Requirements for admission include an official transcript of previous undergraduate and graduate studies, three supporting letters from individuals who can discuss the applicant's strengths and capabilities, and a short essay of about three pages describing the applicant's intellectual interests and how the applicant thinks these can be developed in the M.A.L.S. program. After preliminary screening, promising applicants will be invited to an interview after which the final admission decision will be made. 

Admission is selective and competitive based on the number of well qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Those who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths. 

Students working for the M.A.L.S. degree must take two interdisciplinary core courses, choose a series of interdisciplinary electives designed specifically for the program, and complete either a master's thesis or a synthesis project. By advisement of the Director and with consent of the course instructor, M.A.L.S. students may enroll in regular graduate offerings in the participating departments.