The mission of the CONS program is to attract the world's best candidates for leadership in conservation biology and development programs, and to provide them with the multidisciplinary, conceptual and experiential learning experience necessary to address the biodiversity crisis that now faces the planet. We expect that graduates of our program will continue to become leaders and decision-makers in conservation, either in academia or in government or nongovernmental agencies. The CONS program has established a reputation for graduating excellent students who follow these career paths, and for providing a service role to the state of Maryland, local communities, and national and international NGOs and agencies.