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
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 249-4 | Land and Indigenous Reconciliation Studio |
| 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.
- Global Environmental Studies
- Communities and Environmental Citizenship
- Natural Resource Management
- 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: December 5, 2024