If you're a graduate of an accredited college or university, you may be considered for admission to our graduate program. Typically, applicants to the EES graduate program have earned science baccalaureate degrees (eg. Geological Sciences, Biological Sciences, Environmental Science, Physics or Chemistry), but we encourage students with work experience and other types of training to talk with us.

Application for admission requires official academic transcripts, letters of recommendation from academic contacts, results from GRE general exams, and statements of research and career interests. Results from a TOEFL exam is required of all applicants whose native language is not English.

Admission to our graduate programs is decided by the EES faculty. We base our decisions on:

academic record, especially in relevant fields

GRE scores

letters of recommendation

statement of research and career interests

support by one or more EES faculty advocates

As you can see, a very important part of the application process is to find one or two faculty members you are interested in working with, and then contacting them to see if there is a good fit between your specific interests and theirs. We also encourage you to visit us so that we can get to know you and you can meet faculty and grad students.

Note that we do not have the time to pre-screen potential applications, so in particular please refrain from inquiring whether your GRE scores or GPA are high enough for admission. Your completed application will highlight your previous research and other experience and will paint a more complete picture of your qualifications. We have admitted applicants with a wide range of scores, a reflection of how we use the complete application in our decision making. For the record, nearly all of our incoming students have GRE scores in the percentile range ~60% to 99% and GPA's equivalent to B or better.

Applications for admission as a regular graduate student are accepted annually until July 1, for a start in the Fall semester. However, to be considered for financial aid, completed applications must be received by the College of Arts and Sciences Graduate Programs Office by January 1 for the following academic year. A Spring-semester start is possible but requires the support of an advisor who has RA funds in hand.

Applications for admission are prepared and submitted online

Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES) is a diverse department that blends contributions from geologists, ecologists, and environmental scientists. Our goal is to stimulate enquiry and learning about the fundamental physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes that shape Earth's natural environment. We seek to promote understanding of Earth systems and their components by supporting geological and biological study of how these systems function and interact. The department's fundamental work lies in basic research and field-based experiential education, but we also actively cooperate with other students and scholars to examine the ramifications of human interaction with the environment.

EES was formed in 1991 through the merger of faculty from the Geological Sciences Department with environmental biology faculty from the Biology Department. Since then we have worked to develop innovative programs in environmental science while maintaining strengths in studies of the solid Earth and environmental change. Along with Civil and Environmental Engineering, EES is one of two core departments in Lehigh's Environmental Initiative, housed on one of Lehigh's newest buildings, the award-winning STEPS facility.

The EES Department is part of Lehigh University's College of Arts and Sciences. Lehighis an independent, nondenominational, coeducational university. Founded in 1865, it has approximately 5,000 undergraduates within its three major colleges: Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science, and Business and Economics. There are approximately 2,100 students enrolled in various graduate programs and in the graduate-only College of Education. The 700-acre campus includes superb athletic facilities, a health club and cultural venues, including the Zoellner Arts Center.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (pop. 75,000) is located in the Lehigh Valley, 50 miles north of Philadelphia and 90 miles west of New York City; best access is via Interstate 78, U.S. Route 22, or Lehigh Valley International Airport (airport code ABE). Founded in 1741, Bethlehem has a rich cultural heritage in the Moravian tradition. Historical buildings have been well preserved giving the community a charming Colonial atmosphere. The Lehigh Valley (Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, combined population of some 822,000) is the chief commercial and industrial center for east-central Pennsylvania and is the third largest population center in the state after Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.