Bachelor in Environmental Studies (BES) Program Vision Statement and Learning Objectives

Vision Statement

The BES program provides a well-rounded and interdisciplinary education in various fields relating to natural, built and social environments. The program is designed to equip students with the knowledge, critical understanding and capacity to deal effectively yet sensitively with complex environmental and social challenges arising at the local, regional, national and/or global scale.

The BES program introduces students to the relationships between the exploitation of the natural world and justice issues related to class exploitation, racism, homophobia and gender inequity. Aware of the growing interdependencies of human and natural life worlds in a globalized environment, the Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) believes that non-Western and Indigenous perspectives are essential to a fruitful discussion of all environmental issues. To that end, faculty members strive to include a broad range of perspectives in their course offerings.

In this light, the BES program is committed to preparing students to take action on critical environmental issues. Students are encouraged to explore alternatives, strategies and action related to social and environmental change. Our specific commitments include:

• interdisciplinary expertise to critically understand and address environmental problems;
• opportunities to develop both specific skills and in-depth learning;
• a wide range of courses covering the humanities, social sciences and environmental science;
• an outlook that includes local and global, historical and contemporary, and philosophical and applied questions;
• an emphasis on bringing theoretical and practical matters together in the classroom;
• the knowledge and skills needed for graduate studies and environmental careers (e.g. community arts, environmental education, urban design and planning, climate change policy, human/gender rights, green business, international development policy, environmental conservation and management).

Learning Objectives

• to provide a well-rounded and interdisciplinary education in various fields relating to natural, built, organizational and social environments;
• to be exposed to a wide range of perspectives from the humanities, social sciences and environmental science, including issues relating to environmental ethics, class, racialization, Indigeneity, sexual orientation and gender;
• to develop both specific skills and in-depth learning, and acquire analytical and critical skills;
• to develop an outlook that includes local and global, historical and contemporary, and philosophical and applied questions; and
• to acquire the knowledge and skills needed for environmental careers and graduate studies.

BES Program Structure

The Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES) offers both the Specialized Honours BES program (120 credits) and the BES program (90 credits). Environmental studies at FES is a combination of core courses and four distinct academic and professional areas of concentration:

• environment and culture: philosophy, arts, technology and education;
• urban and regional environments: analysis, planning and design;
• environmental politics: development, globalization and justice;
• environmental management: policy, resources and conservation.

A coherent set of core courses, area of concentration courses and elective courses provides a well-rounded education in various fields relating to natural, built, organizational and social environments. Faculty members come from a wide range of backgrounds including political science, ecology, planning, philosophy, sociology, geography, economics, education, architecture and anthropology. All share a commitment to exploring the complex questions and solutions of the human and environmental challenges facing the world.

In the first two years of the program, students take required courses that introduce them to the wide range of environmental studies while building critical academic and practical knowledge, including research, writing, analytical and communication skills. During the latter half of the first year, students start thinking about areas of concentration within the BES program they are interested in. In the second year, students choose at least two foundation courses that are associated with the areas of concentration in which they wish to pursue in more detail in subsequent years in the BES program. A specific set of courses is associated with each area of concentration. The course selections within a given area of concentration are designed to give structure and focus to a student's program. The course selection process is supported through the completion of a program checklist that is completed on the basis of individual preferences and consultation with the BES program adviser.