Institute at Brown for Environment and Society

Undergraduate Education

Many of the most pressing challenges of the 21st Century are environmental ones. These challenges are complex, multifaceted and can best be solved with expertise from multiple, relevant disciplines.

We must find ways to feed a growing human population while maintaining the natural life support system provided by the Earth's ecosystems; to make built environments more efficient as urban areas continue to grow dramatically in size; and to meet the challenges posed by rising sea-level and increasing global temperatures.

To prepare students to meet these challenges, the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES) offers two undergraduate degrees: an A.B. in Environmental Studies and a Sc.B. in Environmental Science.

The A.B. and Sc.B. degrees vary primarily in the number of course requirements; the Sc.B. is a more in-depth treatment of a single field. Both degrees provide interdisciplinary exposure to the natural and social sciences, as well as public policy. Both degrees also develop depth in a primary field by requiring students to select one of five tracks of study.

Through a rigorous set of core courses, track requirements, and a course or project-based capstone experience, our students are primed to make meaningful contributions to environmental scholarship and outreach at local, national and global scales.

Contacts

IBES Undergraduate Peer Advisors are available to assist with questions about the curriculum, types of support available to undergraduates, options some people may not be familiar with, and to give a fellow student's perspective. Learn about this year's group.

If you have administrative questions regarding these concentrations or wish to be added to the email directory listing upcoming events, please contact Jeanne Loewenstein, the ENVS concentrations administrative manager.

If you have questions regarding the curriculum, internships or environmental careers, contact the lead concentration advisor for Environmental Studies (Kurt Teichert) or the lead advisor for Environmental Science (Dawn King).

Resources for ENVS Undergraduate Students

IBES funds a variety of programs for undergraduates, including our competitive Voss Environmental Fellowships; annual high-quality, curated summer internships; and funding for summer research experiences.
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