Environment, Development and Peace

The M.A. in Environment, Development, and Peace (EDP) provides comprehensive training in issues of sustainable development, environmental governance, natural resource management, and environmental conflict management from both ecological and social perspectives. It encompasses a broad range of subjects and themes, including Food Systems, Water Management, Forestry, Coastal Resources, Climate Change, Urban Ecology and Social Movements. The program focuses on the human dimensions of the environment-development nexus, highlighting the connections between local perspectives and broader processes at the national, regional and global levels and emphasizing the importance of political economic structures and inequality in access to resources as key drivers in environmental conflict and global environmental change. The program prepares students for a wide range of careers in both environmental and development policy and programming in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

• UPEACE Foundation Course
• Environment, Conflicts, and Sustainability
• Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation
• The United Nations System
• Gender, Environment and Sustainable Development
• Water, Security and Peace
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Forests, Forestry and Poverty
• Management of Coastal Resources
• Research Methods
• Natural Resource Management Field Course
• Accelerating Climate Action
• Climate Adaptation and Climate Justice
• Food Security

• Leading in Times of Change: Innovating from the inside out

Required Supporting Documents to be Uploaded:

• English Proficiency Test Scores Report (TOEFL, IELTS)
• Statement of Purpose
• Letters of Recommendation
• Official Undergraduate (Bachelor's Degree) Transcripts and Degree Certificate
• Curriculum Vitae or Résumé
• UPEACE Acknowledgment of Financial Responsibility
• Copy of Passport (front page with photo only)
• Passport size photo

The online application only requires electronic (PDF) scans of required documents. Should admission be granted, the following documents will be eventually be required in official hard copy:

• English Proficiency Test Scores Report (TOEFL, IELTS) - if applicable
• Official Undergraduate Transcripts and Degree Certificate (and English translations if applicable)
• Six passport size photos

Upon submission of the on-line application form and supporting uploaded documents, the UPEACE Admissions system will send an automatic confirmation email. The date and time of submission will be noted in the system. Applications received after the established relevant deadline will be transferred for the subsequent academic year.

Each application received by the established deadline will be reviewed for completeness. A second acknowledgment will be sent to the applicant by the Admissions Officer informing whether or not the application is complete and able to be passed on for academic review.

We are not able to provide any information about the status of applicants over the phone or to third parties. Information will only be provided using the email entered by the applicant in the on-line application form.

Statement of purpose

The statement of purpose must be between 500 and 1,000 words and state the applicants name, the programme to which they are applying, and clear responses to the following questions:

• Why have you decided to apply to this programme?
• What are your expectations from this programme?
• What are your career plans after completing this programme?
• What type of multicultural exchanges have you had that would inform your academic experience in this programme?

Letters of recommendation

Two letters of recommendation are required for all applicants. The letters should be from faculty or academic advisors from your academic experience or managers or other superiors from a professional work environment who are qualified to evaluate applicant's potential for graduate study. The letters need to include the referees title, their relation to, and how long they've known the applicant. The letters should also outline specific examples of applicant's work and why the referee feels the applicant is a fit for the specific UPEACE programme.

Examples of valid referees or recommenders are:

• Faculty, deans, or professors
• Academic advisors
• Immediate supervisors
• Research project managers
• Mentors in a superior position in the workplace, volunteer, or University setting

Want to improve your English level for admission?
Prepare for the program requirements with English Online by the British Council.

• Flexible study schedule
• Experienced teachers
• Certificate upon completion

📘 Recommended for students with an IELTS level of 6.0 or below.

Enroll in the course

Tution and administrative fees: 19500 USD

Conditions of UPEACE Scholarships & Financial Assistance

The prospective applicant has to be admitted to UPEACE in order to receive any possibility of financial assistance from the University, the latter of which is subject to the following conditions:

• The financial assistance awarded is non-negotiable.
• The scholarships/waivers do not apply to the US$ 2,500 administrative fee. This fee is mandatory for all students and is non-refundable if the student wishes to withdraw from UPEACE before completing his/her degree. Admitted students must comply with this financial obligation to UPEACE according to the required deadline outlined in their official admissions documents.
• Applicant are only eligible for one waiver category per application period. Waiver categories cannot be combined.
• Applicants eligible for a 50% waiver must apply directly through the UPEACE Admissions Office.

Automatic Scholarships/Waivers

30% Tuition Waiver (Automatic)

Available to M.A. and Doctorate students that meet one of the following criteria:

• Citizen or nationals of a signatory state to the UPEACE Charter
• Students who have received an undergraduate or graduate degree from a partner university
• Peace Corps veterans

50% Tuition Waiver (Automatic) 

Available to M.A. and Doctorate students that meet one of the following criteria:

• Professors from a partner university
• Costa Rican citizens and residents (host country)
• Current, full-time UN employees and volunteers
• Documented refugee or asylee

30% or 50% Tuition Waiver (Merit Based) - Available to Master's applicants who do not belong to the above categories. These waivers are offered in limited number and will be awarded by merit, not financial condition. These waivers are not available to doctorate students.