This program is designed to meet the changing needs of the geoscience and environmental science communities and may allow students to fulfill the academic requirements for professional certification as geoscientists in Ontario. Specific course requirements for courses can be found here: APGO Requirements – Environmental Geoscience (pdf).

All students take a series of core courses that integrate a solid grounding in fundamental sciences including Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Math, with a range of geoscience and environmental science skills including geographic information systems (GIS), fieldwork, laboratory analysis, remote sensing and personal skills development (inquiry, written and oral communication, group work, time management and numeracy).

Students may follow a basic program which includes courses in earth history, remote sensing, field methods, soils, environmental assessment, earth surface processes, environmental geochemistry and surface water hydrology (see Course Outlines). Students in this program can select a number of elective courses of their choice. Please refer to the program Progress Chart for further details. To maximize the focus of their elective choices, students may choose to focus their selection of elective courses by choosing courses in a specific concentration in upper years. These concentrations are:

Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry
Earth Sciences
Environmental Hydrology and Climate
Environmental Policy
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Spatial Analysis

These concentrations provide students with in-depth knowledge and experience in a specific area and complement the broad science background obtained from their basic program. Students who choose to concentrate their course selection in Earth Sciences take courses in earth surface processes, environmental mineralogy, structural geology, environmental geophysics, plate tectonics and ore deposits, and geochemistry. Those students who concentrate in Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry select courses in aqueous geochemistry: contaminants, freshwater, isotope, microbial; as well in hydrogeology, contaminants hydrogeology, and surface climate processes. In the Environmental Hydrology and Climate concentration, students select courses from surface climate processes and environmental interaction, physical hydrogeology, watershed ecosystem biogeochemistry, advanced physical climatology, physical and chemical processes in freshwater ecosystems, hydrologic modeling and contaminant hydrogeology. In the Environmental Policy concentration students select courses discussing the environmental impacts of human activities. Students in the Geographic Information Systems select courses in geographical information science.

Resources:

B.Sc. Honours Earth & Environmental Sciences Progress Chart

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Science Programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

For students who registered in the Honours in Earth and Environmental Sciences prior to 2010-2011, please see the Faculty of Science Programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario – Environmental Geoscience

Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario – Geology

Co-Op Option:

Enrolment in the co-op program is limited and possession of the published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Selection is based on academic achievement and an interview but requires, as a minimum, submission of the on-line application by the stated deadline and completion of Level II Honours Earth and Environmental Sciences with a Cumulative Average of at least 6.0 and completion of several courses. Please see admission requirements.

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Science programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

The Honours Environmental Sciences is a flexible program providing a solid foundation in environmental sciences while achieving interdisciplinarity, by including select courses in ecology, ecology of inland waters, and plant biodiversity. At Level II, students have a choice of courses including earth history, soils, earth surface processes, environmental geochemistry, surface climate processes and surface water hydrology. At Level II and IV, students may select courses including surface climate processes and environmental interaction, physical hydrogeology, watershed ecosystem biogeochemistry, advanced physical climatology, contaminants geochemistry, freshwater processes, isotope and microbial geochemistry, hydrologic modeling and contaminant hydrogeology. The program also provides a foundation in environmental assessment and policy. Please refer to the program Progress Chart for further details:

Resources:

B.Sc. Honours Environmental Sciences Progress Chart

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Co-Op Option:

Enrollment in the co-op program is limited and possession of the published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Selection is based on academic achievement and an interview but requires, as a minimum, submission of the on-line application by the stated deadline and completion of Level II Honours Environmental Sciences with a Cumulative Average of at least 6.0 and completion of several courses. Please see Admission requirements.

Resources:

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Science programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

Honours Biodiversity and Environmental Sciences is a flexible program that focuses on interdisciplinary studies among these two fields. Jointly offered by the Department of Biology and the School of Earth, Environment & Society, this program enables students to select courses according to their interests; to develop broad knowledge, and understanding of the linkages between biological and environmental processes; and to apply these to questions of biological, biomedical or environmental interests. This program prepares students for graduate studies, and careers in industry or academic research laboratories. Please refer to the program Progress Chart for further details.

Resources:

B.Sc. Honours Biodiversity & Environmental Sciences Progress Chart

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Science programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

The B.Sc. Environmental Sciences is a flexible program that allows students to choose courses from a wide selection of geoscience courses, according to their interests. It is usually intended for students interested by careers in highly interdisciplinary fields, combining environmental sciences and geoscience with another subject, which will require the combination of this degree to another one.

This program is usually completed in three-years; however, students are encouraged to pursue a 4-year honours program if they qualify. Students who successfully complete the first 3 levels of a relevant Honours B.Sc. degree (Honours Earth and Environmental Sciences, Honours Environmental Sciences, Honours Geography and Environmental Sciences) may request permission from the Office of the Associate Dean of Science to transfer to graduate with the three-level B.Sc. Environmental and Sciences degree. Students are advised to seek academic counseling to ensure that their course selections are appropriate. Please refer to the program Progress Chart for further details:

Resources:

B.Sc. Environmental Sciences Progress Chart

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Science programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.