Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Graduate Program Coordinator: Dr. Zoë Meletis
ESM: Ecosystem Science and Management
GEES: Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences
ORTM: Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management
SPS: School of Planning and Sustainability
Biology
Darwyn Coxson, Professor (ESM)
Russell Dawson, Professor (ESM)
Dezene Huber, Professor (ESM)
Christopher Johnson, Professor (ESM)
Kathy Lewis, Professor (ESM)
Brent Murray, Professor (ESM)
Ken Otter, Professor (ESM)
Ellen Petticrew, Professor and FRBC Endowed Chair in Landscape Ecology (GEES)
Mark Shrimpton, Professor (ESM)
Oscar Venter, Professor and FRBC/West Fraser Endowed Chair in Conservation Solutions (ESM)
Erin Baerwald, Associate Professor (ESM)
Ché Elkin, Associate Professor and FRBC/Slocan Endowed Chair in Mixedwood Ecology and Management (ESM)
Scott Green, Associate Professor (ESM)
Eduardo Martins, Associate Professor (ESM)
Lisa Wood, Associate Professor (ESM)
Samuel Bartels, Assistant Professor (ESM)
Heather Bryan, Associate Professor and Ian McTaggart Cowan Muskwa-Kechika Research Professor (ESM)
Jonathan Cale, Assistant Professor (ESM)
Michael Preston, Assistant Professor (ESM)
Environmental Science
Annie Booth, Professor (ESM)
Darwyn Coxson, Professor (ESM)
Stephen Déry, Professor and NSERC/Rio Tinto Industrial Research Chair in Climate Change and Water Security (GEES)
Peter Jackson, Professor (GEES)
Jianbing Li, Professor (Engineering)
Brian Menounos, Professor (GEES)
Philip Owens, Professor and FRBC Endowed Chair in Landscape Ecology (GEES)
Ellen Petticrew, Professor and FRBC Endowed Chair in Landscape Ecology (GEES)
Youmin Tang, Professor (GEES)
Thomas Tannert, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Tall Wood and Hybrid Structures Engineering (Engineering)
Ron Thring, Professor (Engineering)
Oscar Venter, Professor and FRBC/West Fraser Endowed Chair in Conservation Solutions (ESM)
Todd Whitcombe, Professor (Chemistry)
Ché Elkin, Associate Professor and FRBC/Slocan Endowed Chair in Mixedwood Ecology and Management (ESM)
Karima Fredj, Associate Professor (Economics)
Steve Helle, Associate Professor (Engineering)
Hossein Kazemian, Associate Professor (GEES)
Eduardo Martins, Associate Professor (ESM)
Joseph Shea, Associate Professor (GEES)
Lisa Wood, Associate Professor (ESM)
Theresa Adesanya, Assistant Professor (GEES)
Faran Ali, Assistant Professor (GEES)
June Garcia-Becerra, Assistant Professor (Engineering)
Oliver Iorhemen, Assistant Professor (Engineering)
Siraj ul Islam, Assistant Professor (GEES)
Michael Preston, Assistant Professor (ESM)
Wenbo Zhang, Assistant Professor (Engineering)
Tom Pypker, Adjunct Professor (ESM)
John Rex, Adjunct Professor (GEES)
Forestry
Ian Hartley, Professor (ESM)
Dezene Huber, Professor (ESM)
Christopher Johnson, Professor (ESM)
Kathy Lewis, Professor (ESM)
Thomas Tannert, Professor and Canada Research Chair in Tall Wood and Hybrid Structures Engineering (Engineering)
Ron Thring, Professor (Engineering)
Oscar Venter, Professor and FRBC/West Fraser Endowed Chair in Conservation Solutions (ESM)
Erin Baerwald, Associate Professor (ESM)
Ché Elkin, Associate Professor and FRBC/Slocan Endowed Chair in Mixedwood Ecology and Management (ESM)
Scott Green, Associate Professor (ESM)
Asif Iqbal, Associate Professor (Engineering)
Lisa Wood, Associate Professor (ESM)
Jianhui Zhou, Associate Professor (Engineering)
Samuel Bartels, Assistant Professor (ESM)
Jonathan Cale, Assistant Professor (ESM)
Fei Tong, Assistant Professor (Engineering)
Tom Pypker, Adjunct Professor (ESM)
Geography
Peter Jackson, Professor (GEES)
Brian Menounos, Professor (GEES)
Philip Owens, Professor and FRBC Endowed Chair in Landscape Ecology (GEES)
Margot Parkes, Professor (Health Sciences and Northern Medical Program)
Ellen Petticrew, Professor and FRBC Endowed Chair in Landscape Ecology (GEES)
Jueyi Sui, Professor (Engineering)
Youmin Tang, Professor (GEES)
Roger Wheate, Professor (GEES)
Tristan Pearce, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Cumulative Impacts of Environmental Change (GEES)
Joseph Shea, Associate Professor (GEES)
Faran Ali, Assistant Professor (GEES)
Siraj ul Islam, Assistant Professor (GEES)
Fei Tong, Assistant Professor (Engineering)
John Rex, Adjunct Professor (GEES)
Outdoor Recreation, Conservation and Tourism
Philip Mullins, Associate Professor (ORTM)
Jennifer Wigglesworth, Assistant Professor (ORTM)
Website: www.unbc.ca/nres-graduate-program
Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (NRES) is one stream of the Master of Science degree in the Faculty of Environment. This degree is designed for candidates whose research interests have a scientific emphasis and students from science disciplines such as biology, forestry, environmental science, and physical geography, as well as other scientifically oriented areas of resource management. Students studying within the NRES stream will, upon successful completion of the degree requirements outlined herein, obtain a MSc (NRES).
Students must choose from the following areas of study:
- Biology
- Environmental Science
- Forestry
- Geography
- Outdoor Recreation, Conservation and Tourism
All students must complete Graduate Colloquia NRES 701-0.5 twice during their course of studies, NRES 700-3 and a research methods course approved by their supervisor and the coordinator of the NRES graduate program.
Candidates must complete a minimum of 6 elective credit hours at the graduate level (i.e., at or above the 600 level), selected from the science courses available at UNBC or courses that emphasize a scientific orientation to natural resource issues. A maximum of 3 credit hours from independent studies can be counted towards the elective requirement. Specific details of coursework are determined by the research area chosen by each student.
The supervisory committee will ensure the appropriate selection of elective courses, and may require a student to complete more than 6 elective credit hours if, for example, weaknesses in the student’s background exist (including undergraduate prerequisites for graduate courses) or if additional courses are required for professional accreditation.
The MSc (NRES) also requires the completion of a research thesis (NRES 790-12) in which the student makes a scientific contribution to a traditional science field or to an applied understanding of resources and the environment. Students are required to (a) make an oral presentation of the thesis proposal to the supervisory committee, (b) write an original thesis based on the research completed (in accordance with established UNBC guidelines), (c) give a public lecture on the completed thesis, and (d) present an oral defense of the thesis to the examining committee. All core and elective course requirements must have been satisfied prior to the oral defense.
Summary
| Core Courses | 4 credit hours |
| Methods Course | 3 credit hours |
| Elective Courses | 6 credit hours |
| MSc Thesis | 12 credit hours |
| Total Required | 25 credit hours |
Recommended Progression
The normal time for completion of the MSc is two academic years. While this is the recommended timeline, it may be adjusted at the discretion of the supervisory committee to suit a particular student’s research and program needs.
Research in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies (NRES 700-3) is offered annually in the September Semester. Students normally enroll in this course in Year I of their program. This timing allows students to pursue their area of specialization with a methods course or elective courses during the September Semester, in order to develop an interest-specific framework within which to pose methodological questions for the thesis proposal.
The Graduate Colloquia (NRES 701-0.5) is offered during all September and January Semesters. Students are expected to enroll in this course, which lasts two semesters, once during their degree program.
Electives and the required methods course may be taken at any time during Years I and II. The sequencing of electives is determined by the student in discussion with the supervisory committee. Over the September and January Semesters of Year I, the student, under the direction of the supervisory committee, will develop a thesis proposal. By the end of the second semester, the student should have successfully defended their thesis proposal to the supervisory committee, allowing the student to undertake the collection of data during the summer of Year I. The student is expected to have successfully defended the thesis by the end of Year II.
Admission, Regulations and Committee Structures
Admission Requirements
In addition to the admission application requirements outlined in General Admission of the Graduate Academic Calendar, acceptance to the MSc program will be contingent upon the prospective student finding a member of the faculty to serve as their supervisor. Applicants must also provide a completed Continuing Teaching Assistantship Application and a completed Funding Worksheet. Both forms are included with the application material for this program. Normally, at least two of the three letters of recommendation, exclusive of any letter provided by an intended supervisor, must be from individuals who are able to comment on the applicant’s academic and research potential.
Application deadlines are found online at: www.unbc.ca/admissions/graduate. The Natural Resources and Environmental Studies MSc Program accepts students for the September, January, and May Semesters.
For additional information about graduate admissions or to download application materials, go to the Office of Graduate Administration website at www.unbc.ca/graduate-administration.
Transfer Students
Upon the recommendation of the program concerned, the Dean may accept courses taken at other institutions for credit toward a UNBC graduate program.
Normal Time Required for Completion
Normally, the degree should be completed in two years or less. Students may take longer to complete the degree depending on their personal circumstances, and the nature of their research.
Committee Structure
Students will be advised by a supervisory committee consisting of at least three members, including the academic supervisor who will normally serve as the Chair of the committee. At least one of the committee members must be from outside of the student’s program. The committee will be struck during the student’s first term of study.
Updated: July 26, 2024