Complex adaptive systems science is the study of interactive and dynamic systems that change over time. The complex adaptive systems science concentration program under the PhD in sustainability trains the next generation of scientists in advanced concepts and methods needed for approaching diverse phenomena in the social and life sciences. The program is tightly integrated with diverse, ongoing, university-wide research on complex adaptive systems science at Arizona State University and emphasizes the value of a complex adaptive systems science perspective, to give better insight and a more active role in seeking solutions to a broad array of critical issues facing society today. Students become fluent in the common language of complexity while also receiving a solid foundation in the domain knowledge of existing academic disciplines.

By broadly embedding an understanding of complex adaptive system-relevant approaches into the practice of normal science, students gain the ability to transform science. The program promotes the development and testing of more robust theories and sophisticated methods in a wider array of research settings. This is needed to develop a deeper understanding of the nature and dynamics of complex adaptive systems, grounded in concrete examples and applications.