Environmental Studies – BES Program Areas of Concentration |
The BES program's four areas of concentration reflect the Faculty’s broad understanding of environmental studies. Their coherence is established with scholarly, professional and pragmatic considerations. Students use these areas of concentration to help define their own path through the program.
Environment and Culture: Arts, Philosophy, and Technology and Education
This area focuses on the conceptual, historical and cultural roots of human/nature relations and on diverse ways of understanding, expressing and engaging these relations through environmental arts, education, literature, philosophy and other cultural and technological interventions.
Sample topics include:
- environmental ethics and philosophy
- environmental and sustainability education
- environment, media and communication
- human and other animal relations
- science, technology and the environment
- environmental literatures
- community arts
Required course:
Nine credits at the 3000 level from the following list:
- ES/ENVS 3000 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3120 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3122 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3125 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3140 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3150 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3151 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3160 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3170 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3230 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3320 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3450 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3800R 3.00
Nine credits at the 4000 level from the following list:
- ES/ENVS 4011 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4100 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4120 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4122 6.00
- ES/ENVS 4140 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4161 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4205 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4215 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4320 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4420 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4421 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4750 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4810A 6.00
Note: ES/ENVS 3900 and/or ES/ENVS 4900 directed reading/study courses do not fulfill the area of concentration requirements, unless prior approval is received by the undergraduate program director.
Urban and Regional Environments: Analysis, Planning and Design
This area of concentration focuses on the interrelationships of the ecological, social, built and organizational environments within the urban and regional setting. It is the intention of this area to provide a critical understanding of urban and regional environments incorporated at different scales of build environments, spanning site-specific to global perspectives. By doing this students will attain a thorough knowledge of the alternative and transformative-based theories, histories and current issues of urbanization and regionalization and their effect on environments, but also learn practical methods of analysis and intervention in different human settlements.
Sample topics include:
- migration and settlement
- urbanization and the urban process
- environmental design/landscape design
- urban sustainability
- urban governance and regulation
- global cities and global urbanization
- urban social and environmental movements
- urban and regional planning
- healthy and sustainable community development
- urban social relations (class, race, gender)
- Native/Canadian relations
Required course:
Nine credits at the 3000 level from the following list:
- ES/ENVS 3151 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3222 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3225 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3226 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3227 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3230 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3520 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3710 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3740 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3760 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3891 3.00
Nine credits at the 4000 level from the following list:
- ES/ENVS 4210 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4220 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4223 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4225 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4230 6.00
- ES/ENVS 4421 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4440 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4442 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4520 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4700 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4750 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4800Q 3.00
Note: ES/ENVS 3900 and/or ES/ENVS 4900 directed reading/study courses do not fulfill the area of concentration requirements, unless prior approval is received by the undergraduate program director.
Environmental Politics: Development, Globalization and Justice
Communities and environments are being dramatically transformed by the globalization of economies and cultures. This area is concerned with the analysis of these forces and possible responses to them at local, regional, national and international levels. It involves exploring competing approaches to development, politics and justice that are being formulated and put into practice by a variety of social groups, communities, NGOs, governments, corporations and international organizations.
Sample topics include:
- economic globalization
- international development
- sustainable development
- gender and development
- human rights and refugee studies
- climate change
- green international business
- culture and global media
Required course:
Nine credits at the 3000 level from the following list:
- ES/ENVS 3151 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3160 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3340 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3410 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3420 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3450 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3510 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3800R 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3800S 3.00
Nine credits at the 4000 level from the following list:
- ES/ENVS 4011 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4161 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4205 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4210 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4215 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4220 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4223 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4312 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4315 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4320 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4410 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4421 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4440 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4510 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4750 3.00
Note: ES/ENVS 3900 and/or ES/ENVS 4900 directed reading/study courses do not fulfill the area of concentration requirements, unless prior approval is received by the undergraduate program director.
Environmental Management: Policy, Resources and Conservation
This area examines the origins and nature of environmental challenges facing society and explores ways of addressing these challenges through scientific, socio-economic and policy approaches. It is concerned with existing and emerging strategies for both preventing and managing the impacts of human activities on the natural world, but with critical perspectives on effectiveness of these strategies and encouragement to think and act creatively. It provides concepts, knowledge and skills needed to be effectively engaged in a variety of environmental issues in government, business or not-for-profit sectors.
Sample topics include:
- ecology and conservation
- environmental assessment
- resource management
- environmental monitoring and auditing
- energy and the environment
- environment and health
Required courses:
Nine credits at the 3000 level from the following list:
- ES/ENVS 3110 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3130 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3230 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3310 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3400 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3410 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3420 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3430 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3440 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3450 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3505 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3510 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3520 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3521 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3800R 3.00
- ES/ENVS 3800S 3.00
Nine credits at the 4000 level from the following list:
- ES/ENVS 4041 6.00
- ES/ENVS 4110 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4111 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4230 6.00
- ES/ENVS 4400 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4401 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4402 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4410 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4421 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4430 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4440 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4442 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4446 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4447 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4510 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4520 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4521 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4523 3.00
- ES/ENVS 4810A 6.00
Note: ES/ENVS 3900 and/or ES/ENVS 4900 directed reading/study courses do not fulfill the area of concentration requirements, unless prior approval is received by the undergraduate program director.