Human activities have been causing several environmental impacts at different spatial and temporal scales to natural ecosystems, having influenced more than 75% of the terrestrial surface not covered by ice. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how humans influence natural systems, evaluating their sustainability. New approaches are needed to identify emergent patterns of these interactions and new possibilities of actions to enable sustainable development. Thus, it is not only necessary to improve public policies and access to stakeholders and decision-makers, but also propose new scientific approaches. Environmental problems generally go beyond traditional disciplinary structures, and interdisciplinary approaches are necessary to solve actual and future environmental issues.

The Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences (PPGCAm) is designed to provide graduate education and research on these environmental issues. Interdisciplinary training to overcome disciplinary barriers, as well as cutting-edge research in the Environmental Sciences provide resources and experiences for scientists and professionals to contribute with environmental research and solve environmental problems. The program provides comprehensive training to deal with the different dimensions of sustainability, developing competences to investigate emergent environmental patterns and providing abilities to foster actions for the development and sustainability of systems.

Training in the program involves critical and autonomous learning, aiming to contribute to scientific and technological development, so that students are qualified to diagnose and contribute to the resolution of environmental problems, to produce new knowledge, contribute to the development of sustainable practices, make advanced original and independent research, identify new areas of professional activity, and propose creative solutions for environmental questions and challenges.

The Master of Science program enables the conditions for the graduate student to develop interdisciplinary studies with the essential conceptual and methodological instruments of Environmental Sciences, qualifying the student for research and academic activities, and offering expertise for multiple fields of environmental work.

The Doctor of Philosophy program, besides including the goals of the MsC. program, aims the production by the student of a research work that represents a real, original, and creative contribution to the field of Environmental Sciences.