Environmental Systems M.S. Application Information

Application Information

1) Complete the California State University Graduate Application online at Cal State Apply. A $70.00 application fee is required at time of application.

2) Have three letters of recommendation submitted by people who are well prepared to evaluate your potential to succeed as a graduate student. At least one of these letters (and preferably two or three) should be from a former university instructor who may judge your promise as a graduate student. Applicants should have their recommenders submit letters through the Cal State Apply system.

3) Contact ALL previous universities/colleges that you have attended and your current university/college and arrange for each of them to send an OFFICIAL transcript to Cal Poly Humboldt using the address indicated below. Official transcripts must arrive in their original sealed envelope.

Cal Poly Humboldt 
Office of Graduate Admissions 
1 Harpst Street
Arcata, CA 95521

You can follow your application status by:

• Checking your Student Services Center. Approximately two weeks after application submission, you will receive a Posted letter with your Humboldt Student ID and Log-In Information.
• Contacting the College of Natural Resources & Sciences to check on the status of your application.
• If you are denied admission and disagree with the decision, please contact the relevant Environmental
  Systems Graduate Program option coordinator directly.

International Students

If you are an international student applicant, please visit the Center for International Program Graduate Students page for information about how to apply. Please note that most international students must submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores. However, this requirement may be waived in cases where the applicant has a prior degree from a university where English was the primary language of instruction. Scores from the TOEFL test and the other material indicated at the site should be submitted to:

International Student Admissions 
Cal Poly Humboldt 
1 Harpst St. 
Arcata, CA 95521-8299 
USA

Other Requirements

You will also be required to submit transcripts from your previous colleges, names and email addresses of three references, a detailed statement of purpose and a current resume.

1. Important
You must contact at least one potential advisor before you submit your application to see if the advisor is taking on new students. Please contact them by phone, email, or (best) in person. Make sure that your Statement of Purpose clearly states your research interests and career goals, to better determine which faculty will be the best fit, and to convince at least one faculty member that you would make an excellent graduate student. Check the department website for the list of faculty and their research areas. Graduate advisors are always on the lookout for promising students, so don't be shy about making contact. You should be proactive and assertive about your strengths. Decisions about acceptance will not be made until your completed application file has been reviewed, so these prior conversations with potential advisors should reveal whether you are a serious candidate for consideration!

2. Official Transcripts
One official transcript is required from any college or university you have ever attended. They must be sent directly to Graduate Admissions (address below). Official transcripts must be in their original sealed envelope.

Cal Poly Humboldt 
Office of Graduate Admissions 
1 Harpst Street, 
Arcata CA 95521

Transcript Exceptions

• Humboldt transcripts: You do not need to request transcripts for any work completed at Cal Poly Humboldt.
• If you were enrolled at Humboldt as a regular matriculated student within the past 5 years we will still have your file, so you do not need to request a transcript for college work completed elsewhere unless you completed that college work after you left Humboldt.

3. Statement of Purpose & Current Resume

Send a detailed Statement of Purpose (SOP) and current resume of work experience. In your Statement of Purpose be sure to include:

a) Potential research areas that are of interest to you;
b) at least one or more faculty who should review your file;
c) your reasons for pursuing a M.S. degree.

A detailed statement of purpose and current resume can be uploaded to your Cal State Apply application.