How to Apply to the MEDS Program

Application Materials:

Statement of Purpose Essay

The Statement of Purpose essay is your chance to explain why you want to attend a graduate program and earn a MEDS degree from the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara. You should include your specific interest in applying data science to environmental issues and how it relates to your ambitions. Explain how your past experiences have prepared you for a rigorous graduate program and how the MEDS program will help you achieve your professional goals. Please review the UCSB Graduate Division’s statement prompts before applying.

Personal History and Diversity Statement

In your Personal History and Diversity Statement, we invite you to share any aspects of your personal background, accomplishments, or achievements that you feel are important in evaluating your application for graduate study. This includes challenges you have overcome and the personal attributes that you believe contribute to your potential as a graduate student. Examples of such attributes might include resilience, leadership, and maturity, alongside any economic challenges or unique life experiences.

We also encourage you to discuss any academic interests or intentions to use your degree to serve society, reflecting on how these goals are informed by your background. If there are discrepancies in your application, such as gaps in your resume or academic challenges, this is an opportunity to provide context and show that you are prepared for a rigorous graduate program.

This statement should be a narrative of around 250 words that complements the information in your Statement of Purpose, offering a fuller picture of your capabilities and aspirations.

Please review the UCSB Graduate Division’s statement prompts before applying.

Statement Length Guidelines

There is no specified word limit for the Statement of Purpose or the Personal History and Diversity Statement; however, the prompt does say "brief statement" and the average document size is around two pages in length. UC Santa Barbara accepts PDF and Microsoft Word (.doc and .docx) documents for upload in the online application. The maximum file size allowed is 4 MB per document. You can see more document specifications from the Graduate Division.

Resume or Curriculum Vitae

While work experience is not a requirement for admission, it is highly valued and significantly strengthens your application. Although professional 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 you have an environmental background through other means, such as coursework. If your experience is in an area that is not related to environmental science, make sure to provide an explanation in your Statement of Purpose that clearly conveys how the Master of Environmental Data Science will help you pursue an environmentally-related career path.

Please include all relevant academic, work, volunteer, or leadership experience. Formatting style (e.g., line spacing, typeface, and font size) is up to your discretion.

Letters of Recommendation 

Three letters of recommendation (maximum of four) are required as part of your application. Letters should be uploaded to the online application directly by the recommender. You will be asked to supply the name, email address, job title, and current institution or organization name of each recommender. Once this information is supplied, the online application will generate an automated email to the recommenders, prompting them each to upload a letter on your behalf.

If you are using a Letter Service (such as Interfolio or a university career center) to submit one or more letters, you will be able to indicate this information within the recommender profile. 

We would appreciate your recommenders' personal impressions of your intellectual ability, aptitude in research, and professional skills. Please ask your recommenders to comment on your character, quality of previous work, and promise of productive scholarship, among other important aspects. The most successful letters are ones where the recommender clearly understands the student's previous professional and academic accomplishments, can comment on the student's preparedness for graduate-level studies, and can make a connection between the student's future goals and the MEDS program.

It is beneficial to provide at least one letter from a faculty member who is familiar with your academic abilities. We realize this may be difficult if you have been out of school for a number of years. If this is not possible, you can provide letters from professionals in supervisory or managerial roles who can attest to your scholarly ability and potential, creativity, dedication, and work performance, among other attributes.

GRE Scores

The Bren School will not be accepting any GRE scores for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle. The requirement will continue to be evaluated on an annual basis moving forward.

Prerequisite Verification Form

The Prerequisite Verification Form is required for all MEDS applicants. Please use this form to clearly list all of the courses you plan to use in order to fulfill the required MEDS program prerequisites. This is your chance to highlight any courses that are on your undergraduate transcript or transcripts from other institutions where you’ve completed prerequisite coursework. This is especially helpful for the admissions committee if you’ve completed courses with atypical titles that might apply toward our prerequisites.

Instructions:

1. Download Bren's supplemental Prerequisite Verification Form and complete it.
2. In your UCSB online application, upload this document under the Supplemental Documents section and title it "Prerequisite Verification Form."

Supplemental Memo: Missing Prerequisites
If you are missing a program prerequisite or if you plan on enrolling in a prerequisite course before you start the MEDS program, then you are required to submit a memo. In this document, please outline how you plan to meet the requirement before enrolling as a graduate student in the summer, if you are admitted as a MEDS student. Presenting a good plan will strengthen your application. While you are not required to have finished all of the prerequisite coursework for admission, you must have it all completed before enrolling in Bren School courses. This memo should be uploaded to the Supplemental Documents section of your UCSB graduate application.

Transcripts

You will be required to upload transcripts from all institutions you’ve attended to your application. These uploaded transcripts are required to be official documents created by the university but can include "unofficial" transcripts that are generated by an online student portal - as long as the transcripts include the name of the student, the institution, the grades, and a grading scale. For more details, view the UCSB Graduate Division's details and tips on uploading transcripts.

If you are admitted and decide to attend the Bren School by submitting a positive Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) with UCSB, you will be required to send official transcripts directly from the institution(s) attended to the UCSB Graduate Division (not the Bren School). The only exception to this requirement is for admits who attended UCSB as an undergraduate, in which case official transcripts are not required since UCSB can verify academic records using their student data-tracking systems. 

Transcripts for International Students
If you have received your degree, please include your degree certificate within the same file as your transcripts. The uploaded document must include both the original language transcript and the certified English translation. English transcripts are required and must be a complete, exact and literal translation of the original transcripts. English translations must be provided by the school or an official agency. If admitted, all applicants who have earned a degree(s) from an institution(s) outside of the United States are required to complete and submit a World Education Services (WES) Course-by-Course ICAP Evaluation for all degrees earned.

English language exam for non-native speakers

If your native language is not English, then you are required to complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or the Duolingo English Test (DET). TOEFL ITP Plus, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS One Skill Retake, and other exams not specifically noted in the Graduate Division's English Language Examination admissions requirements will not be accepted. Exams scores must be within two years of the date of application. The University requires a minimum score of 550 (paper test) or 80 (computer test) for the TOEFL exam, a minimum overall band score of 7.0 or higher for the IELTS exam, and a minimum total score of 120 for the DET exam. Be sure to check the above Graduate Division's webpage for more information before you apply.

Exceptions to English language proficiency exams may be granted to applicants who have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree at an institution whose primary language of instruction is English. If you think you qualify for this exception, you will need to upload unofficial transcripts from your institution and indicate on the online application that it is an English instruction-only institution. There are no additional forms or steps necessary at the time of application.

Non-Refundable Application Fee

There is a required non-refundable fee for all applicants. View the current fee here. The Applications are not processed until the fee is received. This fee can be paid by credit card or with a check/money order using the Check/Money Order Submission Form found on the last page of the online application.

Applying for a Fee Waiver

Application fee waivers are available to qualified U.S. citizens and permanent residents who demonstrate evidence of financial need or proof of participation in an undergraduate research program. McNair Scholars and Project 1000 applicants are among those eligible. Applicants who have participated in the Bren Environmental Leaders (BEL) program are also eligible for a waiver.  Fee waivers are not available to international applicants.

To apply for a fee waiver, follow this procedure within your online application: click on the Payment Information tab and scroll down to the fee waiver information. Then, select the option relevant to you and upload your supporting documentation.

Please submit a fee waiver request at least two weeks before the application deadline. Do not submit a fee waiver the day before the application deadline; it will not be processed in time and your fee waiver request will not be reviewed. For more information, read FAQs about the UCSB graduate application fee.