Human impacts on the earth's ecosystem are profound and far reaching. The faculty of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences is committed to educating students to understand and sustain the integrity of this ecosystem, as both specialists within their fields of concentration and well-informed citizens. The programs of study offered by the school apply the natural and social sciences to this dynamic system.

The curricula are designed to achieve the following goals for graduates of the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences:

To understand and appreciate the interaction between the natural and social sciences as they relate to the earth's ecosystem, students master the basic knowledge and approaches of a field of specialization and are introduced to multidisciplinary perspectives that locate their field and its contributions in this larger context.

To evaluate issues critically, so that graduates may become autonomous, versatile, and productive people who understand that they are inextricably related to the natural world and to other people. Mastery of both quantitative and qualitative modes of inquiry develops each student's ability to deal with the complexity and dynamism of real-world issues.

To understand and appreciate human impacts on the earth's ecosystem, students develop a historical, global, and multicultural consciousness in order to expand their bases for decision making.

To sustain the integrity of the global ecosystem, students develop the ethical sensitivity and analytical skills necessary to address questions of social responsibility, environmental ethics, moral choice, and social equity.