The environment, society, and policy concentration is a quantitative concentration in which students focus their studies on the analysis of the intersections of social and economic policies with the natural world. Students are provided with an education that fosters knowledge of environmental systems through a background in basic and applied science; promotes engagement with environmental issues and assessment of environmental and social systems; and the need for participatory action that responds to the 'cries of the Earth and poor' across society – thus training students to be integral ecologists and to serve others in a diverse and changing world.

The curriculum is designed with a focus on marketable skills such as analysis and communication, as well as building community and strategies for global sustainability. For this reason, the curriculum interlaces natural science, social science, and the humanities with a strong emphasis on the study of systems and the relationships of people with the natural world. Students complete courses in the social sciences including, economics and environmental law or environmental politics along with electives from the humanities and natural and applied sciences.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Environmental Systems - Students will critically analyze and articulate the dynamics of Earth's environmental systems, including assessment of human-environmental interactions across spatial and temporal scales.
• Environmental, Social, and Political Systems - Students will examine and explain the relationships between humans and nature, and articulate the dynamic interactions among cultural, socioeconomic, political, and ethical factors in environmental processes, emphasizing their implications for justice.
• Critical Understanding and Interpretation - Students will apply moral and ethical perspectives to construct and critically evaluate environmental arguments and systematically analyze diverse sources for information using appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative methods.
• Communication - Students will demonstrate proficiency in the communication of the complexities and urgency or environmental issues including issues of justice to diverse audiences.
• Participatory Action - Students will design, advocate for, and, when appropriate, implement equitable and just solutions to environmental challenges, demonstrating an understanding of the complex interplay between environmental, social, cultural, and ethical factors, with consideration of their systematic impacts.