Biodiversity, Conservation, and Policy

Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.

Original & Translated Transcripts 

Your academic transcripts must be provided in the original language, accompanied by certified translations into English. 

If you attended an institution where instruction was conducted in English and your transcript is in English, then that transcript is sufficient. However, you must also provide official documentation on the language of instruction. 

(Official copies of your transcripts will be required upon admission. For instructions, please visit our Apply to a Degree or Certificate Program page.) 
 

Students from India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan 

We require official and complete individual mark skeets for each examination attempt, including subsidiary exams.

These documents must be issued by the University Registrar or Controller of Examinations.

We will only accept photocopies of your mark sheets when they are attested by the University Registrar or Controller of Examinations and placed in a sealed, stamped envelope that is sent directly to the Graduate School. 

We will accept a Provisional Certificate of Degree or Degree Certificate as proof of degree completion. 
 

Students from China 

We require both the Graduate Certificate and the Bachelor’s Degree Certificate for proof of earned degree. 
 

Students from Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Moldova 

We will accept apostilled photocopies of your official academic record, in lieu of those records being officially sent to us by the institution of higher education. 
 

Transcript Evaluation 

Although not required, we accept WES Evaluations sent directly to UAlbany from WES. 

A transcript evaluation allows the review committee to correctly compare the quality of your school, coursework and grades with all other applicants. 

Other evaluation services can only be used if they require official documents directly from the institution of higher education, not the student, to evaluate coursework. 
 

Proof of Degree 

An official document showing award of degrees is required.

If you do not submit acceptable documents showing proof of a U.S. bachelor’s degree or its equivalent with your admissions application, UAlbany must receive official proof of degree by the end of your program’s first semester. Otherwise, a hold will be placed on your account, preventing you from registering for the following term.

Earning this degree prepares you to work in a variety of roles related to biological sciences, land use planning, invasive species management, wildlife and habitat preservation, environmental assessment, and natural resource protection policy development, analysis, and administration.

Sample job titles for an MS Biodiversity, Conservation, and Policy degree:

• Climate Change Researcher
• Conservation Specialist
• Environmental Policy Analyst
• Erosion Control Manager
• Habitat Management Coordinator
• Land Restoration Specialist
• Natural Resource Manager
• Soil and Water Conservationist
• Wildlife Protection Policy Enforcer

We suggest you have all required elements for your application in place before you apply.

Please read the Instructions for Application Materials below for detailed information on each required material. 

Gather these general application materials: 

• Transcripts of all post-secondary schools attended 

• Statement of Background and Goals 

• Resume 

• Graduate Assistantship/Fellowship Application 

• Your recommenders’ names and email addresses 

• Any program-specific application materials listed above (such as standardized test scores, a writing samples, a portfolio, etc.)