The School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA) is of an elite class of public affairs programs which offers a defined concentration in sustainable development. Sustainable Development focuses on the balancing of human needs with the protection of the natural and social environments so that these needs can be met in the present and also into the indefinite future.The logical components of a sustainable development strategy encompass environmental, economic, social, and political elements. Students who complete this concentration have an array of opportunities that cross sectors, including government, private business, consulting, and special interest organizations that seek to sustain and improve both current and future conditions for life on earth. The concentration provides skills and perspectives that will offer solutions and affect change in addressing significant public problems.