Master of Environmental Studies

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For Prospective Students

Program Overview

For Current Students

MES Admission Requirements and Application

We are now accepting applications for Fall 2013 on a rolling basis until the program fills. We typically admit students into the summer.

Start Your Application

Admission Requirements for Fall 2013

Applicants seeking admission to Evergreen's Master of Environmental Studies must:

  1. Show evidence of writing, analytical and general communication skills of high quality and at a level appropriate for graduate study.
  2. Have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for the last 90 quarter-hours (or equivalent) of work toward a baccalaureate degree.
    Note: We are able to make a few exceptions to this rule about GPA, which applies to all master's programs offered by public institutions of higher education in Washington. We encourage prospective students who do not meet this requirement, but who are otherwise well qualified, to apply to the program for consideration as early as possible.
  3. Have earned a bachelor's degree (BA or BS in any subject) from a regionally-accredited institution of higher education prior to enrollment.
    Note: A student may be provisionally admitted pending completion of the bachelor's degree. Before final acceptance, the applicant must submit a final official transcript showing completed courses and the degree awarded prior to beginning first-year course work. Financial aid is not awarded while a student is in provisional status.
  4. Complete at least 15 undergraduate quarter-hours in social science and 15 undergraduate quarter-hours in natural science (recommended).
  5. Complete the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); scores expire after five years.
  6. Complete the following college-level courses (each worth 4 credits in a quarter system, or 3 credits in a semester system) within the five years prior to starting the MES program:
    • One course in economic principles (microeconomics, macroeconomics, or another approved economics course);
    • One course in biological or earth science; and
    • One course in statistics.
    Please see our pre-requisite guide (PDF) to find an appropriate course to fulfill this requirement. 
    Note:     We accept applications from people who do not have one or more pre-requisites.  If admitted, these students will be conditionally admitted and we must receive evidence that the pre-requisites are satisfied before Fall classes begin.

Application Checklist for Fall 2013

Completed applications include the following components. International students have two more requirements.

  • Submit the online MES Application. Be ready to upload the following:
    • A résumé listing key experiences relevant to your interest in environmental studies; include any significant public and community service activities.
    • A typed statement of 500 to 1,000 words explaining why you want to pursue graduate study in environmental studies at Evergreen. This statement helps the admission committee assess your interest and motivation for graduate study and helps the committee gauge the fit between what our program offers and what you hope to receive from it. Describe in some detail your experiences in education, employment and public or community work and how they influenced you to seek a graduate degree in environmental studies. Your essay will also be evaluated for clarity, analysis, and general writing skills.
    • Three recommender names with emails and phone numbers.  Recommenders must provide clear evidence that you are capable of doing graduate-level work, including evidence of writing, analytical and general communication skills of high quality and at a level appropriate for graduate study.  Applicants enrolled in college-level coursework during the last two years must provide at least one letter from a faculty member.  Recommenders will be notified by email to submit their letters electronically once you submit your online application so be sure to have the name, email, and phone numbers of your recommenders ready when applying. Mygraduateschool.com offers some great tips for asking for letters of recommendation.
    • Nonrefundable application fee of $50. Evergreen accepts Mastercard, Discover, and American Express or an e-check (requires a routing and bank account number).  Please note that paying by e-check delays the submission of your application by six days. Visa is not accepted. There is a 2.75% convenience charge if using a credit card. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps alumni do not have to pay the application fee. Veterans who qualify for Chapter 31 benefits may potentially have the fee waived. Please contact Gail Wootan for AmeriCorps and Chapter 31 fee waiver instructions.
  • Mail or deliver official transcripts from every college or university attended (including Evergreen), regardless of credit earned, the nature of coursework or whether you earned a degree. We need official transcripts from any and all colleges attended, even if those credits were accepted and applied toward the award of a Bachelor's (or other) degree by any institution (including Evergreen). One transcript must verify the award of a bachelor's degree if the applicant has earned a bachelor's degree. Applicants without bachelor's degrees must submit an official transcript showing an earned bachelor's degree before the Fall quarter begins.  A transcript is official if it bears the official seal and signature of the issuing institution and is sent directly by the institution to the Office of Admissions; OR is enclosed in a sealed envelope from the issuing institution and delivered by the applicant to the Office of Admissions. If the envelope is opened prior to receipt in the Admissions Office, the transcript is no longer official. Evergreen can also receive official transcripts electronically from schools that are members of Docufide, National Student Clearinghouse, Naviance and Scrip-Safe International. Check with your previous institution's registrar to find out if they participate in any of these electronic transcript services. Transcripts can be sent at any time.
  • Mail or deliver your official paper GRE scores. If you have taken the GRE within the past five years, have official scores sent to Evergreen's Office of Admissions.  It takes up to three weeks for Evergreen to receive GRE scores after the test is taken. We do not accept electronic scores at this time. GRE scores can be sent at any time.
  • Transcripts and GRE scores should be mailed or delivered to:
    Office of Admissions
    The Evergreen State College
    2700 Evergreen Parkway NW
    Olympia, WA 98505
    Attention: MES Applications
    Materials may be sent separately. Faxed or emailed documents are not accepted.
    Note: Original documents submitted in support of an application for admission become the property of the college and are not returnable or reproducible. Transcripts for students who do not register for the term for which they applied will be held two years before being purged.

Application Deadlines

Date Deadline
December 2012 MES Financial Aid application available online
January 1, 2013 FAFSA submissions for 2013-2014 accepted
Early January Advised deadline for submitting online portion of application (gives recommenders time to submit recommendation letters electronically)
January 15, 2013 Advised deadline for taking GRE (takes 2-3 weeks for Evergreen to receive paper scores)
February 15, 2013 Priority Deadline (complete applications are guaranteed review)
February 16, 2013 MES website announces whether or not admissions is closed
March 1, 2013 FAFSA must be processed (advised to submit by February 15) and MES Financial Aid application due.
Mid-March First round of admit/deny/waitlist letters are mailed; MES financial aid letters mailed to new admits
April 25, 2013
 Admitted MES Students Preview Evening at Evergreen
May 3, 2013 Tuition deposit of $100 & confirmation due for first round admits and Fall 2013 deferred students.
Sept 14, 2013 Written documentation due for provisional admits (missing BA/BS)
Sept 14, 2013 Mandatory MES Orientation
October 15, 2013 Transcripts due for conditional admits (missing pre-reqs) and provisional admits (missing BA/BS)

Taking the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

Evergreen's code is 4292.

The GRE is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and is offered all over the US and internationally in both computer- and paper-based formats.  In many US cities, it is offered during most business days.  In Washington, Sylvan Technology Centers are authorized, computer-based testing centers located throughout the state with computerized testing available Monday through Saturday. The center nearest to Evergreen is in Puyallup. To register for the Puyallup center, call (253) 848-0771; otherwise, see below.  Computer-based test results take up to three weeks to reach Evergreen.  You do not need a school code in order to have scores sent.

Preparing for the GRE

For More Information:

  • Information packets are available in the Evergreen Career Development Center in the Library Building, Room 2153, (360) 867-6193
  • Check out your local library for GRE prep materials
  • ETS has free GRE prep materials and also sells a GRE guide
  • Find an online study group or resource: GRE-O-Matic
  • Education to Go offers a GRE prep course

News Articles about the GRE

International Student Requirements for Fall 2012

International students will be expected to provide evidence for two additional admission criteria:

  • For students from countries where English is not an official language, an official copy of the student's score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required. A minimum score of 600 for the paper test, 250 for the computerized test, or 100 for the online test is required. Test scores must be submitted at time of application.
  • If admitted, international students must have evidence of having at least $35,212 USD to pay all expenses for one academic year's enrollment at Evergreen.  This estimate includes tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, health insurance, personal expenditures, and transportation (excluding travel to and from U.S.). The Office of Admissions will work with admitted students on this paperwork. 

Prior Credit

Earning MES Credit Prior to Admission

Students who have not been formally admitted to MES may, with the instructor's permission and if space is available, enroll in one four-credit elective per quarter under "special student" status. Special students cannot sign up before the first week of class. Graduate-level course work taken while the student is an undergraduate and used toward the undergraduate degree cannot be applied toward graduate degree requirements.

MES elective offerings are listed on the Electives page.  To register as a special student, you must fill out a Special Student Registration Form during the first week of class.  The form requires the instructor signature. Forms should be submitted to the Office of Registration & Records.  Please see the Special Student Registration Instructions page for more information.

Transfer Credit

The MES Program will accept up to 8 quarter-hours of relevant graduate credit earned within the past five years from accredited institutions other than Evergreen. This includes credit earned as an MES special student.  Graduate credit earned through extension or correspondence work will not be considered, neither will graduate credit be granted for documented life or work experiences. Credit from a previously earned graduate degree will also not be considered. Transfer credit, where appropriate, is awarded by the MES Director, following review of appropriate materials, including transcripts and course syllabi. Students wishing to obtain transfer credit should make their intention known to the MES Assistant Director before, or shortly after, they begin their studies at Evergreen.