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. These challenges are complex, multifaceted and can best be solved with expertise from multiple, relevant disciplines.

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 Sciences and Studies and an Sc.B. in Environmental Sciences and Studies. The A.B. guarantees students have a holistic and interdisciplinary understanding of the environment, while the Sc.B. is a more in-depth treatment of a single field: Climate and Energy; Conservation and Natural Systems; Environmental Justice and Health; or Sustainable Development and Governance. Both degrees provide interdisciplinary exposure to the natural and social sciences, as well as public policy.

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.