On this page:
- Your application decision timeline
- Once you’ve accepted your offer: Next steps
- Prepare to live in Philadelphia
- Frequently asked questions
Welcome to Penn
Welcome to the University of Pennsylvania Master of Environmental Studies (MES) program in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS)! We are thrilled to welcome you into the MES community. On this page, you will find information to help you prepare for entry into the program and life at Penn. Please use this page as a supplement to the LPS New Students page, which is your first source of information for getting started at Penn. Please reach out to the MES administrative team with any questions you may have about the information below at sas-mes-msag@sas.upenn.edu.
Your application decision timeline
The MES program admits students for entry into the program on fall and spring semester timelines. You can find the deadline for your application timeline below. Please reach out to the administrative team at sas-mes-msag@sas.upenn.edu if you have any questions or concerns about any extenuating circumstances related to your ability to accept an offer of admission. If you decide not to attend Penn, please decline your offer via the application system so that waitlisted applicants may be considered for your position.
Please also note that LPS does not permit deferrals of admission offers to future semesters. Should you decline your offer of admission, you would need to reapply for admission in a future semester.
Fall semester applicants:
- Priority deadline applicants: Accept by April 15
- Regular deadline applicants: Accept by June 15
Spring semester applicants:
- Accept by December 1
Details on how to accept your offer of admission are found on the LPS New Students page.
Once you’ve accepted your offer: Next steps
Complete your enrollment checklist
Visit the LPS New Students page for your checklist of required steps needed for study at Penn. These are important tasks that all graduate students entering LPS need to complete before arriving at Penn, including setup of your PennKey and Penn email account.
Please note that MES students can ignore the instructions to call/email LPS to set up a meeting with your advisor. Communication about your academic advisor will come directly from MES.
Connect with your MES academic advisor
When you accept your offer of admission, you’ll receive a welcome email from the MES team which will include the name and contact email for your MES academic advisor. You should plan to schedule a meeting with your advisor to introduce yourself, your goals in the program, and discuss a plan for the courses you’ll take in the semester ahead. If you accept your offer of admission early enough, you may be able to participate in the advanced registration process for the following semester.
Your academic advisor will assist you with degree planning and is also someone you can go to about issues you are having in the program and for advice on research and career development. You must meet with your advisor at least once every semester during your time in the program. It is required that you have your advisor approve all courses you take to fulfill the requirements of your MES degree. It is very important that you do not schedule and take courses that have not been approved in advance by your academic advisor.
Investigate financial aid resources
The MES program does not offer institutional financial aid or scholarships; however, you may wish to explore federal or private educational loan options ;to help manage your expenses while enrolled. To support your financial planning, the University provides detailed graduate student cost estimates on the Student Registration & Financial Services (SRFS) website, along with information on tuition and required fees. Please note that LPS tuition is charged on a per credit unit (c.u.) basis. Please refer to the MES tuition page for a detailed breakdown.
The first step in exploring your financial aid options with SRFS is to complete the FAFSA form. Information on eligibility for aid and all forms and applications, including the FAFSA, are available through SRFS. If you have questions about the new federal loan regulations, please visit the SRFS webpage for an overview of the changes. Additional details on the private alternative loans provided by Penn can also be found at the SFRS website.
For more information about on-campus employment and other funding options, please see the FAQ section below.
International student information
International students should familiarize themselves with the resources available through Penn’s International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) office. The process for obtaining a visa is handled by ISSS, and not by the MES program. Within 10 business days of accepting your offer of admission, you will receive an email from ISSS (via iPenn) with information about obtaining your I-20 documentation for your student visa. The visa process can take an extended amount of time, so we recommend starting it as soon as you can. You will also receive information about support staff at ISSS who will be available to assist you with the student visa process; be sure to locate this information and contact the ISSS team with any questions or delays you experience during the visa process.
The ISSS website is also a helpful resource for information related to international student study and life in the United States.
Complete action items for all students in Path@Penn
Visit Path@Penn and complete the items listed on the left side menu box titled "Action items for all students," which includes emergency contact information, privacy settings, direct deposit setup, etc. Be sure to complete all required items—this is often a source of course registration account holds for students who do not fully complete each assigned action item.
Explore course offerings
Explore course offerings through the LPS Course Guide. Navigate to the semester you are entering and then select Graduate > Master of Environmental Studies to explore our courses. Your advisor can also provide you with our program course lists, which contain a list of approved non-MES courses.
Prepare to live in Philadelphia
Plan for housing in Philadelphia
Penn graduate students live off campus. Penn's Off-Campus Services can assist in all stages of the off-campus living experience, including helping you locate appropriate housing, understand leases, and mediate conflict once you move in. Visit the Off-Campus Services website to learn how to plan a successful housing search, view apartment listings in the online database, and sign up for email updates.
Off-Campus Services also offers a roommate search database and current student sublease database.
On-campus housing is not available for graduate students.
Explore transportation at Penn
While you are considering your housing options, explore the Penn's Department of Transportation, Parking and Commuting website to see what transportation resources and service areas are available free of charge to Penn students. Note that most courses offered by MES are evening classes, and some Penn transportation will be oriented to morning, afternoon, or evening service. Penn offers discounts to Philadelphia’s public transportation system, Septa, through the Campus Express program. Philadelphia is widely considered a pedestrian-friendly city, and Penn offers free access to the Walking Escort Service for the Penn campus and University City District. If you like to ride a bike, review the Penn Campus Bike Map which also provides information on campus parking, art, and other resources.
Explore Penn’s Division of Public Safety resources
Penn’s Division of Public Safety (DPS) is a professional police unit that works with Philadelphia’s municipal police. DPS offers a number of public safety services for the university community, including the Penn Guardian App, UPennAlert system, Walking Escort service and more.
Frequently asked questions
Who is my academic advisor or who can I talk to for more information?
You will be assigned an academic advisor based on your chosen concentration. You should expect an email from our team with their information, which will come from this address: sas-mes-msag@sas.upenn.edu. If you have pressing questions and have not been assigned an advisor yet, you may reach out to us at the same address.
Do I need to find a faculty advisor/capstone reader now that I have been accepted into the program?
No. We do not require you to obtain a faculty advisor for our program; instead, you will be assigned an academic advisor. You will learn more about choosing a capstone reader later in the program; do not worry about this now.
I am a submatriculate. Do I need to do any special paperwork?
Yes. Penn undergraduate students who are accepted into the submatriculate program should make an appointment with Dr. Siobhan Whadcoat (whadcoat@sas.upenn.edu) for the first advising session and to complete a submatriculation form, which will be supplied by your undergraduate college.
What is the average cohort or class size? And are most students part-time or full-time?
The MES program typically admits around 60-65 students each fall and another 10-15 students each spring. Approximately 75% of the students are full-time and 25% are part-time. The average class size is 18-20 students, with larger class sizes for our required courses and smaller class sizes for our field courses and some seminar-style courses.
Are there any research or teaching assistantships available?
The program will occasionally have opportunities each semester in the form of graders, non-traditional teaching assistantships, and research assistantship positions. These opportunities are limited and are awarded on a semester-to-semester basis, sometimes in conjunction with the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES). You may not apply for these positions during your first semester, and we will announce new positions via our newsletter when they are available.
Our program is embedded within the Earth and Environmental Sciences department where several of the standing faculty have opportunities for students as lab assistants and research assistants. These positions with EES faculty will also be announced in student newsletters when available.
How can I find internships during the semester/school year?
We post opportunities, both on and off campus, in our weekly newsletter. Some paid research positions are available on campus through the various centers at Penn, including the Water Center, Penn Sustainability, and the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy. In addition, paid internships through the City of Philadelphia and other local organizations come up throughout the year, and we connect our students to these opportunities. Your academic advisor can also help to point you in the direction of opportunities and connect you with program alumni.
Where can I find jobs on campus?
On-campus work study and non-work study positions for US and non-US citizens can be found via the Office of Student Employment. Students have worked for Penn’s Facilities and Real Estate Services office, The Graduate Student Center Fellows program, Penn Libraries, Penn Praxis, and multiple departments across Penn’s schools. If an organization’s webpage doesn’t list positions, they’ll likely be advertised on Penn’s Student Employment website.
Can international students with an F-1 visa obtain paid internships in the US?
Yes. After completing two full-time semesters at Penn, international students can utilize the Curricular Practical Training (CPT) option to participate in part-time paid internships during the semester and full-time paid positions in the summer. Students must enroll in a CPT course (details available from the MES program), and internships must be local to Philadelphia during the spring and fall semesters but need not be for the summer. The MES program will work with you to make sure you follow all regulations.
What are the common career pathways for MES grads?
MES graduates go on to a wide range of careers, including conservation, environmental protection, corporate sustainability, environmental policy, education, risk analysis, sustainable finance, and more. Alumni from the program work in both the private and public sector, at all levels of government (city, state, and federal), and some run their own businesses. Several graduates also go onto pursue further education, such as a doctoral degree.
Career Services at Penn is fantastic and has a dedicated team for master’s students—beyond the support that we provide within the program via our advisors, Career Services is a great resource for career support.
Have any questions? Email the MES team at sas-mes-msag@sas.upenn.edu anytime. We look forward to welcoming you to Penn!
