The Arid Lands Resource Sciences (ALRS) program provides an academic environment in which to examine the economic, ecological and social factors which determine the long-term sustainable use of arid and semiarid lands. Because of its multifaceted nature, sustainable use cannot be adequately defined nor understood through the tools available in any single discipline. Rather, it must be considered from several disciplinary perspectives. Thus, students in the ALRS program are trained in two or more of the physical, biological, resource, agricultural and social sciences, as they relate specifically to the sustainable use and management of arid and semiarid lands.
The Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Arid Lands Resource Sciences offers a program of graduate study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree with a major in Arid Lands Resource Sciences. The program includes faculty membership representing twenty departments and programs throughout the University.