BS Earth and Planetary Sciences at Yale University

Programme overview

The Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) program prepares students for the application of scientific principles and methods to the understanding of the Earth system and other planets. Subjects range from the history of Earth and life to present-day environmental processes and climate change, the deep interiors of Earth and other planets, tectonic plates, oceans, atmospheres, climates, land surface, natural resources, and biota. The emphasis of the curriculum is on employing basic principles from the core sciences (physics, chemistry, and biology) to further the understanding of Earth’s and other planets' past, present, and future.

Faculty: Yale College | Duration: Thirty-six term courses in eight terms of enrollment (Yale College bachelor's degree) | Study mode: full-time | Location: New Haven, CT, United States

What you will study

Number of courses: B.A. —at least 9 courses beyond prereqs for letter grades (incl senior req); B.S. — Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate, Environmental and Energy Geoscience, and Solid Earth Science concentration s —at least 11 courses, for 11 credits, beyond prereqs for letter grades (incl senior req); Paleontology and Geobiology concentration —at least 12 courses, for 11.5 credits, beyond prereqs for letter grades (incl senior req). Distribution of courses: B.A. —2 intro courses in EPS, with labs; 5 addtl courses at 2000 level or higher in EPS or related fields inc sen req; B.S. concentration s —1 or 2 intro courses in EPS, with labs, as specified; 4 or 5 core courses, as specified; 4

Career pathways

It may be more appropriate for students who plan to fulfill the requirements of two majors, who study Earth and Planetary Sciences in preparation for a career in law, business, government, or environmental fields, or who decide to pursue a science major only after the first year.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is to Yale College, not to this major (applies to all Yale College programmes). Yale College requires letters of recommendation, a school report with transcript, and ACT or SAT scores; applicants who are non-native English speakers without two or more years in an English-medium school must also submit an English proficiency test (TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge English or Duolingo English Test). Major prerequisite: B.A. — MATH 1150 ; biology ( BIOL 1010 and 1020 ) or physics ( PHYS 1700 , 1710 ; or PHYS 1800 , 1810 ; or PHYS 2000 , 2010 ); and a lecture course in chem; B.S. — All concentration s — MATH 1200 or ENAS 1510 ; Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate concentration — ENAS 1300 or equivalent; ENAS 1940 ; PHYS 1800 , 1810 , 2050L , 2060L ; Environmental and Energy Geoscience concentration — CHEM 1650 or CHEM 1670 ; physics ( PHYS 1700 , 1710 , or PHYS 1800 , 1810 , or PHYS 2000 , 2010 ) or biology ( BIOL 1010 and 1020 ; and BIOL 1030 and 1040 , or EPS 1250 and EPS 1260L ); Paleontology and Geobiology concentration — CHEM 1650 or CHEM 1670 ; BIOL 1010 – 1040 ; Solid Earth Science concentration — CHEM 1650 or CHEM 1670 ; PHYS 1700 , 1710 , or PHYS 1800 , 1810 , or PHYS 2000 , 2010.

USD 72,500 a year (2026-27). Yale College 2026-2027 tuition (single rate for all Yale College students). Excludes housing, food, optional health insurance, student activities fee and class dues. Source

First-year and transfer applicants apply to begin in the fall semester.

First-year applicants apply through the Common Application, the Coalition Application on SCOIR or the QuestBridge Application. Single-Choice Early Action deadline: November 1. QuestBridge National College Match deadline: November 1. Regular Decision deadline: January 2. Yale does not advantage students by program.

First-year and transfer applicants must include ACT or SAT scores (testing is required); neither exam is preferred.

Transfer applicants submit the Transfer Common Application by March 1 to enter as sophomores or juniors.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences deadlines (all 11:59 pm Eastern) for fall 2027: December 1, 2026 (e.g. BBS, Chemistry, Economics, History, Linguistics, Psychology, Public Health, Statistics); December 15, 2026 (e.g. American Studies, Anthropology, Applied Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science PhD, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Law, Management, Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Political Science, Sociology); January 2, 2027 (e.g. African Studies, Applied and Computational Mathematics, Architecture, Computer Science MS, Earth and Planetary Sciences, East Asian Studies, Nursing, Philosophy). Combined programs follow the earlier deadline or December 15.

The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences application fee for all degree-seeking applicants is US $105, non-refundable, payable by Visa, Mastercard, Discover or American Express; fee waivers can be requested until January 2.

GRE General Test requirements vary by GSAS program (required, optional or not accepted) for the 2026-2027 cycle.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.yale.edu/apply

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