Any ENVS Senior Seminar course automatically fulfills the capstone course requirement. Capstone course offerings for 2025-2026 are:
Seniors who wish to take an upper level course from another department for capstone credit must complete an ENVS Course Substitution Request to be reviewed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
The one-semester research project is an individual piece of work that investigates a topic, tests a hypothesis, or addresses a question about climate, environment, and/or sustainability. The project is conducted in a student’s senior year under the supervision of an IBES or IBES Affiliated faculty member, or a non-IBES faculty member if they are the best fit for the research. Students conducting independent research enroll in either their capstone advisor’s section of ENVS 1970 in the fall semester or their ENVS 1971 section in the spring semester.
The Research Capstone Proposal Form is due at the end of the 6th semester (spring). Under special circumstances, the form can be submitted no later than the first week of fall semester classes.
See the ENVS One-Semester Independent Research Guide for more information.
The honors thesis is an in-depth, original work of scholarship conducted in a student’s senior year under the supervision of a faculty member. The thesis can take disciplinary, interdisciplinary, basic, and applied forms. Thesis students enroll in their thesis advisor’s section of ENVS 1970 in the fall semester and their ENVS 1971 section in the spring semester.
Honors thesis students can also pursue an engaged thesis that involves reciprocal, collaborative relationships with community-based organizations outside of Brown. Note that the definition of “community” is diverse, depending upon the nature of the capstone project and the community partners engaged in the work. Some students may collaborate with partners in schools, civic organizations, and environmental nonprofits in Providence; others may engage with international non-governmental organizations, state, or national level government partners, or even groups from the private sector.
The Research Capstone Proposal Form is due at the end of the 6th semester (spring). Under special circumstances, the form can be submitted no later than the first week of fall semester classes.
For guidelines, timelines, further information, see the ENVS Honors Thesis Guide.