Admissions and Aid

Prospective students can find more information about the Earth and Environmental Science (EES) Program admissions process below. Whether you seek admission to the Environmental and Geological Sciences specialization or the Environmental Psychology specialization or the Geography specialization, this website will answer many of your questions about the application process and provide you with some tips for crafting a successful application dossier. We are proud of the diverse and innovative interests of our faculty and doctoral students, and we welcome you to explore our website and department blog. If you live nearby or are visiting New York City, once the pandemic has subsided you may wish to attend our Thursday afternoon Departmental Colloquium and Reception, which begins at 4:15 p.m. You're also invited to participate in Colloquium sessions on Zoom.
If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact Professor Kieren Howard, Interim Executive Officer of the EES Program (khoward@gc.cuny.edu).
Tips for Crafting a Strong Applicant Statement
A great applicant statement:
- Articulates a particular topic area in which you propose to do research, and elaborates on this research agenda.
- Positions your proposed project within an ongoing scholarly conversation: how do you connect your work to existing work in the field, and propose to build on it and add something new?
- Connects your scholarly passions to your personal motivations for taking on the work (this can take many forms).
- Shows an awareness of your field, but can also be understood by people outside your field. Your statement of purpose should demonstrate your ability to articulate critical and analytical ideas in an accessible (not over-inflated) manner.
- Shows how your academic background has prepared you to do this work.
- Speaks to why you want to study in the EES doctoral program specifically. You should make mention of those faculty members with whom you are interested in working, explain why you are interested more broadly in the EES Program and the CUNY Graduate Center, and discuss why you want to study and teach at a public urban university serving a diverse body of students in NYC.
- Is beautifully written, not just free of mistakes or errors, but possessing real style and verve (to achieve this, read it out loud as often as possible and share it with a wide variety of readers).
- Is a manageable length. We don’t have a length requirement for applicant statements, but successful statements are typically 2-3 pages, single-spaced.
Transfer Credits
A maximum of 30 acceptable graduate credits taken prior to admission to the EES Doctoral Program may be applied toward the degree provided the courses were completed with a grade of B or higher within an appropriate period preceding the time of application and are equivalent to comparable courses at the City University. Transfer credits are considered after the student has passed his or her First Doctoral Examination, usually in the second year of study.
Overview of the EES Curriculum
Doctoral study is a full-time endeavor. Our students are discouraged from working outside the opportunities offered within the program while pursuing their doctoral degrees, though exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis on the recommendation of the Program Executive Officer (EO), Deputy EO, and/or the student’s advisor. In the first and second years of the program, students generally take 3 courses per semester, including several required courses. All students take The Nature of Scientific Research (EES 704), the Dissertation Proposal Workshop (EES 802), and two semesters of Current Issues in Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES 79901). Additionally, Geography students are required to take Geographic Thought and Theory (EES 709). Environmental and Geological Sciences students are required to take Earth Systems I: Origin and Evolution of Earth and Life (EES 716) and Earth Systems II: Earth’s Energy Networks (EES 717). Including these required courses, at least 60 credits of approved graduate courses are required for the degree.
See more about our Curriculum and Degree Information.
Job Placement
In recent years graduates of the EES Program have been appointed to faculty positions at University of Washington Bothell, Temple University, University of the District of Columbia, Bellevue College, University of Tampa, Portland State University, University of Houston, among others; and Post-Doctoral Fellowships at Dartmouth College, NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Lamont-Doherty Research Laboratories at Columbia University, and the Miesel Research Group at Michigan State University; or are employed in a variety of organizations such as ClimateNexus, Winnipeg Arcades Project, Marine Resources Council, Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative, and NOAA.
Please see our Alumni Highlights for up-to-date placement information.
Additional Resources
For Prospective Students
Visit the following offices for more information:
