Admissions and Financial Aid

Application

Thank you for your interest in applying to Columbia University.

Applications to the program will be handled through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University. To apply to the program, please register for an application ID and fill out the online application at
https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=COL-GAS

All supporting materials should be sent to:

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
107 Low Memorial Library
535 West 116th Street, MC 4304
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027

Applications for admission in September 2010 can be submitted as early as November 2008. It is possible to enter your information and save it for later submission at any time.

Priority Deadline: March 1, 2010

Final Deadline: April 1, 2010

To read more about the application process, please see the Graduate School's admissions information:
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/gsas/ps/main/pages/admis-info/index.html

The application does not need to be submitted in order to be viewed by you. Your entries can be saved until you are ready to submit the application. To apply to the M.A. Program in Climate and Society, select "Climate and Society" from the pull-down menu under the Program Information section of the online web application form, and submit your application electronically. Please note that the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences does not permit simultaneous applications to more than one graduate program.

The GRE test is required for admission to the M.A. Program in Climate and Society. Students in countries where the test is not offered on a frequent basis should plan well in advance to take the exam. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL THE EXAM REQUIREMENT BE WAIVED.

To have GRE test scores sent to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University, use Institution Code 2162. A Department Code is not necessary.

Applicants should have completed a bachelor’s degree in physical sciences, engineering, social sciences, or planning and policy studies. Work experience in a related field is considered desirable, although not required. Students are selected for admission based on their academic background and related work experience. The General Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam is required for non-native speakers of English.

Note: Earlier submission of applications is encouraged for full consideration for financial aid.

Duration of Study

Students complete the twelve-month M.A. Program in Climate and Society in three semesters: autumn, spring, and summer. The program begins in August and all coursework is completed by the following August. Degrees are awarded in October.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for the 2009–2010 academic year (including summer) total about $45,562. A complete list of applicable fees will be provided on a billing invoice. Please note that the Living and Personal Expenses can vary and that these estimates are based on very modest accommodations in New York City.

Financial Aid

Applicants to the program who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are typically eligible for federal Stafford student loans. All interested applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available at all colleges and high schools, and online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students are strongly encouraged to submit their FAFSA form. Following admission, all students who submitted a FAFSA form will be advised by the School of their eligibility for federal aid via an award letter with the forms and materials needed to apply for Stafford loans. Additional financing support in the form of private loans can help to meet the full cost of tuition. Students enrolled in the program are eligible to have prior federal student loans deferred during their term of study.

www.fafsa.ed.gov

NOTE: Students who apply to the M.A. program are automatically considered for M.A. program scholarships and are encouraged to apply early. There is no separate application form.

All applicants should make a serious effort to apply to outside scholarships (see below). M.A. program scholarships are limited and it is not possible to offer program scholarships to all students who are offered admission to the program. However, all students are offered the opportunity to earn hourly pay working on climate related projects.

Scholarships

A limited number of full and partial scholarships will be available to students in this program for the academic year. Full scholarships will cover full tuition and fees (including health insurance). Partial scholarships will cover a portion of tuition and fees and are typically between $5,000 and $10,000.

In addition to scholarships, a number of program-related work opportunities are sometimes available to students in the program who are receiving financial aid.

Scholarships are granted on the basis of merit and need and vary from year to year. There is no special application, other than the application to the program through the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Columbia University. Scholarships are available to students on the basis of merit and need, regardless of citizenship. U.S. applicants should fill out the FAFSA form as soon as possible.

Scholarship Competitions for International Students

The programs listed below offer scholarship competitions for students from specific countries to study at a graduate level in the United States. These programs have no specific affiliation with the M.A. Program in Climate and Society, but they could offer valuable sources of fellowship support for international students. Please be sure to check the instructions and eligibility requirements for each program:

1) Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship Program
http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/scholarships/scholarshipsEnglish/about/guidelines.html

- check your eligibility to apply based on nationality; list of eligible countries from the developing world is given on the World Bank website link given above
- final application deadline is in March each year.
- admission to a master's degree program is a pre-requisite for application

2) Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP)
Program Information:
http://www.fordfound.org/news/more/11272000ifp/index.cfm

Listing of eligible partner countries:
http://www.FordIFP.Net/index.cfm?PageID=10

All applications must be submitted to the appropriate IFP International Partner in the country or region where the applicant resides. IFP International Partners determine application deadlines and selection schedules in their region or country.

To see a listing of IFP partner countries, please visit the International Fellowships Program website:
http://www.FordIFP.Net/index.cfm?PageID=10

3) Fulbright Fellowships for International Students to Study in the U.S.
Listing of Fulbright Commission Country contacts:
http://exchanges.state.gov/education/fulbright/commiss.htm

All applications must go through either your home country's Commission or U.S. Embassy.Outside the U.S., the Program is administered in 50 countries by a Binational Commission, and in the remaining countries by the U.S. Department of State's overseas staff.

4) Student Loans for International and U.S. Students.
International students who are not eligible for U.S. loan programs may be interested to know that some banks offer education loans with competitive rates to international students. Often, an international student needs to have a U.S. co-signer on the loan. Read about one such loan program for international graduate students here:
http://studentloan.citibank.com/slcsite/fr_hciti.htm

Scholarship Competitions for U.S. Students

There are a number of partial and full scholarship/fellowship competitions for U.S. students graduate programs such as the M.A. Program in Climate and Society. Note that application deadlines are early, many in the Fall before admission (one full year before the begin of study). Applications are typically submitted at the same time as the application for admission to the university.

1) American Meteorological Society (AMS)

Partial Scholarships for U.S. students

http://www.ametsoc.org/amsstudentinfo/scholfeldocs/scholfel.html

2) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)STAR and GRO programs. Full fellowships for graduate environmental study.

Application deadline is in the fall each year.

http://es.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/

3) National Science Foundation (NSF)

Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Application deadline for Geosciences is fall each year.

http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201

Health Insurance

All students are required to be covered by health insurance and are automatically enrolled in the Basic Plan unless it is waived with proof of existing coverage.

For further information on Columbia student health insurance, see http://www.health.columbia.edu/ins

Housing

University Apartment Housing is not guaranteed. The Graduate School reserves housing spaces for its doctoral students first, and incoming M.A. students from abroad are given next priority. Applications must be received in a timely manner to be considered.

Admitted students who have accepted the offer of admission are encouraged to make inquiries into housing options as early as possible.

Columbia University Apartment Housing
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ire/stumsc.html

University Apartment Housing (UAH) consists of apartments and dormitory-style suites located within walking distance of the campus. Housing is available to single students, couples, and students with dependent children. Due to space limitations, UAH cannot offer housing to accommodate friends or relatives other than dependent children and spouses/partners or provide additional space to satisfy unusual work or activity needs. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.