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Environmental Studies – Honours Double Major, Honours Major/Minor, Concurrent Education Program

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In addition to taking courses in the BES program, students have the opportunity to 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 Program Change Request, available on the Program Change Web page at http://www.registrar.yorku.ca/program/change/index.htm. This request is subject to approval based on your current academic standing. Each program sets the requirements for each double major or minor program with options available in the Faculties of Fine Arts, Health, Liberal Arts and Professional Studies and Science and Engineering. BES students should consult the York University Undergraduate Calendar or the York University website (http://www.yorku.ca) for specific program requirements.

General Requirements

Regardless of the type of combination degree that is sought, Honours Double Major or Honours Major/Minor, 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 Liberal Arts and Professional Studies will receive a BA; students in the Faculty of Fine Arts will receive a BFA or BA; students in the Faculty of Health will receive a BA or BSc and students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering will receive a BSc.

All students in these programs must maintain Honours standing; for Faculties of Fine Arts, Health, Liberal Arts and Professional Studies or Science and Engineering that will mean a cumulative grade point average of 5.00 (C+) over all courses including those in environmental studies; for Faculty of Environmental Studies students that will mean a cumulative grade point average of 5.00 (C+) over all courses including those in the Faculties of Fine Arts, Health, Liberal Arts and Professional Studies or Science and Engineering. Students must meet the degree and program requirements of their home Faculty.

Degree Double Major Requirements in Environmental Studies

Students whose home Faculty is Health or Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, who want to pursue a major in environmental studies are required to complete 42 credits in environmental studies:

or

Note: Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies 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.

Degree Minor Requirements in Environmental Studies

Students whose home Faculty is Fine Arts, Health, Liberal Arts and Professional Studies or Science and Engineering, who want to pursue a minor in environmental studies, are required to complete 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

In a major/minor program a course can count only once towards a major or minor credit.

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.

Second Major/Minor Options for BES Students

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 Health Studies

Faculty of Environmental Studies students pursuing an Honours Major in environmental studies may combine their program with an Honours Double Major or an Honours Major/Minor program with the Faculty of Health, subject to the following regulations.

Honours Double Major options may be pursued with the Faculty of Environmental Studies in the following Faculty of Health BA programs:

  • Kinesiology and Health Science
  • Psychology

Honours Minor options may be pursued with the Faculty of Environmental Studies in the following Faculty of Health BA programs:

  • Health Policy
  • Health Management
  • Health Informatics
  • Kinesiology and Health Science
  • Psychology

Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies

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

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 with the following Faculty of Science and Engineering programs:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Earth and Atmospheric Science
  • Mathematics
  • Physics and Astronomy

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 Faculty of Science and Engineering 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/calendars/.

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 coregister 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:

  • You must have a minimum of 24 credits (four full courses) of the first year of undergraduate studies or the equivalent or have a minimum of 36 credits (six full courses) left to complete your academic degree.
  • You must have a minimum C+ overall average or Honours standing, and be admitted to and continuing in an undergraduate program (in this case, Environmental Studies).
  • Selection is based on grade point average, related experience (as a classroom volunteer, coach, mentor, tutor etc.), a personal statement, an interview and two letters of reference.

Successful coregistrants 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. The application deadline is in early March of each year.

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