硕士生与他或她的主要教授和监督委员会协商，制定了至少30个学期的研究生课程。要求学生在学位期间积极参加一个或多个研讨会的介绍。监事会应由三名教员组成。教师必须代表三个可选领域中的两个（生物科学，社会科学或物理科学）。专业教授被视为这些领域之一。必须有两个学院的代表。
The director of the National Science Foundation has stated, For the twenty-first century, our goal must be to understand, and learn to keep in balance, the bio-complexity of all of Earth's ecosystems.<br><br>This will be your goal as a student in the program. You will explore complex environmental problems and learn how to solve them through integrated and coherent approaches. Explore global environmental challenges as they relate to waste management, environmental pollution, policy and law, water science, ecosystems, land use, energy systems, and more. Whether you choose the thesis or non-thesis option, you will lead independent research in a topic that interests you and supports your career goals.