Environmental Science & Management Graduate Degree Program

Description
The Bren School offers a Masters of Environmental Science and Management (MESM) and a PhD in Environmental Science and Management. In addition, PhD students in the Bren School or the UCSB Economics Department may choose to supplement their PhD program by establishing an emphasis in Economics and Environmental Science (EES). The Master's degree is a professional degree, intended for students who will enter or re-enter the workforce upon graduation. The coursework for the MESM is multi-disciplinary, incorporating courses in natural sciences, social sciences, law, and business. In addition to core courses, students choose from one of the following specializations:
  • Water Resources Management
  • Pollution Prevention and Remediation
  • Coastal Marine Resources Management
  • Conservation Planning
  • Corporate Environmental Management
  • Economics and Politics of the Environment

    An emphasis on climate and/or energy can be incorporated into any of the six specializations. The new Eco-Entrepreneurship (EE) focus within the Corporate Environmental Management specialization provides students with the skills and support to launch new ventures, products, and technologies that address society’s environmental and natural resource problems. Another aspect of the MESM program is the Group Project, in which students spend a full year working with peers and a faculty advisor to solve a real environmental problem for a client that has a genuine stake in the outcome. Graduates of the MESM program find employment with government agencies, corporations, non-profit organizations, and environmental consulting firms.

    The Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Management is a research-oriented degree which is designed to accommodate a wide range of research interests, from those highly focused in a particular discipline to those that are strongly multi-disciplinary. The cornerstone of the doctoral degree is an original work of dissertation research that focuses on the diagnosis, assessment, mitigation, remediation, and/or prevention of environmental problems of today and in the future.

    PhD training in Economics and Environmental Science is different than most graduate programs in that students acquire a deep and expert knowledge of economics as well as an understanding and appreciation of the natural science that underlies their economics research. EES prepares students for research careers in a number of professional settings including academia, government, and consulting.

    • General Information
    Website http://www.bren.ucsb.edu/
    Address Bren School of Environmental Science and Management
    University of California, Santa Barbara
    2400 Bren Hall, Room 2514
    Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131
    (USA)
    Phone (805) 893-7611
    Email admissions@bren.ucsb.edu
    Degrees Offered MESM, PhD
    Requirements
    • Online application: https://www.graddiv.ucsb.edu/eapp
    • Statement of Purpose with completed coversheets (2 copies)
    • Statement of Personal Achievements/Contributions (2 copies)
    • Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV) (2 copies)
    • Three Letters of Recommendation (Submitted online. Note: if submitted via postal mail, please attach required coversheets)
    • Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended (2 copies)
    • GRE General test scores (provided to the Graduate Division by ETS), GMAT not accepted
    • TOEFL scores 550 Paper-Based Test (PBT), 80 Internet-Based Test (IBT) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) Overall Band score of 7 or higher (if applicable)
    Pre-Application No Pre-Application necessary
    Deadlines
    • MESM - January 10, 2010 for primary consideration and eligibility for school-based financial support. Late applications will be considered up to February 15, 2010, space permitting.
    • PhD - December 15, 2009 for University fellowship and school-based financial support consideration. February 15, 2010 - Final deadline.
    Optional Emphases Economics and Environmental Science; Technology and Society (both Ph.D. only)
    Specializations Coastal Marine Resource Management, Conservation Planning, Corporate Environmental Management, Economics and Politics of the Environment, Pollution Prevention and Remediation, Water Resources Management, Eco-Entrepreneurship/Technology Management Program