The B.Sc. specialization in Environmental Sciences, offered by the Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, is designed to give students a broad perspective on the environment. The specialization concentrates on understanding the major environmental issues facing human societies and it adopts an integrative cross-disciplinary approach to the study of these issues. The specialization provides a significant background in earth, ocean, atmospheric, and life sciences, and chemistry. The core courses, ENVR_V 200, 300, 400, and 449, examine environmental issues through seminars and student projects. Students are required to select an Area of Concentration that includes required and elective courses.
Students wishing to enter second-year Environmental Sciences Major or Honours specializations must apply using the online process administered by the Faculty of Science. Students will receive an email communication regarding the process in late May or June. Due to the similarity between the Major and Honours Environmental Science specializations in second year, the Faculty of Science only admits students directly to the Majors. For Honours, students require a minimum 72% average in prior courses for admission, and must maintain at least a 68% average for continuation in the program. Qualified students wishing to transfer to Honours should contact the Undergraduate Advisor for advice. The progress of continuing environmental science students will be reviewed at the end of each academic year. Students making satisfactory progress do not require annual specialization approval. The advisor will contact students with unsatisfactory standing in Honours.
A five-year Co-operative Education option is available in Environmental Sciences. The option is intended to help prepare interested and qualified students for careers in environmental sciences and related fields. This is achieved through a minimum of 14 months of approved work placement under the supervision of practicing professionals. To be eligible, students must be admissible into third year of the B.Sc. Major in Environmental Sciences. Admission is by application to the Co-op Office in term 2 of the second year. Selection of students will be based on academic performance and general suitability to the work environment as determined by resume and interview. Total enrolment in the option is subject to the availability of work placements. Work placements are arranged by mutual agreement between employers and students. Participating students must register for EOSC_V 398, 399, 498, and 499 as appropriate, and pay the required Co-operative Education fee per course (see Program and Course Fees). Graduation in the Co-operative Education option requires a student to complete each of EOSC_V 398, 399, 498, and 499, in addition to the normal requirements.
For additional information, see Environmental Sciences. Please contact Environmental Sciences at 604.822.2449 with any questions.
For details of other undergraduate Science specializations available in the department, see Atmospheric Science, Earth and Ocean Sciences, Geological Sciences, Geophysics, and Oceanography. The department also offers Geological Engineering as part of the B.A.Sc. program.
Specializations
Major (1263): Environmental Sciences (ENSC)
| First Year | |
| BIOL_V 1211 | 3 |
| BIOL_V 180 (or 140)1 | 2 |
| CHEM_V 121 (or 111 or 141)2 | 4 |
| CHEM_V 1232 | 4 |
| Communication Requirement3 | 3 |
| DSCI_V 100 | 3 |
| MATH_V 100 or 102 or 104 or 180 or 184 or 1204 | 3 |
| MATH_V 101 or 103 or 105 or 1214 | 3 |
| PHYS_V 100-level5 | 3 |
| Electives6,7 | 2 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Second Year | |
| BIOL_V 230 | 3 |
| Two of CHEM_V 205, 208, 210, 211, 2338 | 6 |
| Communication Requirement3 | 3 |
| ENVR_V 200 | 3 |
| GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 200 or ATSC_V 201 | 3 |
| One of MATH_V 200, 221, STAT_V 200, 201, BIOL_V 3009 | 3 |
| Electives6,7,8,10 | 9 |
| Total Credits | 30 |
| Third and Fourth Years | |
| BIOL_V 306 | 3 |
| ENVR_V 300, 400 | 9 |
| EOSC_V 372 | 3 |
| One of ENVR_V 410, 420, 430, 440 | 3 |
| 'Tools' Elective11 | 3 |
| Electives6,7 | 24 |
| Area of Concentration12 | 15 |
| Total Credits | 60 |
| Minimum Credits for Degree | 120 |
| 1 Students without one of Biology 11 or Biology 12 must take BIOL_V 111 before attempting BIOL_V 121 or BIOL_V 180. | |
| 2 Students who do not have B.C. High School Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM_V 100. CHEM_V 110 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 111, CHEM_V 120 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 121, CHEM_V 130 and 135 may substitute for CHEM_V 123. | |
| 3 For a full list of acceptable courses, see Communication Requirement. | |
| 4 MATH_V 110 may substitute for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed by decreasing the electives by 3 credits. Choosing a 4 credit MATH_V course lowers the electives by 1 credit. All of the differential calculus courses are suitable prerequisites for later MATH_V courses. They differ in the expected student background and the types of examples used in the problems. | |
| 5 Chosen from 100-level PHYS_V courses, excluding PHYS_V 100 and PHYS_V 170. Students without Physics 12 must replace 3 credits of electives with PHYS_V 100 before taking any other 100-level PHYS_V course. Students may defer taking any other 100-level PHYS_V course to second year. | |
| 6 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s: a) Foundational Requirement; b) Laboratory Science Requirement; c) Science Breadth Requirement; d) Science and Arts Requirements; e) Upper-level Requirement; f) General Degree Requirements. | |
| 7 Students interested in elective options in environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability see: www.sustain.ubc.ca/courses-degrees/courses. | |
| 8 One of these courses can be delayed to year 3, and students with year 3 standing can substitute CHEM_V 301 or CHEM_V 302. Students who select 7 credits of second-year CHEM_V will need to lower the total number of electives accordingly. | |
| 9 Students should consider which second year quantitative course will best fit their needs: MATH_V 200 and/or 221 are recommended for students interested in fluid dynamics and machine learning; STAT_V 201 is recommended for students interested in data science; STAT_V 200 or BIOL_V 300 are recommended for students interested in field ecology. | |
| 10 Students interested in the Ecology and Conservation Area of Concentration should consider one of BIOL_V 204, 205, 209 or 210 in second year. | |
| 11 ‘Tools’ Elective: One of ATSC_V 303, CHEM_V 311 (requires CHEM_V 211), CONS_V 340, EOSC_V 211, FRST_V 443, GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 270, 309, 370, 373, or ISCI_V 422. Must be completed before fourth year. | |
| 12 Of the 15 Area of Concentration credits, at least 12 credits must be at the 3xx level or higher, including at least 6 credits at the 4xx level. | |
Majors Areas of Concentration Required Courses
Students must select one of the following three Areas of Concentration. A minimum of 15 credits must be taken from the Area of Concentration courses listed below and these courses cannot be used to fulfill any other requirements of the specialization.
Land, Air, and Water Area of Concentration
Students in this Area of Concentration must include at least one course in at least three of the four following categories:
- Land: APBI_V 200; EOSC_V 222, 250, 327, 330, 425; GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 206, 405, 406, 408
- Air: ATSC_V 301, 303; GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 300, 304, 402; CHEM_V 302
- Terrestrial Water: CHEM_V 301; EOSC_V 325, 428, 429, 430, 431; ENVR_V 420; GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 305, 403, 415
- Oceans: EOSC_V 373, 471, 472, 473, 474, 475, 478
Additional courses for the Land, Air, and Water Area of Concentration include:
- EOSC_V 220, 250, 340, 429, 431
- GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 207, 308, 373, 400, 401, 407
Students should be aware that some of these electives have prerequisites that are not explicitly listed here.
Ecology and Conservation Area of Concentration
Students in this Area of Concentration must include one of BIOL_V 204, 205, 209, 210, and at least two of BIOL_V 301, 314, 336, 402, 404, 406, 408, 416, 418, 420, 424; CONS_V 310; GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 307; UFOR_V 403.
Additional courses for the Ecology and Conservation Area of Concentration include:
- BIOL_V 317, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 327, 328, 332, 343, 409, 411, 412, 413, 417, 427, 428, 434
- EOSC_V 373, 470, 474, 475, 478
- ENVR_V 430
- MRNE_V 415, 425, 437
- MICB_V 301
Students should be aware that some of these electives have prerequisites that are not explicitly listed here.
Sustainability Science Area of Concentration
Students in this Area of Concentration must include:
- ASIC_V 220
- ENVR_V 440
- two of ENVR_V 410, 420, 430; BIOL_V 314, 416, 420; CHEM_V 341; EOSC_V 340, 474; GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 402; SCIE_V 420, and
- one of ARCL_V 309; CONS_V 330, 425; FRST_V 415; GEOG_V 310; LFS_V 450; POLI_V 351; PSYC_V 421; UFOR_V 403 or APBI_V 423.
Students should be aware that some of these courses have prerequisites that are not explicitly listed here.
Students should check the Faculty of Science credit exclusion list.
Specialization Objectives
Mastery of the curriculum will:
- prepare students for employment as technicians or entry-level consultants in environmental sciences;
- provide enough background in either biological sciences or physical/chemical sciences to qualify students for graduate school in atmospheric science, ecology, environmental science, oceanography, geography, or geology.
Learning Goals
Students completing this specialization will be able to:
- demonstrate a broad knowledge of and a broad perspective on the environment;
- use an interdisciplinary approach to tackling environmental issues facing human societies;
- understand the distinctions between, and uses of, data, experiment, theory and models in understanding natural phenomena;
- use at least one specific environmental science “tool” (e.g., a computational, field, or laboratory measurement technique) to address environmental issues;
- conceptualize, develop, and complete a major team project;
- write reports and communicate through oral presentations.
Honours (0589): Environmental Sciences (ENSC)
| First Year | |
| BIOL_V 1211 | 3 |
| BIOL_V 180 (or 140)1 | 2 |
| CHEM_V 121 (or 111 or 141)2 | 4 |
| CHEM_V 1232 | 4 |
| Communication Requirement3 | 3 |
| DSCI_V 100 | 3 |
| MATH_V 100 or 102 or 104 or 180 or 184 or 1204 | 3 |
| MATH_V 101 or 103 or 105 or 1214 | 3 |
| PHYS_V 100-level5 | 3 |
| Electives6,7 | 5 |
| Total Credits | 33 |
| Second Year | |
| APBI_V 200 | 3 |
| ATSC_V 201 | 3 |
| BIOL_V 230 | 3 |
| Two of CHEM_V 205, 208, 210, 211, 2338 | 6 |
| Communication Requirement3 | 3 |
| ENVR_V 200 | 3 |
| One of MATH_V 200, 221, STAT_V 200, 201, BIOL_V 3009 | 3 |
| Electives6,7,8,10 | 9 |
| Total Credits | 33 |
| Third and Fourth Years | |
| BIOL_V 306 | 3 |
| CHEM_V 301, 302 | 6 |
| ENVR_V 300, 449 | 9 |
| EOSC_V 372, 373 | 6 |
| Two of ENVR_V 410, 420, 430, 440 | 6 |
| 'Tools' Electives11 | 6 |
| Electives6,7 | 12 |
| Area of Concentration12 | 18 |
| Total Credits | 66 |
| Minimum Credits for Degree | 132 |
| 1 Students without one of Biology 11 or Biology 12 must take BIOL_V 111 before attempting BIOL_V 121 or BIOL_V 180. | |
| 2 Students who do not have B.C. High School Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM_V 100. CHEM_V 110 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 111, CHEM_V 120 and 115 may substitute for CHEM_V 121, CHEM_V 130 and 135 may substitute for CHEM_V 123. | |
| 3 For a full list of acceptable courses, see Communication Requirement. | |
| 4 MATH_V 110 may substitute for any of the specified differential calculus courses listed by decreasing the electives by 3 credits. Choosing a 4-credit MATH_V course lowers the electives by 1 credit. All of the differential calculus courses are suitable prerequisites for later MATH_V courses. They differ in the expected student background and the types of examples used in the problems. | |
| 5 Chosen from 100-level PHYS_V courses, excluding PHYS_V 100 and PHYS_V 170. Students without Physics 12 must replace 3 credits of electives with PHYS_V 100 before taking any other 100-level PHYS_V course. Students may defer taking any other 100-level PHYS_V course to second year. | |
| 6 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s: a) Foundational Requirement; b) Laboratory Science Requirement; c) Science Breadth Requirement; d) Science and Arts Requirements; e) Upper-level Requirement; f) General Degree Requirements. | |
| 7 Students interested in elective options in environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability see: www.sustain.ubc.ca/courses-degrees/courses | |
| 8 Students who select 7 credits of second-year CHEM_V will need to lower the total number of electives accordingly. | |
| 9 Students should consider which second year quantitative course will best fit their needs: MATH_V 200 and/or 221 are recommended for students interested in fluid dynamics and machine learning; STAT_V 201 is recommended for students interested in data science; STAT_V 200 or BIOL_V 300 are recommended for students interested in field ecology. | |
| 10 Students interested in the Ecology and Conservation Area of Concentration should consider one of BIOL_V 204, 205, 209 or 210 in second year. | |
| 11 'Tools’ Electives: Two of ATSC_V 303, CHEM_V 311 (requires CHEM_V 211), CONS_V 340, EOSC_V 211, FRST_V 443, GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 270, 309, 370, 373 or ISCI_V 422. Consult credit exclusion list before choosing 'Tools' electives. Must be completed before fourth year. | |
| 12 Of the 18 Area of Concentration credits, at least 15 credits must be at the 3xx level or higher, including at least 9 credits at the 4xx level. | |
Honours Areas of Concentration Required Courses
Students must select one of the following three Areas of Concentration. A minimum of 18 credits must be taken from the Area of Concentration courses listed below and these courses cannot be used to fulfill any other requirements of the specialization.
Land, Air, and Water Area of Concentration
Students in this Area of Concentration must include at least one course in each of the four following categories:
- Land: EOSC_V 222, 250, 327, 330, 425; GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 206, 405, 406, 408
- Air: ATSC_V 301, 303; GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 300, 304, 402
- Terrestrial Water: EOSC_V 325, 428, 429, 430, 431; ENVR_V 420; GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 305, 403, GEOS_V 415
- Oceans: EOSC_V 471, 472, 473, 474, 475, 478
Additional recommended courses for the Land, Air, and Water Area of Concentration include:
- EOSC_V 220, 250, 340, 429, 431
- GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 207, 308, 373, 400, 401, 407
Students should be aware that some of these electives have prerequisites that are not explicitly listed here.
Ecology and Conservation Area of Concentration
Students in this Area of Concentration must include one of BIOL_V 204, 205, 209, 210 and at least two of BIOL_V 301, 314, 336, 402, 404, 406, 408, 416, 418, 420, 424; CONS_V 310; GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 307; UFOR_V 403.
Additional recommended courses for the Ecology and Conservation Area of Concentration include:
- BIOL_V 317, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324, 327, 328, 332, 343, 409, 411, 412, 413, 417, 427, 428, 434
- EOSC_V 470, 474, 475, 478
- ENVR_V 430
- MRNE_V 415, 425, 437
- MICB_V 301
Students should be aware that some of these electives have prerequisites that are not explicitly listed here.
Sustainability Science Area of Concentration
Students in this Area of Concentration must include:
- ASIC_V 220
- ENVR_V 309; CONS_V 330, 425; FRST_V 415; GEOG_V 310; LFS_V 450; POLI_V 351; PSYC_V 421; UFOR_V 403 or APBI_V 423, and
- one additional course from either of the above lists
Students should be aware that some of these courses have prerequisites that are not explicitly listed here.
Students should check the Faculty of Science credit exclusion list.
Specialization Objectives
Honours will provide more depth than the Major. Mastery of the curriculum will:
- provide enough background in either biological sciences or physical/chemical sciences to qualify students for graduate school in atmospheric science, ecology, environmental science, oceanography, geography, or geology;
- prepare students for employment as technicians or entry-level consultants in environmental sciences.
Learning Goals
Students completing this specialization will be able to:
- demonstrate a broad knowledge of and a broad perspective on the environment;
- use an interdisciplinary approach to tackling environmental issues facing human societies;
- understand the distinctions between, and uses of, data, experiment, theory and models in understanding natural phenomena;
- use at least two specific environmental science “tools” (e.g., computational, field, or laboratory measurement techniques) to address environmental issues;
- define, conduct, and present the results of an individual research project;
- write reports and communicate through oral presentations.
Minor (3085): Environmental Sciences (ENSC)
The Minor consists of 21 credits: ENVR_V 200, ENVR_V 300; 6 credits from: EOSC_V 372, BIOL_V 306, GEOS_V (or GEOB_V) 305; and 9 credits from: ENVR_V 400, 410, 420, 430, 440.