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<Faculty of Environmental Studies

Degree Requirements


Honours BES Degree Course Requirements (120 credits)

Students must pass courses worth a minimum of 120 credits (equivalent to 20 full-year courses) in order to graduate with the Specialized Honours BES degree. At least 60 credits and a maximum of 90 credits shall be environmental studies courses. An overall grade point average of at least 5.0 must be maintained.

Students choose their courses in the Honours BES program according to the following requirements:

General Education (12 credits):

Following York's philosophy of undergraduate education, BES students are required to study in the humanities and natural sciences.

  • Humanities requirement: The BES humanities requirement can be satisfied by taking ES/ENVS 1800 6.00 or a 1000-level course (at least six credits) from the following: classical studies; English; French studies; history; humanities; languages, literature and linguistics; or philosophy.
  • Science requirement: The science requirement is met by taking ES/ENVS 1500 6.00 Introduction to Science for Environmental Studies or a first-year (six-credit) course from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (excluding natural science courses).

Note: Students who declared Environmental Management as their area of concentration are required to take either ES/ENVS 1500 6.00, or SC/BIOL 1010 6.00 to fulfill their natural science requirement.

Required Core Environmental Studies Courses (18 credits):

or

Note 1:

(i) Students choosing the course-based options will take ES/ENVS 3011 3.00 and two three-credit 4000-level BES seminars and/or selected graduate courses at the 5000 level (by permission of the instructor) with paper and/or project outcomes, in addition to their Faculty requirements. The 4000-level courses must be in the student's area of concentration.

(ii) Students enrolled in the Environmental Management area of concentration are required to take ES/ENVS 2410 3.00 and ES/ENVS 2420 3.00; further, they are required to take both ES/ENVS 3009 3.00 and ES/ENVS 3010 3.00.

Note 2: Students pursuing the Environmental Landscape Design Certificate are not required to enrol in ES/ENVS 3011 3.00.

Area of Concentration Requirement (at least 12 credits):

Note: Students pursuing the Environmental Landscape Design Certificate must enrol in ES/ENVS 2200 6.00.

Faculty Requirement (27 credits):

A minimum of 27 credits at the 3000 and 4000 level in environmental studies (ENVS) courses in addition to (b) and (c) above. Of these, at least nine credits must be at the 3000 level in the declared area of concentration and at least nine credits must be at the 4000 level in the declared area of concentration. The remaining nine credits will be satisfied by taking ES/ENVS 4000 6.00 and one other three-credit course at the 4000 level. For the course-based option (CBO) students need to take two three-credit 4000-level courses. The course base option courses must be completed after completion of ES/ENVS 3011 3.00.

Note: Students pursuing the Environmental Landscape Design Certificate will fulfill the above faculty requirements by completing 42 credits required for the certificate program.

Out-of-Faculty Elective Requirements (24 credits in student area of concentration):

In addition to the general education requirements, students must take 24 credits of electives outside of the Faculty. These courses are selected in the context of the student's area of concentration and plan of study.

Free Electives:

Students must take up to 27 credits from any undergraduate program (including FES). These courses are selected in the context of the student's area of concentration and plan of study.

Note: Course based option (CBO) courses must be completed after completion of ES/ENVS 3011 3.00.

BES Degree Course Requirements (90 credits)

Students will automatically be placed in the 90-credit bachelor program if they do not achieve or maintain the minimum grade requirements for the Specialized Honours degree program. Students registered for a Specialized Honours degree may choose to graduate with a 90-credit BES if they fulfill that program's requirements.

In order to graduate with a BES degree, a student must successfully complete 90 credits and achieve a satisfactory academic standing, including the requirements as outlined below:

General Education (at least 12 credits):

Following York's philosophy of undergraduate education, BES students are required to study in humanities and the natural sciences.

  • Humanities requirement: The BES humanities requirement can be satisfied by taking ES/ENVS 1800 6.00 or a 1000-level course (at least six credits) from the following: classical studies; English; French studies; history; humanities; languages, literature and linguistics; or philosophy.
  • Science requirement: The natural science requirement is met by taking ES/ENVS 1500 6.00 Introduction to Science for Environmental Studies or a first-year (six-credit) course from the Faculty of Science and Engineering (excluding natural science courses).

Note: Students who declared Environmental Management: Policy, Resources and Conservation as their area of concentration are required to take either ES/ENVS 1500 6.00, or SC/BIOL 1010 6.00 to fulfill their natural science requirement.

Required Core Environmental Studies Courses (15 credits):

or

Note: Students enrolled in the Environmental Management area of concentration are required to take ES/ENVS 2410 3.00 and ES/ENVS 2420 3.00; further, they are required to take both ES/ENVS 3009 3.00 and ES/ENVS 3010 3.00.

Area of Concentration Requirement (at least 12 credits):

Faculty Requirement (24 credits):

A minimum of 24 credits at the 3000 or 4000 level in environmental studies (ENVS) courses in addition to (b) and (c) above. Of these, at least 12 credits must be in the declared area of concentration; the remaining 12 credits must be taken in the context of the plan of study.

Out-of-Faculty Elective Requirements (12 credits):

In addition to the general education requirements, students must take 12 credits of electives outside of the Faculty. These courses are selected in the context of the student's area of concentration and plan of study.

Free Electives:

Students must take up to 15 credits from any undergraduate program (including FES). These courses are selected in the context of the student's area of concentration and plan of study.

Students pursuing the 90-credit bachelor in environmental studies are required to declare an area of concentration. Course selection will be determined through the normal academic advising and plan of study processes.

Honours Double Major, Honours Major/Minor, Concurrent Education Program

In addition to taking courses in the BES program, students may decide to specialize in a specific subject or combination of subjects. The area or primary concentration is known as the major. An area of secondary concentration (if any) is known as the minor. In such cases, an application must be made using the application form available through the Current Students Web site (http://www.yorku.ca/yorkweb/cs.htm). This request is subject to approval by the undergraduate program director and the other academic unit involved. Each program sets the details of the requirements for each double major or minor program in the Faculties of Arts, Fine Arts and Science and Engineering. BES students should consult the York University undergraduate calendar or the York University Web site (http://www.yorku.ca) for specific program requirements.

General Requirements

All students will have a "home" Faculty; students enrolled in the Faculty of Environmental Studies will receive a BES degree upon successful completion of their program; students in the Faculty of Arts will receive a BA; students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering will receive a BSc; and students in the Faculty of Fine Arts will receive a BFA or BA.

All students in these programs must maintain Honours standing; for Faculties of Arts, Fine Arts and Science and Engineering students that will mean a cumulative grade point average of 5.0 (C+) over all courses including those in environmental studies; for Faculty of Environmental Studies students that will mean a cumulative grade point average of 5.0 (C+) over all courses including those in the Faculties of Arts, Fine Arts or Science and Engineering. Students must meet the degree and program requirements of their home Faculty.

Degree Double Major Requirements

For a major in environmental studies, Faculty of Arts students are required to complete seven full courses (42 credits) in environmental studies:

or

Note: Faculty of Arts students in the linked interdisciplinary Science and Society Program are required to complete six full courses (36 credits). Urban studies students who have declared environmental studies as their double major before September 2002 are required to complete 36 credits in environmental studies. Effective September 2002, students who declare environmental studies as a double major with urban studies are required to satisfy the 42 credits requirement listed above.

For further information, please refer to the Faculty of Arts section.

Degree Minor Requirements

For a minor in environmental studies, Faculties of Arts, Fine Arts and Science and Engineering students are required to complete five full courses (30 credits) in environmental studies:

  • ES/ENVS 1000 6.00
  • two full-courses (12 credits) in the "foundations" series at the 2000 level (2100, 2200, 2300 or 2400)
  • six credits at the 3000 level or higher
  • six credits at the 4000 level

Students should be aware that in order to complete the requirements of the honours double major or honours major/minor programs it may be necessary to complete more than 120 credits.

Faculty of Arts

Students in the BES program may apply to pursue an Honours Double Major program or an Honours Major/Minor program in any discipline in the Faculty of Arts, along with their major in environmental studies. Second major programs are available with any seven- or eight-course major discipline in arts, and the linked interdisciplinary Program in Science and Society. Minors may be pursued in several Faculty of Arts programs. For detailed information on requirements and application forms, please consult the York Undergraduate Calendar at http://www.registrar.yorku.ca.

Faculty of Fine Arts

BES students may apply to do a minor in any of the disciplines within the Faculty of Fine Arts with the exception of the Design Program. Students should consult the York Undergraduate Calendar and visit the Faculty of Fine Arts for information on specific programs at http://www.yorku.ca/finearts/.

Faculty of Science and Engineering

BES students who want to integrate their interest in environmental studies with science may apply to pursue an Honours Minor program with biology, chemistry, earth and atmospheric science, or physics and astronomy disciplines in the Faculty of Science and Engineering (FSE). Students who intend to apply to any of these programs must complete relevant science courses in high school and take their University first-year environmental science course from FSE instead of the ES/ENVS 1500 6.00 course offered in FES. For detailed information, please consult the York Undergraduate Calendar at: http://www.registrar.yorku.ca.

Faculty of Education Concurrent Education Program

The Faculty of Education at York University offers the BEd degree in both a Consecutive Program (i.e. requiring a one-year period of study after obtaining a bachelor's degree), and a Concurrent Program, where students who are enrolled in the BES program may apply to co-register in the Faculty of Education.

BES students may apply to enter the Concurrent Program after completing one or two years in the BES program. Candidates admitted to the Concurrent Education Program would add a minimum of one year to their undergraduate studies. Successful candidates then work to complete their BES program in addition to completing their education studies for a bachelor of education degree.

Admission Requirements for the Concurrent Education Program:

  • completion of a minimum of four full courses of a first year of undergraduate studies or the equivalent, by April 30; and
  • a minimum of six full courses left to complete the student's academic degree; and/or
  • a minimum C+ overall average or Honours standing and admission and enrolment in an undergraduate program (in this case the BES program).

Successful co-registrants are usually selected on the basis of education-related experience, references, university grade point averages and individual interviews. Applications should be directed to the Faculty of Education, Office of Student Programs, 8th floor, Ross Building. The application deadline is in early March of each year.

For further information, please visit the Faculty of Education Web site, at: http://www.edu.yorku.ca/academicprograms/.

 

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last modified:
January 28, 2011

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