Highly Ranked in Environmental Research and Education

Located in Boulder, Colorado, CU Boulder allows students to take advantage of abundant natural and cultural resources of the Front Range metropolitan area and the Rocky Mountains. These include research opportunities and lectures at both our own and nearby campuses, as well as access to the varied ecosystems and recreational opportunities of the Rocky Mountains. 

The University of Colorado-Boulder is one of the nation's leaders in environmental research. U.S. News and World Report (2018) ranks CU Boulder #11 on a list of Global Universities for work in the Environment and Environmental Health. In 2014 the U.S. National Science Foundation ranked CU Boulder second in the country in research and development expenditures in environmental sciences. Much of this research involves collaboration across disciplines, providing a stimulating environment for students who wish to gain multi-faceted research experiences. Departments with close ties to ENVS include Geological Sciences, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Geography, Economics, Political Science, and Philosophy.

Admissions Requirements

Applications for the MS or PhD programs

To be accepted into the MS or PhD programs, a faculty member must be willing to accept you as an advisee and advocate for you during the admissions process. Interested applicants must contact faculty members with whom they would be interested in working. We recommend reviewing the research interests of our faculty and contacting potential advisors as early as possible. Admissions requirements may vary depending on your program of interest. Explore our MS and PhD Programs for more information.

All applicants must fill out the online application and submit the appropriate documentation required by your program of interest. In the online application you will be asked to name one or more faculty members of interest. Please list the faculty member(s) that you have been in contact with so that they will read and evaluate your application.

Interested in a fee waiver?  Please check the Graduate Schools Application FAQs to see if you qualify.  If you have other circumstances not covered in the fee waiver section, you may request a waiver from ENVS.  In order to qualify, you must have made meaningful contact with an ENVS faculty member who will support your application.  The deadline for waiver requests from Fall 2024 applicants is November 15, 2023.  No requests for fee waivers made after this date can be considered.

Deadlines

  • The Fall 2023 application is closed.  The expected Fall 2024 Application Deadline for M.S. or Ph.D. program: December 1, 2023, 9:59 pm MST. 
    Letters of Recommendation must be received by December 15, 2023. 
  • Apply Now!

A Note to International Applicants

We encourage applications from international prospective students. International student applicants may be required to submit additional test scores such as TOEFL or IELTS. Application fees may vary. Please visit the graduate school website for more information or contact the International Admission Team if you have questions.