Two-Year Master’s Degree Programs
The School of the Environment offers four two-year master’s degrees: the professionally oriented Master of Environmental Management (M.E.M.) and the Master of Forestry (M.F.), and the research-oriented Master of Environmental Science (M.E.Sc.) and Master of Forest Science (M.F.S.). The M.F. and M.F.S. programs are administered within the Yale Forest School. All the master’s degree programs vary in their level of prescription, but all are sufficiently flexible to accommodate the diverse academic backgrounds, professional experiences, and career aspirations of a large and vibrant student body. The program curricula draw from more than 150 courses taught by more than fifty YSE faculty, as well as from courses taught elsewhere at Yale. Each student’s course of study is customized through consultation with a faculty adviser who guides the student’s learning experience from the first week at Yale until graduation. The master’s degree programs require a minimum of two years in residence, 48 credits of coursework at Yale, a summer internship or research experience, and completion of the Training Modules in Technical Skills prior to the student’s first term (see below).
Master of Environmental Management
This program provides students with an in-depth understanding of natural and social systems that can be applied to environmental and natural resource problem solving in a policy or management context.
Curriculum Overview
The Master of Environmental Management curriculum draws from coursework in the natural and social sciences and focuses on the complex relationships among science, management, and policy. The purpose of the program is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of natural and social systems that can be applied to environmental and natural resource problem solving in a policy or management context. In addition to coursework, students are expected to hone their capacities as leaders and managers through summer internships, professional skills courses, and other opportunities.
The M.E.M. curriculum requires students to focus on an area of specialization, while still offering the flexibility to tailor their course programming in a way that exposes them to other disciplines and subject areas. This structure assures that students develop both depth and breadth in their course of study. Students can choose from more than 100 courses offered by YSE faculty and have access to an even larger number of courses from across Yale University.
M.E.M. Goals
- Provide the broad knowledge necessary to engage in twenty-first-century environmental challenges while gaining the depth required to offer expertise
- Expose students to diverse perspectives and approaches to environmental problem-solving
- Offer clear pathways for subject immersion through required specializations while encouraging exploration
- Foster interdisciplinary teamwork focused on developing and validating solutions to environmental challenges
- Equip students with practical, professional skills needed to be effective organizational leaders
- Support student learning, training, and engagement through robust learning communities
M.E.M. Degree Requirements
- Satisfactory completion of the two-week Summer Training Modules (MODs)
| ENV 001 | Self to System | 0 |
| ENV 002 | Science to Solutions | 0 |
Exposure
- Perspectives on Environmental Leadership: A Leadership Tool Kit, one course (Fall 1 for all first-year M.E.M. students), 1.5 credits
- Perspectives on Environmental Leadership: Systems Change or Foundations of Applied Math for the Environment, one course (Fall 2 for all first-year M.E.M. students), 1.5 credits
Interdisciplinary conversancy
- Foundational knowledge, four half-semester courses, 0–6 credits (waiver options available)
| ENV 511 | Ecological Foundations for Environmental Managers | 1.5 |
| ENV 512 | Microeconomic Foundations for Environmental Managers | 1.5 |
| ENV 521 | Physical Science Foundations for Environmental Managers | 1.5 |
| ENV 522 | Social Science Foundations for Environmental Managers | 1.5 |
- Statistics, one course, 1.5- or 3-credit options available (waiver option available)
| ENV 728 | Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences | 1.5 |
| S&DS 5000 | Introductory Statistics | 1 |
SPECIALIZATION (DEPTH)
- Core courses, two courses, 6 credits
- Specialization electives, four 4 courses, approximately 12 credits
BREADTH
- General electives, six courses, minimum 18 credits
INTEGRATION AND APPLICATION
- Capstone or independent project, one course, 3 credits
EXPERIENCE AND CAREER EXPLORATION
- Internship or research project, ten to twelve summer weeks, required
| ENV 006 | YSE Internship/Research | 0 |
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
- Professional skills modules, complete four of eight modules, required
TOTAL PROGRAM REQUIREMENT
Minimum of 48 credits required for the degree
M.E.M. Specialization Requirements
All M.E.M. students are required to choose one specialization. Specializations are designed to ensure that students obtain sufficient depth in their chosen area of study. Specialization requirements account for 18 of the 48 total credits required for the M.E.M. degree, and it is possible to add a second specialization. Students will formally declare their specialization toward the end of their first semester. So long as a student is on track to complete an M.E.M. specialization by graduation, they may add, change, or drop specializations at any point before the final day of classes of their last enrolled semester. Shortly before graduation, each student’s course history will be certified, and any specializations that have been declared and completed will appear on their final transcript.
Business and the Environment
For YSE students who are interested in working on environmental issues in for-profit organizations, or in NGOs and public agencies that partner with for-profit organizations, be well prepared to do so. This specialization will be particularly helpful for M.E.M. students with an environmental science or policy background and less experience with business concepts.
Core (two required courses)
| ENV 807 | Corporate Sustainability: Strategy and Management | 3 |
| MGT 502 | Foundations of Accounting and Valuation | 3 |
| or ACCT 2700 | Foundations of Accounting and Valuation | |
Electives Students are required to take four elective courses, including at least one meeting the FMBQ attribute and one meeting FMBF attribute.
Climate Change Science and Solutions
Human-induced climate change is one of the main drivers of the Anthropocene. The physical science of the earth’s climate and its sensitivity to pollution is remarkably complex and an area of intense study. The resulting perturbations to the earth system permeate through and impact ecological and human systems.
Core (two required courses)
| ENV 630 | The Physical Science of Climate Change | 3 |
| ENV 840 | Climate Change Policy and Perspectives | 3 |
Electives Students must complete four elective courses, one of which must be from the FMCS attribute. The remaining three courses may come from any of the other attributes.
Ecosystem Management and Conservation
This specialization gives students the knowledge and skills to become thoughtful stewards of the environment to ensure that human and nonhuman species can coexist across landscapes.
Core I The goal of Core I is a strong foundation in natural science theory in relation to conservation and land stewardship.
| ENV 602 | Ecosystems and Landscapes | 3 |
Core II Choose one of the following two courses. The goal of Core II is a strong theoretical foundation in sociology and environmental anthropology as it relates to conservation and land stewardship.
| ENV 759 | Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science Theory and Method | 3 |
| ENV 764 | American Cosmologies | 3 |
Electives Students must take at least one course from each of the following four attributes: FML1, FLM2, FMLQ, and FMLM.
Energy and the Environment
The specialization prepares students to help lead in developing a more equitable, efficient, and cleaner energy future.
Core (two required courses)
| ENV 800 | Energy Economics and Policy Analysis | 3 |
| ENV 814 | Energy Systems Analysis | 3 |
Electives Students must complete four courses in total. This includes one course in each of the following attributes: FMEP, FMET, and FMEQ, plus one additional course chosen to develop expertise in a particular area of energy and the environment. The additional course may be selected from the attributes listed above or from other energy-related courses offered at Yale. See https://environment.yale.edu/academics/masters/mem/specializations/energy for list of approved energy-related courses.
Environmental Policy Analysis
This specialization is for students who seek to understand and employ analytical frameworks that apply to a broad range of environmental issue areas and are critical for strategic environmental policy within organizations that develop, analyze, practice and evaluate environmental and natural resource management.
Core I (required course)
| ENV 834 | Environmental Economics and Policy | 3 |
Core II (required course)
| ENV 821 | Environmental Policy Making: From Local to Global | 3 |
| or ENV 824 | Environmental Law and Policy | |
Electives Students must complete four courses in total. They must take at least one course from each of the following two attributes: FMPQ and FMPG. For the two remaining electives, Environmental Policy Analysis students should also develop expertise in some specific environmental or natural resource problem or issue (e.g., renewable energy, water resources, environmental health, forest management, biological diversity, climate change, conservation, etc.). Students are encouraged to look at other specializations to develop this two-course sequence (e.g., Energy and the Environment, Ecosystem Management and Conservation, Water Resource Science and Management, and others). The core requirements of other specializations are a natural fit here. Students may also develop the sequence based on their own interests, but should make the case that the two courses are consistent with developing an area of topical concentration. The two-course sequence must be approved by the specialization coordinator prior to the student’s last semester.
Industrial Ecology and Green Chemistry
In this specialization, students gain an understanding of systems analysis applied to environmental problems in production-consumption systems, acquire methods to quantify the use of energy, materials, water, and land for industrial production, and the comparative evaluation of different pollution types. They learn about how organizations use these approaches in environmental management.
Core (two required courses)
| ENV 771 | Fundamentals of Green Engineering and Green Chemistry | 3 |
| ENV 884 | Industrial Ecology | 3 |
Electives Students must complete four electives with the attribute FMIP.
People, Equity and the Environment
The purpose of this specialization is to give today’s professional environmental managers a range of theoretical, conceptual, and methodological skills necessary for understanding how to critique, improve, and implement models of environmental management that address historically ingrained challenges.
Two core courses are required. Choose one course from Core I and one course from Core II.
Core I
| ENV 759 | Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science Theory and Method | 3 |
| ENV 764 | American Cosmologies | 3 |
| or ENV 820 | Urban Adaptation to Climate Change | |
Core II
| ENV 631 | Poverty, Environment, and Inequality | 3 |
| ENV 642 | Environmental Justice/Climate Justice | 3 |
| ENV 682 | Environmental Justice/Water Justice | 3 |
Electives Four courses are required. Students must take at least one course from each of the three attributes: FMNE, FMNH, and FMNS). The fourth elective course must be from either the FMNH or FMNS attribute.
Urban Specialization
The Urban Specialization prepares students to engage deeply in the management of urban ecosystems. Students will learn to understand and assess key environmental challenges and possible policy and business solutions to address these issues.
Core (two required courses)
| ENV 573 | Urban Ecology for Local and Regional Decision-Making | 3 |
| ENV 645 | Urbanization, Global Change, and Sustainability | 3 |
Electives Students must select four courses, one from each of the following attributes: FMUB, FMUE, FMUS, and FMUU.
Water Resource Science and Management
This specialization builds student expertise in the science, policy, and management of water resources in preparation for careers that call for solutions to challenges posed by the world’s emerging and longstanding water-related issues.
Core (required two courses)
| ENV 712 | Water Management | 3 |
| ENV 735 | Hydrologic Science for Environmental Managers | 3 |
Elective Four courses are required. Students must take at least one course from each attribute: FMWM, FMWS, and FMWQ and one cross-over course. Water management influences, and is influenced by, a wide range of natural-resource issues, environmental challenges, and policy actions. Students are encouraged to explore the core courses of other M.E.M. specializations to fulfill the cross-over elective. Some core courses for other specializations are listed in the Management bin. Each of those core courses can satisfy the requirement for the Management bin or the cross-over course, but a single course cannot be used to satisfy the requirement for both. Courses outside the specialization cores may also be suitable, subject to approval by the Water Learning Community faculty coordinator.
Master of Forestry
The two-year Master of Forestry (M.F.) degree, which is accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF), prepares students for careers in sustainable natural resource management and policy, solving critical sustainability challenges and resource conflicts across a complex web of social, political, and ecological systems.
Program Overview
The M.F. curriculum focuses on two major themes: multidisciplinary exposure in the biological and social sciences and a progressive growth of experience in resource measurement, analysis, management, and policy. Students gain hands-on research and technical experience alongside faculty at 11,000 acres of Yale-owned forested properties as well as benefiting from opportunities in management and policy development through YSE centers and programs.
Accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF) under its Forestry standard, the Master of Forestry degree is intended for students wishing to pursue professional careers in the management and policy of forest resources, across the span of urban to rural environments. These professional opportunities can be private-sector forest management—corporate or consulting; public-sector forest management—federal, state, county, local government; stewardship and conservation of forest resources—government, private, or non-profit sector; or education. The goal is to prepare students to manage forest resources for various public and private values within a complex social, political, and ecological environment.
The curriculum draws from coursework in the natural and social sciences and focuses on the complex relationships among the science, management, and policy of forest resources. Students are also expected to hone their capacities as leaders and managers through summer internships, professional skills courses, and other opportunities.
M.F. Curriculum
Stages
The Master of Forestry curriculum is designed in three educational stages along with an emphasis on professional skill development.
Stage One: Basic Knowledge This stage focuses on understanding the biological, physical, and social science that is the foundation for forest ecology, management, and policy. The purpose is to provide students with a scientific understanding of ecological and social systems that can be applied in a policy or management context. This can be described as a process of assimilating knowledge, understanding values, and comprehending the relationships between knowledge and values that form essential concepts and hypotheses within the biological, social, and physical disciplines. This is the baseline upon which the remaining framework for synthesizing and integrating knowledge for management decisions is built. This curriculum encourages students to understand the land, plants, ecosystems, and people before developing management and policy solutions.
Stage Two: Frameworks and Skills for Integrating Knowledge Stage Two provides many of the analytical techniques and tools for synthesis and analysis of scientific information within a social and political context. This stage includes courses that teach management techniques, economic and finance methods, and quantitative skills for both temporal and spatial measurement of natural resources and human behavior.
Stage Three This stage includes both Synthesis and Analysis of Knowledge and the M.F. capstone (ENV 955). Generally, students take these courses during their second year. Both are designed to address and prepare students for solving important real-world problems and resource conflicts. The courses fall into two main categories.
- The first is the management of forest resources and includes interdisciplinary courses that teach students to approach complex issues, ask relevant questions, in useful sequences, to gather data to answer these questions, and develop a coherent and well thought out management or policy plan. These courses are designed to maintain high faculty-student and student-student interaction. A significant group project component is expected in these courses, some being client driven while others are research reports or assessments. These projects are intended to be of high professional and academic caliber, publishable as part of the school’s communications or in recognized journals.
- The second category is that of professional knowledge, including courses which provide exposure to aspects of forestry that broaden and add to the student’s knowledge base from a professional perspective. Included in this category are extensive field trips and professional skills useful for working in an organizational context. All M.F. students are required to take an evening session on professional ethics and encouraged to take a session in conflict resolution. The M.F. capstone course (ENV 955) in our program addresses leadership, among other management skills, a characteristic that we have sought to strengthen in all of our students since the inception of the school. Instead of ENV 955 (or an equivalent seminar approved by the M.F. faculty leader), students can complete a project course with a faculty member to satisfy their capstone requirement that strengthens an individual’s analytical, communication, and publication skills. Note that M.E.M. capstone courses are separate from the M.F. capstone; M.E.M. capstone courses cannot be used to fulfill the M.F. capstone requirement and vice versa.
During summers, students are encouraged to learn technical and management skills through the Apprentice Forester Program at the school forests, an internship with a forest management organization, or an independent management and research project that can lead to publication.
Electives
Electives allow the student to choose a variety of courses or to concentrate on a particular area as a specialization. Specializations are constructed by the student and his or her adviser. Their focus should be a particular land use or management issue concerning forest resources. The flexibility of course choice within the required topic areas of the M.F. curriculum also allows the student to tailor required courses to a desired specialization.
Sample specializations are:
- community development and social forestry in urban or rural environments
- protected areas management
- extension and education
- finance, consulting, and business around forest products and services
- watershed health, ecosystem services, and restoration
- tropical forest ecology and management
- agroecology and agroforestry
- urban forestry
SAF Accreditation
The two-year Master of Forestry is a professional degree reviewed and accredited by the Society of American Foresters (SAF). It is the policy of the school to insure that each student’s program conforms to the standards set by the SAF. The Master of Forestry program is overseen by a committee consisting of faculty and the M.F. program coordinator, Mark Ashton. Students should formally notify the program coordinator of their intent to do the M.F. Students with questions about the program course requirements should seek advice and counsel from the program coordinator in consultation with their adviser. Forms may be obtained from the program coordinator for cross-checking each student’s individualized course of study against SAF Standard II.
Curriculum Notes
- Students with previous relevant coursework may petition their adviser and the M.F. coordinator to waive courses that they have had for requirements under basic knowledge and frameworks and skills. This has to be clearly apparent. For example, a student who majored in economics as an undergraduate should not need to do the economics requirement, or a student with a forestry undergraduate major should not need to take silviculture. No substitutions will be allowed for requirements under frameworks and skills, resource management, and professional skills. Nevertheless, no student will be required to repeat previously taken coursework.
- The resource management and leadership/project seminars will involve significant group and individual project components respectively.
- The M.F. coordinator in consultation with the M.F. Committee will determine each year which courses offered that year fit each of the topic descriptions.
- Joint-degree programs are available with the School of Management, the Law School, the Divinity School, the School of Architecture, and the School of Public Health. Individuals participating in joint programs are subject to the joint school agreements and approval of the M.F. Committee.
Biological Sciences
Students must take three courses from three different topic areas. Substitutions for individual courses are allowed but must be approved.
Tree Physiology, Morphology, and Taxonomy
Physical Sciences
Students must take two courses from two different topic areas. Substitutions for individual courses are allowed but must be approved.
Soils and Geology
| ENV 709 | Lectures, Discussions, and Applications of Soil Science | 3 |
| EPS 1100 | Dynamic Earth | 1 |
| EPS 3420 | Introduction to Earth and Environmental Physics | 1 |
Hydrology
| ENV 712 | Water Management | 3 |
Social Sciences
Students must take two courses, one from each topic area. Substitutions for individual courses are allowed but must be approved.
Social and Political Ecology and Anthropology
| ENV 685 | Engaging Landholders and Communities in Conserving and Restoring Tropical Forest Landscapes | 3 |
| ENV 742 | Fundamentals of Working with People | 3 |
| ENV 759 | Power, Knowledge, and the Environment: Social Science Theory and Method | 3 |
| ENV 764 | American Cosmologies | 3 |
Policy Science and Law
| ENV 642 | Environmental Justice/Climate Justice | 3 |
| ENV 760 | Conservation in Practice: An International Perspective | 3 |
| ENV 775 | Federal Indian Law | 3 |
| ENV 821 | Environmental Policy Making: From Local to Global | 3 |
| ENV 824 | Environmental Law and Policy | 3 |
Frameworks and Skills
Economics (one course)
| ENV 684 | Forest and Ecosystem Finance | 3 |
| ENV 795 | Nature as Capital: Merging Ecological and Economic Models | 3 |
Silviculture (one course)
| ENV 659 | The Practice of Silviculture: Principles in Applied Forest Ecology | 4 |
Measurement (one course)
| ENV 751 | Sampling Methodology and Practice | 3 |
| ENV 758 | Multivariate Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences | 3 |
GIS (one course, strongly recommended)
| ENV 726 | Observing Earth from Space | 3 |
| ENV 755 | Modeling Geographic Space | 3 |
| ENV 756 | Modeling Geographic Objects | 3 |
Synthesis and Analysis
Management of Forest Resources (one course)
| ENV 688 | Forest Management and Operations | 3 |
| ENV 954 | Management Plans for Protected Areas | 3 |
Professional Skills Concentration Area
Students complete three or more electives in a concentration area of their own design. Example courses include:
| ENV 573 | Urban Ecology for Local and Regional Decision-Making | 3 |
| ENV 697 | Science for Policy and Practice: A Seminar | 1.5 |
| ENV 760 | Conservation in Practice: An International Perspective | 3 |
| ENV 767 | Tools for Conservation Project Design and Management | 3 |
| ENV 956 | Strategies for Land Conservation | 3 |
Professional Ethics and Leadership
| ENV 009 | Professional Ethics and Leadership in Forestry | 1 |
Workshops and Skill Modules
PSC Short Course
M.F. Capstone (required)
| ENV 626 | Writing for Publication in the Natural Sciences | 3 |
| ENV 955 | Seminar in Research Analysis and Communication in Forest Ecology | 3 |
Field Trips
One week-long field trip required.
| ENV 005 | Apprentice Forester Program | 0 |
| ENV 668 | Field Trips in Forest Resource Management and Silviculture | 1 |
| ENV 670 | Southern Forest and Forestry Field Trip | 1 |
The Master of Environmental Science and Master of Forest Science programs are designed for students wishing to conduct scientific research that contributes basic and applied knowledge. These highly individualized two-year degrees offer a deeper disciplinary focus on forest-related topics (M.F.S.) or other environmental issues (M.E.Sc.) through formalized training in the philosophy and practice of science. Training is provided through key courses in combination with extended research. Students in the M.E.Sc./M.F.S programs have the opportunity to develop critical research skills, pursue self-directed research, learn and practice grant-seeking strategies, and create a publication-ready master’s thesis to be presented to the broader Yale community.
Adviser Relationships
Faculty research advisers play a key role in the M.E.Sc./M.F.S program. In addition to overseeing their scientific research, advisers collaborate with students to design and approve their unique course of study. Faculty provide guidance in selecting courses to support the design, execution, and communication of students’ master’s research and align with students’ career goals. They also serve as a resource during the process of proposing and completing the master’s thesis.
Coursework
Students must complete 48 credits, with formal coursework comprising at least 24 credits and thesis research comprising 18 credits. Decisions on the timing for completion of the coursework credits are made by the student and research adviser. Courses may be distributed evenly over two years, or a greater course load may be carried in year one to accommodate research-related travel and fieldwork in year two.
Introduction to the M.E.Sc. and M.F.S. Degrees (ENV 555) is mandatory and a requirement for all incoming M.E.Sc./M.F.S students in their first fall semester. This course meets for the first six weeks of the fall semester, and students will be preregistered. This course will be graded credit/fail. The goal of this class is to set expectations and discuss general strategies for a successful M.E.Sc./M.F.S experience.
M.E.Sc./M.F.S students are required to complete either Qualitative Inquiry for the Human Sciences (ENV 551) or Natural Science Research Methods (ENV 550) in their first semester. Another research methods course may be substituted for ENV 551 or ENV 550 when appropriate and subject to approval of the research adviser.
Students should work with their advisers to select their remaining courses that will support the design, execution, and communication of their master’s research and that are consistent with their career goals. These courses may be drawn from YSE, as well as from other departments or schools within Yale.
Program Timeline
Year One, Fall Semester
- Introduction to the M.E.Sc. and M.F.S. Degrees (ENV 555) is mandatory and a requirement for all incoming M.E.Sc./M.F.S students in their first fall semester. This course meets for the first six weeks of the fall semester, and students will be preregistered.
- Students take the research methods class appropriate for their area of research.
- Students meet with their adviser to discuss their research plans, publication goals, and any ambitions for further study.
- Students complete a draft of their research proposal by the end of the term.
Year One, Spring Semester
- Students enroll in courses that will provide new knowledge and skills to augment their proposed research plan, this might include data analysis courses, skills based courses, or courses that can build their understanding of the literature in their field of research.
- Students craft and submit funding applications.
- Students continue to refine their research proposal in consultation with their adviser.
- Students discuss the possible development of a committee with their adviser, and, if they choose to have one, identify possible committee members and begin reaching out to them to gain their agreement to serve in this role.
- Students pursue human-subjects-research approvals or animal-care-protocol approvals (and associated training) if needed, and consult any collaborators to ensure they understand any applicable regulatory structures with their institutions. Note: This should be initiated in January of the spring term.
- If a student is doing international work, they should research which visas and import, export, or research permits they may need as well as other various permissions. They should understand and plan for the timelines needed to secure these documents.
- For students doing field research, they will attend the field research safety session.
- If a student will be traveling off campus, they should register their summer travel with Yale.
- Students complete the M.E.Sc. and M.F.S. thesis proposal form by April 1.
- If a student is traveling to conduct their research, they should be sure to meet with their adviser prior to departure to discuss their research plan and ensure a common vision.
Summer
- Students will conduct independent research, keeping excellent notes, and ensuring that they back up their data.
Year Two, Fall Semester
- Early in the term, students should with their adviser to discuss their summer research and plan for the coming year.
- Students should consider additional data analysis courses to inform their work.
- Students build a timeline for data analysis and writing; Gantt charts are one common planning tool that might be of use.
- Students should plan to complete a full draft by the end of the term.
Year Two, Spring Semester
- As students refine their full draft, they should seek feedback from their adviser and visit the Graduate Writing Lab for additional writing support.
- Students produce a nearly final draft before the YSE Research Day in April so that they can provide a complete and high-impact presentation. Note: An oral presentation at YSE Research Day is a graduation requirement for M.E.Sc. and M.F.S. students.
- Students submit their final thesis to their adviser, committee members (if relevant), and the YSE Office of the Dean by the final day of spring semester classes. They must name the file First Name_Last Name_Degree Type_Class Year.
Training Modules in Technical Skills (MODs)
All incoming master’s students participate in MODs, shorthand for field modules, which offer students the opportunity to participate in experiential learning. MODs will take place during August, with students rotating among different modules over the course of two weeks. Participating in MODs is a graduation requirement and an important opportunity to engage with classmates and build relationships.