Master of Science in Engineering, Sustainability and Health

Your application

The University of San Diego’s online MESH degree program welcomes all students who are driven to facilitate a more sustainable and healthy future. Please review the standard admissions expectations below as you prepare your application:

• Application form
• $50 application fee (connect with an advisor to have your application fee waived)
• Essay stating fit with the program (see below)
• Official transcripts from all institutions of higher education previously attended*
• Letters of Recommendation (see below)
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• International students must submit additional elements including but not limited to:**TOEFL score
• Please note that students who are accepted into USD’s MS in Engineering, Sustainability and Health program are required to submit a $289.50 non-refundable deposit. This will ultimately be applied to your first tuition payment, provided you enroll in the program and start your first course.

* Students who wish to transfer credit from other institutions please connect with your enrollment advisor.

**If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, please connect with your enrollment advisor.

Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (official transcripts required).
• Bachelor’s GPA of 2.75 or higher.
  • Candidates with GPA under 2.75 can apply, but will be asked to provide relevant explanations in an essay.
  • Candidates with GPA under 2.75 are recommended to complete a standardized test such as GRE or GMAT.
  • International students will require a minimum score of 4.5 for all tests taken after Jan. 21, 2026. Note: For TOEFL exams taken before Jan. 21, 2026, the minimum total score required is 83.

Essay stating fit with the program:

• A personal statement outlining your overall qualifications. Candidates should include responses to the following questions:
  • Please explain why you are interested in the MESH program.
  • Briefly describe your past and current career/work and how it is related to either sustainability, the built-environment, engineering, health, and/or peace and justice.
    • How will the MESH program build on your past experience and knowledge?
    • Please explain how your profession may need to change to better address health and sustainability.
  • What do you hope to gain from this program?
  • Which global challenges do you think are the most pressing and are of most concern to you and why?
  • How do you think the MESH program can address these global challenges?
  • In a program with direct peer and faculty feedback, being able to listen, collaborate, and engage respectfully is key. Could you provide an example of a time when you worked in a group that required coordinating different schedules (across time zones or with varying time commitments) and considered various perspectives?
  • What kind of support systems do you rely on when facing challenges?”
• Please keep your essay between 500 to 700 words.

Letters of recommendation:

• One recommendation letter from a supervisor/manager or external reference. 

Special Note: please anticipate that some colleges and universities can take 2 – 3 weeks to prepare and send official transcripts. Your application package is not complete until all official transcripts are received.

Please contact your advisor at (619) 260-4580 if you are interested but do not meet all published admissions requirements. Our application review process always includes a holistic look at your experience and background, and we understand that a low undergraduate GPA or lack of professional experience is not necessarily indicative of your potential success in our program. 

Please note we are unable to accommodate international students who require the F1 student visa. Contact an enrollment advisor if you are interested, but do not meet all published admissions requirements.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to regulations from the Department of Education, FST at USD is only accepting applications from residents in specific U.S. states and territories for enrollment into our 100% online degree programs. Please check our State Authorization Status List for the states and territories from which we can enroll residents in our 100% online degree programs. Programs are only considered to be 100% online degree programs if they have no physical presence (classes, fieldwork, or otherwise) in those states or territories..

are you an international applicant?

International applicants must meet additional requirements for admission, including: 

• International applicants must submit an official score report from one of the following acceptable English proficiency exams:
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT exam: Students will require a minimum score of 4.5 for all tests taken after Jan. 21, 2026. Note: For TOEFL exams taken before Jan. 21, 2026, the minimum total score required is 83. 
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic exam: IELTS minimum score of 7.
  • Duolingo English Test: Minimum total score of 120 on Duolingo English Test.
  • For additional details on International Applicant Requirements, please see the separate “Are You an International Applicant?” section of the page.
  • TOEFL iBT and IELTS scores must be no more than two years old from the time you submit your online application.
• A course-by-course transcript evaluation and report by one of the following approved agencies. No other transcript evaluation will be accepted for degrees earned outside the U.S.
  • World Education Services, Inc. (WES)
  • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE)
  • International Education Research Foundation, Inc. (IERF)
  • Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. (JSA)
  • SpanTran: The Evaluation Company (SpanTran)
  • Foreign Academic Credential Service (FACS)
• If you are currently in the U.S. on an F-1 or M-1 student visa, you are not eligible to pursue the online section of our program, per U.S. immigration regulations.
• Verify that your country allows access to essential software like VPN or DUO, which is vital for seamless online access during your studies.

Financial Aid

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (official transcripts required).

We recommend that applicants who intend to apply for financial aid do so in conjunction with their application for admission. 

Financial aid is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The first step in applying for aid is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Federal School Code for USD is 010395.