Skip to main content

Environmental Studies – BES Program Areas of Concentration

Print

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:

Nine credits at the 4000 level from the following list:

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:

Nine credits at the 4000 level from the following list:

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:

Nine credits at the 4000 level from the following list:

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:

Nine credits at the 4000 level from the following list:

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.