The Edinburgh-Vassar Scholars Program

This program provides a pathway for Vassar students to acquire an MSc in Planetary Health from the University of Edinburgh. Students of all majors are welcome to apply.

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The program represents an outcome of the Global Collaborative for the Liberal Arts, an ongoing partnership between Vassar, Edinburgh, the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda, Africa, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay in Mumbai, India. The Collaborative seeks to support institutions of higher education as they explore integrating liberal arts content and pedagogy into their degree programs, as a way to better fulfill the promise of higher education globally. Read more about the Global Collaborative.

Requirements and Recommendations

Applicants to the Program must be in good academic standing at Vassar and are recommended (though not required) to have completed at least three (3) courses relevant to environmental studies, climate sustainability, or public health, as well as a research methods course prior to application.

How to Apply

The application is a two-step process

  1. Students work on a proposal at Vassar to be an Edinburgh-Vassar Scholar, during the fall of their junior year. Proposals are due by January 6, 2025. A committee will review the proposal and determine if you are approved. Submit a proposal.
  2. Students who are approved to proceed will be nominated to apply for the program at Edinburgh. The student must complete Edinburgh’s application by January 31, 2025.

Timeline

Admitted Scholars will work with Vassar and Edinburgh to complete an 8–10-week summer research projects at the Edinburgh Futures Institute in Edinburgh between their Vassar junior and senior years. Funding opportunities for the projects are available. 

After the summer research project, Scholars will return to Vassar to complete their senior year and graduate with their undergraduate degree.

Scholars will then matriculate as MSc students at Edinburgh the following fall and complete the MSc over the following year.

Most Scholars will complete the program and obtain their BA/MSc, in a total of five years. 

Contact

For more information, please contact internationalprograms@vassar.edu and dos@vassar.edu.

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