/secondary school. In other words, we look for a total of 16 years of education that builds on the curriculum from year to year (not just any 16 years of education), and within the same country. Many of the Bologna compliant three-year degrees now build on 12 (occasionally fewer) years of primary/secondary school. The International Admissions Team at CU-Boulder does not routinely consider these to be equivalent to a US four year bachelor degree.
Degree Requirements
How many years does it take to get a graduate degree?
Most MS students finish in two years. The maximum time allowed is four years. A Ph.D. must be completed in six years, although it is possible (but not encouraged) to apply for an extension of time.
Can an ENVS graduate student be part-time?
We only admit full time students to the program.
How many course work hours are required for a degree?
Master’s Degree: The requirement for the master’s degree is 36 credit hours. A student may complete a Plan I - thesis option (30 course credits plus 6 thesis credits), or a Plan II - course work plus internship option. A maximum of 6 credit hours may be completed at the 3000 or 4000 level at the discretion of the academic department.
Independent study course work cannot exceed 25 percent of the course work required for the master’s degree.
Doctoral Degree: The requirement for the Ph.D. degree in Environmental Studies is 42 credit hours of course work Those students pursuing the Ph.D. shall complete a minimum of 30 credit hours of dissertation work beyond the minimum course work requirement.
How many credits do I need to take per semester in order to be considered a full time graduate student?
Master’s students
- one who is carrying a minimum of 5 credits of graduate level course work
- 8 credits of combined undergraduate and graduate course work
- at least 1 master’s thesis hour
- at least 1 hour of “Master’s Candidate for Degree”
Doctoral students
- one who is carrying a minimum of 5 credits of graduate level course work prior to passing the comprehensive exam
- 8 credits of combined undergraduate and graduate course work prior to passing the comprehensive exam
- at least one doctoral dissertation credit prior to passing the comprehensive exam
- a minimum of 5 dissertation hours after passing the comprehensive exam
Are there any required courses?
Yes, everybody is required to take ENVS 5000 Policy, Science & the Environment, ENVS 5001 Environmental Philosophy and ENVS 5002 Environmental Science. There are additional required courses (usually three) in each area of focus.
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