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Welcome to the Admissions page for prospective applicants to the Bren master's program.

The Bren School welcomes to the Master of Environmental Science & Management* (MESM) program students who bring a firm commitment to their academic studies and intend to pursue careers as environmental management professionals dedicated to identifying and solving environmental problems.

Bren School students come from around the world, bring diverse academic and professional backgrounds, and have strengths in everything from geography and biochemistry to economics and the fine arts. What unites them is their desire to be trained as environmental leaders in an exciting, intensive, and comprehensive professional program. Bren School students are intelligent, adaptable, resourceful, hardworking, and willing to take the initiative.

Our rigorous admissions standards emphasize previous academic and professional experience, as well as other relevant skills and knowledge that we believe will contribute to a student's success in one of the School’s seven areas of specialization. Thus, the application review process focuses not only on prior educational performance, but also on letters of recommendation and the personal statement of intent provided by each prospective student.

All application materials must be received by this date. All applicants will be automatically considered for school-based financial awards. The Admissions Committee does not review applications until after the January deadline, and all admissions decisions are normally communicated by the beginning of March.

 

Application

All applications for graduate study at UCSB are submitted online to the Graduate Division. Applications are not submitted directly to the Bren School, though some supplementary materials described below are sent directly to us. Please note that an applicant may apply to only one department at UCSB per admissions period. In addition, the Bren School accepts applications only for fall-quarter admission. 

UCSB Online Application

 

Faculty Sponsorship for MESM Program

Prospective MESM students do not need a faculty sponsor in order to apply to the program. Admission decisions are made by the Admissions Committee and are not based on a faculty member's willingness to work with a student. However, if a student has been in communication with anyone in the Bren community (such as faculty or staff members), s/he is welcome to mention that in the supplemental application materials.

 

Information and Assistance

In addition to the information on the Bren website, prospective students should also review the Prospective Students section of the Graduate Division website. This site provides detailed information on the application process, including instructions for submitting an application.

This Bren Admissions page provides Bren-specific information that is not included on the Graduate Division’s website and also supplies answers to some frequently asked questions.

Prospective students’ primary contact for information and assistance is the Bren School staff Graduate Advisor, who can be reached via e-mail at admissions@bren.ucsb.edu or by calling 805-893-7611.

 

International Applicants

All international applicants should carefully review the International Students page on the Graduate Division web site.

The Bren School does not require international applicants to submit a pre-application; however, applicants are encouraged not to submit an application unless they are certain that they will be able to cover the full cost of their education and living expenses. There is little, if any, financial support available for international students applying to the Bren School MESM program. If admitted, applicants will need personal resources or scholarships from their government or other external entities to qualify for a visa and meet educational costs.

The UCSB Office of International Students and Scholars provides additional information and resources for international applicants.

Required Undergraduate Preparation for the MESM Program
We welcome applicants from any undergraduate major, and we value a diverse student body; however, we expect applicants to have completed the following prerequisite course work. While students are not required to have completed the coursework to be admitted, generally, they must complete it before enrolling, and lacking these prerequisites will significantly weaken an applicant's chances of being accepted into the program.

Calculus – at least two quarters or one semester
Students admitted to the MESM program (even those who have had calculus) will likely want or need to participate in a two-week, no-credit preparation/review math workshop prior to beginning the school year. The exception would be admitted students who performed very well in and retained knowledge from previous calculus classes. The Bren School emphasizes quantitative and analytical approaches to environmental problem solving, so it is essential for students to have an adequate mathematical foundation.

Science – three quarters or two semesters
This may be any combination of chemistry, biology, physics, earth science, or atmospheric science, though chemistry provides especially valuable preparation.

Statistics – one semester or quarter
Admitted MESM students who do not have a solid understanding of basic statistics (not uncommon even for students who have had a statistics class) will want to participate in a five-week, no-credit workshop during the first half of the fall quarter. Students who desire a review of statistics in preparation for the core class in statistics and data analysis, which assumes strong familiarity with basic statistics concepts, are also welcome to participate.

We accept high school Advanced Placement courses as satisfying the above requirements. Students who lack essential preparation are requested to send the school a memo outlining how they plan to rectify the deficiency before enrolling in the fall, should they be admitted. A good plan will strengthen the application.

University Application Requirements

The UCSB Graduate Division requires all applicants for graduate study to have:

• Received a bachelor's degree or equivalent from an accredited four-year institution prior to the quarter for which the applicant seeks admission.
  
  
• Earned an undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a four-point scale) for undergraduate or post-graduate studies.
  
  
• Taken the Graduate Records Examination (general exam only).
  
  Neither the university nor the Bren School has a minimum required GRE score, as it is only one of many application elements considered during the review process. The GRE score is viewed holistically in the context of all the information provided by each applicant. The average combined verbal and quantitative score of applicants admitted to our program last year was approximately 1200. The Bren School does not require a subject test.
  
  Please use the following number on your GRE score sheets:

Institution Code is 4835 (UC Santa Barbara)

 

• Taken the TOEFL or IELTS if the applicant’s native language is not English. Exceptions may be granted to applicants who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree at an institution whose primary language of instruction is English. Scores for either examination may be no more than two years old at the time of application.

The TOEFL is the Test of English as a Foreign Language. The University requires a minimum score of 550 (paper test) or 213 (computer test).

The IELTS is the International English Language Testing System. The University requires a minimum Overall Band Score of 7.0 or higher.

The Bren School generally does not admit students to the MESM program unless they have TOEFL or IELTS scores significantly higher then the minimum required by the University. The MESM program is rigorous, and there is not time for students to develop their English skills simultaneously. In addition, the considerable amount of group work requires students to be highly proficient in English at the time they commence the program.

Please note: All non-native English speakers who are admitted to UCSB—even those having an acceptable TOEFL or IELTS score—must take the university's English Language Placement Exam (ELPE). The Bren School expects students to have completed all English as Second Language (ESL) courses recommended by the test results prior to starting coursework at Bren.

Please use the following number on your TOEFL or IELTS score sheets:

Institution Code is 4835 (UC Santa Barbara)

Electronic Application Materials to Be Submitted to the Graduate Division Online Application:

UCSB Graduate Division online application

Note: if you are currently a graduate student at UCSB and want to apply to the MESM program, you are not required to submit an application or pay the application fee. All hard copy materials should be turned in to the Bren School Graduate Program Advisor.

Located in the UCSB online application, all students are required to complete the following supporting application materials:

1. Statement of Purpose essay
2. Personal Achievements/Contributions essay
3. Resume or Curriculum Vitae

Further information on the three documents listed above can be located in the following UCSB Graduate Division webpage: https://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/admissions/forms/

• Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose (SOP) should be at least one page but no more than two. Your SOP should outline past experiences (not necessarily only in academics) and how they have prepared you to succeed in a rigorous graduate program. The SOP should also include your goals and how the Bren School will help you to achieve them, and what led you to seek a career in the environmental field.

• Personal Achievements/Contributions

UC Santa Barbara is interested in a diverse and inclusive graduate student population. Please describe any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that you feel are important in evaluating your application for graduate study. For example, please describe if you have experienced economic challenges in achieving higher education, such as being financially responsible for family members or dependents, having to work significant hours during undergraduate schooling, or coming from a family background of limited income.Please describe any unusual or varied life experiences that might contribute to the diversity of the graduate group, such as fluency in other languages, experience living in bicultural communities, academic research interests focusing on cultural, societal, or educational problems as they affect underserved segments of society, or evidence of an intention to use the graduate degree toward serving disadvantaged individuals or populations.

• Three letters of recommendation

Uploaded electronically by the recommenders onto the applicant's online application. It is beneficial if an applicant can provide at least one letter (and more, if possible) from a faculty member who is familiar with his or her academic abilities. We realize that this may be difficult for applicants who have been out of school for a number of years. If this is not possible, students are requested to provide letters from professionals in supervisory or managerial roles who can attest to their scholarly ability and potential, creativity, dedication, work performance, etc.

• Resume or Curriculum Vitae

• Non-refundable application fee. Applications are not processed until this is received.

 

Sent by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to Graduate Division

• Official GRE, TOEFL (for applicants whose native language is not English) or IELTS scores. The UCSB institution code is 4835. A department code is not required. Please note that GRE scores must be no more than five years old at the time of application, and TOEFL scores must be no more than two years old at the time of application.

 

Hard-Copy Materials Sent by the Applicant to the Bren School:

• Two copies of official transcripts from all post-secondaryinstitutions and programs attended, including Education Abroad Programs if the grades do not appear on your undergraduate transcripts.

Bren School Mailing Address
Attn: Graduate Advisor
2400 Bren Hall
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management
University of California
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131

Contact Information

For more information about the Bren School admissions process, send e-mail or call 805-893-7611.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are my GPA and GRE scores good enough?
• What if my GPA is less than 3.0?
• How do I send my GRE scores?
• I re-took the GRE. What scores will be used?
• I took the GRE before the application deadline but am worried that official scores the UCSB Graduate Division will not receive my official scores from ETS until after the deadline. Will my application be considered late?
• What role does work experience play in admissions decisions?
• If I am admitted, by what date do I have to accept or decline the offer of admission?
• If I am admitted, may I defer my admittance for one year?

 

Are my GPA and GRE scores good enough?

The average GPA for admitted MESM students is 3.5 and the combined verbal and quantitative average score is approximately 1200.

What if my GPA is less than 3.0?

The minimum GPA Graduate Division will allow is a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0-point scale) for undergraduate or post-graduate studies.

In rare cases, the school can petition the Graduate Division to admit a student who has a GPA that is slightly below 3.0 if the rest of the application is extremely strong and unusual circumstances may have contributed to the lower undergraduate GRE. We recommend that prospective students with low undergraduate GPAs enroll in courses relevant to the MESM program as a postgraduate student and bring their GPA above 3.0 before applying.

How do I send my GRE scores?

GRE scores are not sent via the applicant; they are sent by ETS directly to the UCSB Graduate Division.

I re-took the GRE. What scores will be used?

Applicants who take the GRE a second time and want scores updated must request that the new scores besent to UCSB. UCSB will only review the most current complete set of scores reported. It is not possible to mix and match the highest scores from different tests.

I took the GRE before the application deadline but am worried that the UCSB Graduate Division will not receive my official scores from ETS until after the deadline. Will my application be considered late?

If you took the test on a date near the application deadline, please self-report your scores to the Bren School Graduate Advisor. We can use those scores to begin the review process but will require official scores before a final admission decision is communicated to the Graduate Division.

What role does work experience play in admissions decisions?

Work experience in a professional capacity is highly valued and significantly strengthens your application. Although experience in the environmental field suggests that your goals are well matched to the Bren School, we also highly value experience in other professional settings, provided your Statement of Purpose clearly conveys your reasons for embarking on a new environmentally related career path and your enthusiasm and commitment for doing so.

If I am admitted, by what date do I have to accept or decline the offer of admission?

April 15; however, if you have not received any financial support, you may request an extension until May 1. Please contact the Graduate Advisor.

If I am admitted, may I defer my admittance for one year?

No; the University does not allow us to defer admittance. However, we will keep your application materials (letters of recommendation, Statement of Purpose, transcripts, etc.) on file for one year. To reactivate your application, you must complete a new online application and pay the application fee, and because you would be competing in a different applicant pool than before, admission would not be guaranteed.