Environmental and Sustainability Studies (BA Program)

Tara Lynne Clapp, Associate Professor and Chair
Annie Booth, Professor
Zoë Meletis, Associate Professor
Sinead Earley, Assistant Professor

Website: www.unbc.ca/environmental-studies

Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies (BA)
Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies (BA) (Okanagan Diploma in Environmental Studies Degree Completion)
Joint Major in English and Environmental and Sustainability Studies (BA)
Joint Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Political Science (BA)
Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Minor in Global Environmental Change
Minor in Social Dimensions of Natural Resources Management
Area of Specialization - Global Environmental Studies
Area of Specialization - Communities and Environmental Citizenship
Area of Specialization - Natural Resource Management
Area of Specialization - Indigenous Perspectives
Area of Specialization - Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity


Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

The Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Sustainability Studies emphasizes a social science and humanities perspective on environmental and sustainability challenges and opportunities. The program provides a strong philosophical, social and scientific basis for understanding the full diversity of environmental and sustainability issues, and positions students to be effective agents of social and environmental innovation, who can promote mitigation of, and/or adaptation to, environmental challenges. An understanding of the foundations of environmental citizenship is emphasized. The degree offers students substantial opportunity for experiential learning through a number of courses.

Students must complete the common degree requirements, the requirements of the Area of Specialization, and elective credit hours in any subject as necessary to ensure completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours including any additional credit hours necessary to meet the Academic Breadth requirement of the University (see Undergraduate Academic Regulation on Academic Breadth).

Program Requirements

Lower-Division Requirement

100 Level

BIOL 110-3 Introductory Ecology
CHEM 110-3 Chemistry of Everyday Life
     or CHEM 100-3 General Chemistry I
     or ENSC 201-3 Weather and Climate
     or ENSC 202-3 Introduction to Aquatic Systems
     or PHYS 150-3 Physics for Future Leaders
ENVS 101-3 Introduction to Environmental Citizenship
FNST 100-3 The Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
GEOG 101-3 Planet Earth
    or ENPL 104-3 Introduction to Planning
POLS 100-3 Contemporary Political Issues

Note:  CPSC 150-3 (Computer Applications) is recommended for students without computing experience.

200 Level

ENGL 270-3 Expository Writing
      or ENGL 271-3 Introduction to Creative Writing
ENVS 210-3 Environmental Perspectives
ENVS 230-3 Introduction to Environmental Policy
GEOG 202-3 Resources, Economies, and Sustainability
      or ORTM 200-3 Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
GEOG 204-3 Introduction to GIS

Upper-Division Requirement

300 Level

ENVS 309-3 Gender, Environment and Sustainability
ENVS 326-3 Public Engagement for Sustainability
ENVS 339-3 Low-Carbon Transitions: Theory and Practice
NREM 303-3 Aboriginal Perspectives on Land and Resource Management

400 Level

ENPL 401-3 Environmental Law
ENVS 414-3 Environmental and Professional Ethics
ENVS 431-3 Global Environmental Policy: Energy and Climate
ENVS 480-3 Environmental and Sustainability Studies Senior Seminar
GEOG 401-3 Tenure, Conflict, and Resource Geography
   or FNST 306-3 Indigenous Women: Perspectives
   or FNST 407-3 First Nations Perspectives on Race, Class, Gender and Power
   or FNST 416-3 Indigenous Issues in International Perspective
   or FNST 444-3 Experiential Course in First Nations Studies
   or GEOG 306-3 Critical Development Geographies
GEOG 420-3 Environmental Justice
   or GEOG 305-3 Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making
PSYC 408-3 Environmental Problems and Human Behaviour 
  or ANTH 312-3 Human Adaptability and Environmental Stress
   or ANTH 405-3 Landscapes, Place and Culture
   or ANTH 413-3 Environmental Anthropology

Areas of Specialization

Students must choose one of the following Areas of Specialization. Courses used to fulfill major requirements above may not be used to satisfy an Area of Specialization requirement. 

1. Global Environmental Studies

2. Communities and Environmental Citizenship

3. Natural Resource Management

4. Indigenous Perspectives

5. Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity

 Global Environmental Studies

Required

GEOG 206-3 Social Geography
INTS 100-3 Introduction to Global Studies

Eight of the following:

GEOG 305-3 Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making (if NOT taken as a requirement for the major)
GEOG 306-3 Critical Development Geographies
GEOG 307-3 Changing Arctic: Human and Environmental System
GEOG 426-3 Geographies of Culture, Rights and Power
Any INTS 3-credit language course  
INTS 210-3 Globalizations
NORS 101-3 Introduction to the Circumpolar North 
NORS 311-3 Lands and Environments of the Circumpolar North 1 
NORS 331-3 Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar North 1

Communities and Environmental Citizenship

Required

ENPL 301-3 Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology 
      or POLS 332-3 Community Development
GEOG 206-3 Social Geography

Seven of the following: 

COMM 100-3 Introduction to Canadian Business 
COMM 230-3 Organizational Behaviour 
ENPL 205-3 Environment and Society
ENPL 304-4 Community Engagement and Inclusion Studio
ENPL 313-3 Rural Community Economic Development (CED)
FNST 217-3 Contemporary Challenges Facing Aboriginal Communities
FNST 407-3 First Nations Perspectives on Race, Class, Gender and Power 
GEOG 209-3 Migration and Development
GEOG 305-3 Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making
GEOG 307-3 Changing Arctic: Human and Environmental Systems
GEOG 308-3 Health Geography
NREM 110-3 Food, Agriculture, and Society
ORTM 100-3 Foundations of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
ORTM 200-3 Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
POLS 316-3 Municipal Government and Politics

Natural Resource Management

Students should note that some of these courses have prerequisites. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they have completed these prerequisites.

Required

NREM 100-3 Field Skills
NREM 101-3 Introduction to Natural Resources Management and Conservation
NREM 209-3 The Practice of Conservation
ORTM 100-3 Foundations of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

One of the following:

FNST 203-3 Introduction to Traditional Ecological Knowledge
GEOG 205-3 Cartography and Geomatics
NREM 203-3 Resource Inventories and Measurements
NREM 210-4 Integrated Resource Management
ORTM 200-3 Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism

Five of the following:

ENPL 304-4 Community Engagement and Inclusion Studio
NREM 333-3 Field Applications in Resource Management
NREM 400-3 Natural Resources Planning
NREM 409-3 Conservation Planning
ORTM 300-3 Recreation and Tourism Impacts
ORTM 305-3 Protected Area Planning and Management
ORTM 400-3 Conservation Area Design and Management
POLS 315-3 Contemporary Issues in the Circumpolar World

 Indigenous Perspectives

Required
Three of the following:

ANTH 206-3 Ethnography of Northern British Columbia
FNST 217-3 Contemporary Challenges Facing Aboriginal Communities
FNST 249-3 Aboriginal Resource Planning
GEOG 206-3 Social Geography

Six of the following:

BIOL 350-3 Ethnobotany
ENPL 208-4 Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio 
ENPL 409-4 Indigenous Planning Studio
Any FNST 3-credit language course  
Any FNST 3-credit culture course  
FNST 300-3 Research Methods in First Nations Studies
FNST 303-3 First Nations Religion and Philosophy
FNST 306-3 Indigenous Women: Perspectives
FNST 350-3 Law and Indigenous Peoples
FNST 407-3 First Nations Perspectives on Race, Class, Gender and Power
FNST 416-3 Indigenous Issues in International Perspective
FNST 444-3 Experiential Course in First Nations Studies
FNST 451-3 Traditional Use Studies
GEOG 403-3 Indigenous Geographies of Climate Resilience
HIST 390-3 History of Indigenous People of Canada

Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity

Required

GEOG 203-3 Canada: Places, Cultures and Identities
WMST 303-3 Lesbian and Bisexual Lives

One of the following:

ANTH 401-3 Anthropological Perspectives on Inequality
GEOG 420-3 Environmental Justice (if NOT taken as part of the Major’s requirements)
POLS 413-3 Democracy and Diversity

Two of the following:

FNST 306-3 Indigenous Women: Perspectives
WMST 103-3 Introduction to Gender Studies
WMST 209-3 Gender and Cultural Studies: An Introduction

Three of the following:

ENPL 208-4 Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio 
FNST 217-3 Contemporary Challenges Facing Aboriginal Communities
FNST 312-3 Image of the Indian in Film
FNST 350-3 Law and Indigenous Peoples

One of the following:

GEOG 209-3 Migration and Development
GEOG 306-3 Critical Development Geographies
POLS 377-3 Politics of Climate Change

Electives and Academic Breadth Requirement
Elective credit hours are required as necessary to ensure completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours, including any additional credits necessary to meet the Academic Breadth requirement of the University (See Academic Regulation on Academic Breadth). Electives may be at any level in any subject sufficient to ensure completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours.

Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies (Okanagan Diploma in Environmental Studies Degree Completion)

This 60 credit-hour program of study is available only to students from Okanagan College with a diploma in Environmental Studies (Environmental Management Option or Interdisciplinary Environmental Arts Option).
If the diploma in Environmental Studies is completed, with the course choices noted*, the completion of the following courses through UNBC will result in the completion of the BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies.

*Note: Students must take Okanagan College's PHIL 251 Environmental Ethics, WMST 222 Ecofeminism and GEOG 210 Introduction to Environmental Issues, GEOG 311 Environmental Management and INDG 204 Indigenous Concepts and Frameworks as part of their course choices at Okanagan College, or additional UNBC courses meeting these requirements are required.

Degree requirements:
Diploma in Environmental Studies from Okanagan College, minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.00, plus 36 credit hours
Area of Specialization: 24-29 credit hours
Elective credit hours in any subject as necessary to ensure completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours at UNBC.

Curriculum

Lower-Division Requirement

BIOL 110-3 * Introductory Ecology
     or POLS 100-3 Contemporary Political Issues
ENVS 101-3 Introduction to Environmental Citizenship
ENVS 210-3 Environmental Perspectives

*Students who have completed the Interdisciplinary Arts diploma option should take BIOL 110, and students who have completed the Environmental Management diploma option should take POLS 100.

Upper-Division Requirement

300 Level

ENVS 326-3 Public Engagement for Sustainability
ENVS 339-3 Low-Carbon Transitions: Theory and Practice

400 Level

ENPL 401-3 Environmental Law
ENVS 431-3 Global Environmental Policy: Energy and Climate
ENVS 440-3 Internship
ENVS 480-3 Environmental and Sustainability Studies Senior Seminar
GEOG 401-3 Tenure, Conflict, and Resource Geography
     or GEOG 306-3 Critical Development Geographies
     or FNST 306-3 Indigenous Women: Perspectives
     or FNST 407-3 First Nations Perspectives on Race, Class, Gender and Power
     or FNST 416-3 Indigenous Issues in International Perspective
     or FNST 444-3 Experiential Course in First Nations Studies

Total: 30 credit hours

Students must complete an Area of Specialization. Area of Specialization requirements may be reduced by 6 credit hours (with the exception of the Natural Resource Management Area of Specialization), depending on what has been completed through the Okanagan College Diploma.

Area of Specialization

Students must choose one of the following areas of specialization.

  1. Global Environmental Studies
  2. Communities and Environmental Citizenship
  3. Natural Resource Management
  4. Indigenous Perspectives

Courses used to fulfill major requirements above may not be used to fulfill an Area of Specialization requirement.


Joint Major in English and Environmental and Sustainability Studies (BA)

See Calendar Entry under English

Joint Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Political Science (BA)

The Joint Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Political Science is for students who want both a broad understanding of environmental issues and the political knowledge needed to respond to those issues. The minimum requirement for completion of a Bachelor of Arts with a Joint Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies and Political Science is 120 credit hours.

Program Requirements

Lower-Division Requirement

BIOL 110-3 Introduction to Ecology
     or NREM 101-3 Introduction to Natural Resources Management and Conservation
ENVS 101-3 Introduction to Environmental Citizenship
ENVS 210-3 Environmental Perspectives
ENVS 230-3 Introduction to Environmental Policy
FNST 100-3 The Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
GEOG 101-3 Planet Earth
GEOG 202-3 Resources, Economies, and Sustainability
    or ORTM 200-3 Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
GEOG 204-3 Introduction to GIS
INTS 100-3 Introduction to Global Studies
POLS 100-3 Contemporary Political Issues
POLS 200-3 Canadian Government and Politics
POLS 202-3 Canada in Comparative Perspective
POLS 270-3 Political Philosophy: Antiquity to Early Modernity

Upper-Division Requirement

ANTH 405-3 Landscapes, Place and Culture
   or ANTH 413-3 Environmental Anthropology
ENPL 401-3 Environmental Law
ENVS 309-3 Gender, Environment and Sustainability
  or GEOG 305-3 Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making
  or GEOG 420-3 Environmental Justice
ENVS 326-3 Public Engagement for Sustainability
ENVS 414-3 Environmental and Professional Ethics
ENVS 431-3 Global Environmental Policy: Energy and Climate
ENVS 480-3 Environmental and Sustainability Studies Senior Seminar
NREM 303-3 Aboriginal Perspectives on Land and Resource Management
NREM 306-3 Society, Policy and Administration
  or POLS 344-3 Society, Policy and Administration of Natural Resources
POLS 302-3 How Government Works
  or POLS 320-3 Canadian Politics and Policy
POLS 303-3 Democracy and Democratization
POLS 370-3 Political Philosophy: Early Modernity to Post-Modernity
  or POLS 372-3 Theories of Justice
POLS 377-3 Politics of Climate Change
POLS 413-3 Democracy and Diversity
   or POLS 415-3 Comparative Northern Development
POLS 472-3 Seminar in Political Philosophy
PSYC 408-3 Environmental Problems and Human Behaviour
    or ANTH 312-3 Human Adaptability and Environmental Stress

Elective and Academic Breadth Requirement
Students must take electives at any level in any subject sufficient to ensure completion of a minimum of 120 credit hours, including taking any additional credits necessary to meet the Academic Breadth requirement of the University (see Academic Regulation on Academic Breadth).


Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

The minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies offers an opportunity for students in other disciplines to learn how individual lives are connected with environmental systems, and to gain understanding and perspective on key environmental and sustainability issues.

A maximum of two courses (6 credit hours) used to fulfill program requirements for a major or another minor may also be used to fulfill requirements for a minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. The minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies requires the completion of 18 credit hours, 12 of which must be at the upper-division level.

Required

ENVS 101-3 Introduction to Environmental Citizenship
ENVS 230-3 Introduction to Environmental Policy
ENVS 414-3 Environmental and Professional Ethics

Three of the following:

ENPL 301-3 Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology
ENPL 401-3 Environmental Law 
ENVS 210-3 Environmental Perspectives
ENVS 309-3 Gender, Environment and Sustainability
ENVS 326-3 Public Engagement for Sustainability
ENVS 431-3 Global Environmental Policy: Energy and Climate
FNST 304-3 Indigenous Environmental Philosophy
GEOG 305-3 Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making
GEOG 401-3 Tenure, Conflict, and Resource Geography 
GEOG 420-3 Environmental Justice 
NREM 303-3 Aboriginal Perspectives on Land and Resource Management
PSYC 408-3 Environmental Problems and Human Behaviour 


Minor in Global Environmental Change

The Global Environmental Change minor offers students a well-rounded perspective on global change issues. The minor  encompasses the science of global change and change predictions, the political realities of environmental change, and the way policy intersects with science.

The Global Environmental Change minor requires the completion of 21 credit hours, 12 of which must be at the upper-division level. A maximum of two courses (6 credit hours) used to fulfill program requirements for a major or another minor may also be used to fulfill requirements for the Global Environmental Change minor.

Required Courses

ENVS 210-3 Environmental Perspectives
ENVS 431-3 Global Environmental Policy: Energy and Climate

Two of the following: 

BIOL 110-3 Introductory Ecology 
    or BIOL 201-3  Ecology
BIOL 404-3 Plant Ecology
ENSC 201-3 Weather and Climate
ENSC 308-3 Northern Contaminated Environments
ENSC 312-3 Biometeorology
ENSC 408-3 Storms
ENSC 412-3 Air Pollution
GEOG 357-3 Introduction to Remote Sensing

 Three of the following:

ECON 305-3 Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy
ENPL 205-3 Environment and Society
ENPL 301-3 Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology
ENPL 305-3 Environmental Impact Assessment
ENPL 401-3 Environmental Law
ENVS 230-3 Introduction to Environmental Policy
GEOG 305-3 Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making
GEOG 401-3 Tenure, Conflict, and Resource Geography
GEOG 420-3 Environmental Justice
HIST 360-3 An Introduction to Environmental History
HIST 421-(3-6) Topics in Environmental History
INTS 100-3 Introduction to Global Studies
INTS 300-3 International Organization
ORTM 200-3  Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
POLS 100-3 Contemporary Political Issues
POLS 344-3 Society, Policy and Administration of Natural Resources
PSYC 408-3   Environmental Problems and Human Behaviour

Minor in Social Dimensions of Natural Resources Management

The minor in Social Dimensions of Natural Resources Management prepares students to engage the public and First Nations in collaborative processes dealing with the range of values encompassed within the practice of natural resources management. By completing the minor, students become familiar with planning policy and practice as it applies to natural resources management, the range of values and social considerations that apply to a number of resource sectors, and tools for soliciting and involving multi-stakeholder interests.

The minor in Social Dimensions of Natural Resources Management requires the completion of a minimum of 24 credit hours of study. A maximum of two courses (6 credit hours) used to fulfill the requirements for a major, or another minor, may also be used to fulfill requirements for this minor. Students must ensure that all prerequisites are fulfilled prior to registering in any course.

Required Courses

ENPL 401-3 Environmental Law

One of the following:

ENPL 304-4 Community Engagement and Inclusion Studio
ENVS 326-3 Public Engagement for Sustainability

One of the following:

POLS 332-3 Community Development
POLS 434-3 Resource Communities in Transition

An additional five of the following courses (no more than two courses in any single program [e.g., ENPL]):

BIOL 350-3 Ethnobotany
ENPL 104-3 Introduction to Planning
ENPL 304-4 Community Engagement and Inclusion Studio
ENPL 319-3 Social Research Methods
ENPL 409-4 Indigenous Planning Studio
ENVS 210-3 Environmental Perspectives
ENVS 230-3 Introduction to Environmental Policy
ENVS 326-3 Public Engagement for Sustainability
FNST 203-3 Introduction to Traditional Ecological Knowledge
FNST 304-3 Indigenous Environmental Philosophy
FSTY 440-(2-6) Internship
GEOG 401-3 Tenure, Conflict, and Resource Geography
GEOG 403-3 Indigenous Geographies of Climate Resilience
GEOG 424-3 Northern Communities
HIST 421-(3-6) Topics in Environmental History
NREM 413-3 Agroforestry
ORTM 200-3 Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
POLS 316-3 Municipal Government and Politics
POLS 332-3 Community Development
POLS 434-3 Resource Communities in Transition

Updated: June 26, 2024