Holistic Admissions Approach

The Bren School seeks applicants who have successfully completed relevant coursework to prepare for rigorous graduate study. Students who have not yet completed all of the prerequisites may apply but should enroll in the necessary courses in the year prior to their anticipated start date. UCSB requires all graduate students to maintain a Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.0 or above. If applicants have experienced setbacks and have an overall undergraduate GPA less than 3.0, they still may apply and may be granted admission if there is evidence they can maintain high academic performance in graduate school. For example, an applicant may successfully complete a rigorous science course after completing their undergraduate degree to demonstrate their ability.

Applicants are required to submit two personal statements: one about preparation for and fit with the program and one about personal accomplishments and challenges. Strong personal statements go beyond a superficial description of education and experiences to describe how these have shaped the applicant’s development and goals within the broader context of environmental science and management. Reviewers look for indications of why the Bren School is the next best step in the applicant’s academic and professional development. Personal statements also offer a way for applicants to demonstrate their contributions to diversity, which may relate to background and culture, status as first-generation college students, military service or public service such as Peace Corps or Americorps, growing up in a rural community or developing country, and/or commitment to serving underrepresented groups through work or volunteer service, for example. Successful applicants submit statements that are thoughtful, mature, and well-written without spelling and grammatical errors.

The Bren School values work experience as part of preparation for graduate study. This is of particular importance for our professional Masters programs. Work experience in a relevant field helps applicants develop a deeper understanding of their field of interest and of themselves. Applicants with work experience tend to have a clearer idea of their professional goals and why graduate school is an important part of their training. Those with work experience often bring more maturity, discipline, and knowledge to their individual and team work in graduate school. 

Letters of recommendation help admissions committee members understand how others perceive the applicant. Since graduate school requires successful performance in rigorous academic courses as well as applied research, it is helpful to the admissions committee if applicants select at least one former university-level instructor and one former employer to provide letters of recommendation. It is important to select references who know the applicant well and can write about their intellectual ability, imagination/creativity, oral expression and writing ability.