About
Ecological and social systems are closely interconnected. Both the decisions we make, and the actions we take, have an impact on all life on this planet. At the Bieler School of Environment you will learn how to respond to the many challenges and opportunities of creating a sustainable future.
The choices we make as consumers have an impact on the air we breathe, the water we drink, and on arable land used for food production; human well-being and livelihood are intricately linked with the loss of biodiversity and conservation efforts; deforestation leads to changes in the global carbon balance that affect global climate. In the Environment Major, you will explore all of these important issues, and more, along with possible solutions.
TWO CAMPUSES, ONE SCHOOL
The Bieler School of Environment spans both McGill campuses (downtown Montreal and Macdonald). The core courses in this program will expose you to many different approaches, perspectives and world views, to help you understand the complexities involved in environmental issues. You will learn about systems thinking, sustainability and environmental ethics in a wide range of areas. As a School of Environment student, to complement the core courses in your major, you will select a Domain or Concentration. Domains and Concentrations are areas of specialization with courses from many different areas. To benefit from all that McGill has to offer, students can take classes on both of McGill’s campuses.
Field courses and internships are a great way for you to gain practical experience to enhance your classroom learning. Students have interned on an agroforestry project in Ecuador; working on the Emerald Ash Borer strategy in the City of Montreal; with Parks Canada, as a Natural History Interpreter; as a Research Assistant on a Quebec beaver census; and as a local Environment Awareness Agent. Field courses can find you in places such as Panama, East Africa, Northern Quebec, Barbados, the High Arctic, Cuba, Guatemala, Western Canada and the southwestern United States.
Domains/Concentrations and Courses
Students also choose a domain or concentration – an area of specialization comprising courses from many areas across the University and structured to provide breadth and depth of knowledge within the domain or concentration. Students may take courses on both the downtown and Macdonald campus to take full advantage of what McGill has to offer.
- Biodiversity and Conservation
- Ecological Determinants of Health - Cellular
- Ecological Determinants of Health - Population
- Environmentrics
- Food Production and Environment
- Land Surface Processes and Environmental Change
- Renewable Resource Management
- Water Environments & Ecosystems - Biological
- Water Environments & Ecosystems - Physical
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Environment - Biodiversity and Conservation(63 Credits)
Program Requirement:
This domain (63 credits including core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
This domain links the academic study of biological diversity with the applied field of conservation biology. The study of biological diversity, or "biodiversity," lies at the intersection of evolution with ecology and genetics, combining the subdisciplines of evolutionary ecology, evolutionary genetics, and ecological genetics. It has two main branches: the creation of diversity and the maintenance of diversity. Both processes are governed by a general mechanism of selection acting over different scales of space and time. This gives rise to a distinctive set of principles and generalizations that regulate rates of diversification and levels of diversity, as well as the abundance or rarity of different species. Conservation biology constitutes the application of these principles in the relevant social and economic context to the management of natural systems, with the object of preventing the extinction of rare species and maintaining the diversity of communities. As the impact of industrialization and population growth on natural systems has become more severe, conservation has emerged as an important area of practical endeavour.
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Program Requirements
Note: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses.
Location Note: When planning their schedule and registering for courses, students should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Required Courses (18 credits)
Location Note: ENVR courses are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and Macdonald campus. You should register in Section 001 of an ENVR course on the Downtown campus, and in Section 051 of an ENVR course on the Macdonald campus.
Complementary Courses (45 credits)
Senior Research Project
3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
3 credits from:
Biological Principles of Diversity/ Systematics/ Conservation
3 credits from:
3 credits from:
3 credits from:
Ecology:
3 credits from:
Statistics:
3 credits from the following Statistics courses or equivalent:
Note: Other appropriate statistics courses may be approved as substitutions by the Program Adviser. Credit given for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Science should consult the “Course Overlap” information in the “Course Requirements” section of the e-Calendar for the Faculty of Science.
Science, Policy, and Management:
9 credits from the following:
*You may take AGEC 200 or ECON 208, but not both.
Field Courses
3 credits from the following:
General Scientific Principles
6 credits from the following:
* Note: You may take one of BREE 529, ENVB 529 or GEOG 314; you may take one of GEOG 322 or BREE 217; you may take one of ANSC 326 or BIOL 324.
A second field course from the program curriculum may also be taken.
Social Science:
3 credits from the following:
Organisms and Diversity:
6 credits from the following:
* Note: You may take one of ENTO 330, BIOL 350 or ENTO 350.
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Environment - Ecological Determinants of Health - Cellular(63 Credits)
Program Requirement:
The Cellular concentration in this domain is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major Environment or B.Sc. Major Environment program.
This domain considers the interface between the environment and human well-being, with particular focus on the triad that ties human health to the environment through the elements of food and infectious agents. Each of these elements is influenced by planned and unplanned environmental disturbances. For example, agricultural practices shift the balance between beneficial and harmful ingredients of food. Use of insecticides presents dilemmas with regard to the environment, economics, and human health. The distribution of infectious diseases is influenced by the climatic conditions that permit vectors to coexist with humans, by deforestation, by urbanization, and by human interventions ranging from the building of dams to provision of potable water.
In designing interventions that aim to prevent or reduce infectious contaminants in the environment, or to improve food production and nutritional quality, not only is it important to understand methods of intervention, but also to understand social forces that influence how humans respond to such interventions.
Students in the Cellular concentration will explore these interactions in more depth, at a physiological level. Students in the Population concentration will gain a depth of understanding at an ecosystem level that looks at society, land, and population health.
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Program Requirements
Note: You are required to take a maximum of 33 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses.
Location Note: When planning your schedule and registering for courses, you should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Location Note: Core required courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. You should register in Section 001 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Downtown campus, and in Section 051 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Macdonald campus.
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
Domain: Required Course (6 credits)
Domain: Complementary Courses (36 credits)
36 credits of the complementary courses are selected as follows:
18 credits - Fundamentals, 3 credits from each category
12 credits - Human Health, maximum of 3 credits from any one category
6 credits - Natural Environment, maximum of 3 credits from any one category
Fundamentals:
18 credits of Fundamentals, 3 credits from each category.
Health, Society, and Environment
* Note: You may take GEOG 221 or NRSC 221, but not both.
Cellular Biology
* Note: You will not receive credit for either LSCI 211 or LSCI 202 if you have already received credit for both BIOL 200 and BIOL 201; you will not receive credit for either BIOL 200 or BIOL 201 if you have already received credit for both LSCI 202 and LSCI 211.
Genetics
Molecular Biology
* Note: You will not receive credit for either LSCI 211 or LSCI 202 if you have already received credit for both BIOL 200 and BIOL 201; you will not receive credit for either BIOL 200 or BIOL 201 if you have already received credit for both LSCI 202 and LSCI 211.
Statistics
One of the following Statistics courses or equivalent:
Note: Credit given for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section for the Faculty of Science.
Nutrition
Human Health:
12 credits chosen from Human Health, maximum of 3 credits from any one category:
Immunology and Pathogenicity
Infectious Disease
* Note: You can take MIMM 413 or PARA 424, but not both.
Toxicology
Hormones
* Note: You will not receive credit for ANSC 424 if you have already received credit for both PHGY 209 and PHGY 210; you will not receive credit for PHGY 210 if you have already received credit for both ANSC 323 and ANSC 424.
Physiology
* Note: You will not receive credit ANSC 323 if you have already received credit for both PHGY 209 and PHGY 210; you will not receive credit for PHGY 209 if you have already received credit for both ANSC 323 and ANSC 424.
Natural Environment:
6 credits chosen from the Natural Environment, maximum of 3 credits from any one category:
Hydrology and Climate
* Note: You may take BREE 217 or GEOG 322, but not both.
Techniques and Management
or, advanced quantitative methods course (with approval of Adviser).
Pest Management
* Note: You may take BIOL 350 or ENTO 350, but not both.
Pollution Control and Management
Ecology
* Note: You may take ENVR 540 or BIOL 540, but not both; you many take BIOL 451 or NRSC 451, but not both.
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Environment - Ecological Determinants of Health- Population(63 Credits)
Program Requirement:
The Population concentration in this domain is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major Environment or B.Sc. Major Environment program.
This domain considers the interface between the environment and human well-being, with particular focus on the triad that ties human health to the environment through the elements of food and infectious agents. Each of these elements is influenced by planned and unplanned environmental disturbances. For example, agricultural practices shift the balance between beneficial and harmful ingredients of food. Use of insecticides presents dilemmas with regard to the environment, economics, and human health. The distribution of infectious diseases is influenced by the climatic conditions that permit vectors to coexist with humans, by deforestation, by urbanization, and by human interventions ranging from the building of dams to provision of potable water.
In designing interventions that aim to prevent or reduce infectious contaminants in the environment, or to improve food production and nutritional quality, not only is it important to understand methods of intervention, but also to understand social forces that influence how humans respond to such interventions.
Students in the Population concentration will gain a depth of understanding at an ecosystem level that looks at society, land, and population health. Students in the Cellular concentration will explore these interactions in more depth, at a physiological level.
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Program Requirements
Note: You are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses.
Location Note: When planning your schedule and registering for courses, you should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Location Note: Core required courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. You should register in Section 001 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Downtown campus, and in Section 051 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Macdonald campus.
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
Domain: Required Course (3 credits)
Domain: Complementary Courses (39 credits)
39 credits of complementary courses are selected as follows:
24 credits - Fundamentals, maximum of 3 credits from each category
6 credits - List A categories, maximum of 3 credits from any one category
9 credits - List B categories, maximum of 3 credits from any one category
Fundamentals:
24 credits of fundamentals, 3 credits from each category:
Health and Environment
Health and Society
Toxicology
Cellular Biology
Note: You will not receive credit for either LSCI 211 or LSCI 202, if you have already received credit for both BIOL 200 and BIOL 201; you will not receive credit for either BIOL 200 or BIOL 201 if you have already received credit for LSCI 202 and LSCI 211.
Molecular Biology
Note: You will not receive credit for either LSCI 211 or LSCI 202 if you have already received credit for both BIOL 200 and BIOL 201; you will not receive credit for either BIOL 200 or BIOL 201 if you have already received credit for both LSCI 202 and LSCI 211.
Statistics
One of the following Statistics courses or equivalent:
Note: Credit given for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section for the Faculty of Science.
Nutrition
Advanced Ecology
* Note: You may take ENVR 540 or BIOL 540, but not both; you make take BIOL 451 or NRSC 451, but not both.
List A:
6 credits from the following List A categories, maximum of 3 credits from any one category:
Hydrology, Climate, and Agriculture
* Note: You may take BREE 217 or GEOG 322, but not both.
Decision Making, Techniques and Management
* Note: You may take AGEC 200 or ECON 208, but not both; you may take ENVB 529 or GEOG 201, but not both.
or, advanced quantitative methods course (with approval of Adviser).
Development and History
List B:
9 credits from the following List B categories, maximum of 3 credits from any one category:
Immunology and Infectious Disease
Populations and Place
* Note: You may take ANTH 451 or GEOG 451, but not both.
Pollution Control and Pest Management
* Note: You may take BIOL 350 or ENTO 350, but not both.
Genetics
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Environment - Environmetrics(63 Credits)
Program Requirement:
This domain (63 credits including core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
In view of the crucial need for sound study design and appropriate statistical methods for analyzing environmental changes and their impacts on humans and various life forms and their ecological relationships, this program is intended to provide students with a strong background in the use of statistical methods of data analysis in environmental sciences.
Graduates will be capable of effectively participating in the design of environmental studies and adequately analyzing data for use by the environmental community. Accordingly, the list of courses for the Environmetrics Domain is composed primarily of statistics courses and mathematically oriented courses with biological and ecological applications. The list is completed by general courses that refine the topics introduced in the Bieler School of Environment core courses by focusing on the ecology of living organisms, soil sciences or water resources, and impact assessment. These courses should allow the students to understand their interlocutors and be understood by them in their future job. Students can further develop their background in applied or mathematical statistics and their expertise in environmental sciences by taking complementary courses along each of two axes: statistics and mathematics, and environmental sciences. An internship is also offered to students to provide them with preliminary professional experience.
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Prerequisites and equivalent courses are common with Math courses, so check with your adviser when choosing your courses. Be especially careful with Statistics courses, as you will receive no credit (and no warning!) for a course that is considered equivalent to one you have already taken. Note: Credit given for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section for the Faculty of Science.
Statistics courses BIOL 373 OR AEMA 310 can be taken in U1, but do not take them if you want to follow Option 1 (below), as they overlap with MATH 324.
Program Requirements
Note: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses.
Location Note: When planning their schedule and registering for courses, students should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Location Note: Core required courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. You should register in Section 001 of an ENVR course if you want to take it on the Downtown campus, and in Section 051 of an ENVR course if you want to take it on the Macdonald campus.
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
Domain: Required Courses (6 credits)
Domain - Complementary Courses (36 credits)
36 credits of complementary courses are selected as follows:
12 credits - Fundamentals
3 credits - Basic Environmental Science
6 credits - Statistics, one of two options
15 credits - List 1 and List 2
Fundamentals:
12 credits of Fundamentals, 3 credits from each category.
Ecology
Impact
Modelling
GIS Techniques
Basic Environmental Science:
One of:
Statistics:
6 credits of Statistics are selected from one of the following two options.
Note: Credit given for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section for the Faculty of Science. Several Statistics courses overlap (especially with MATH 324) and cannot be taken together. These rules do not apply to B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) students.
Option 1
Option 2
One of:
And one of:
A total of 15 credits are chosen from the following two lists.
List 1
3 credits minimum of statistics and mathematics chosen from:
* Note: or equivalent courses to BREE 252 or BREE 319.
List 2
3 credits minimum of environmental sciences chosen from:
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Environment - Food Production and Environment(63 Credits)
Program Requirement:
This domain (63 credits including core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment programs.
The business of food production is an area of human activity with a large and intimate interaction with the environment. As the global population rises, demand for food and food production increases. This demand must be met through a combination of increased productivity of existing agricultural land and by bringing new arable land into production. This is a serious challenge for two main reasons. Firstly, there are environmental impacts of agricultural activities which can be significant and which can be difficult to assess and contain, as the effects range from loss of biodiversity due to increasing farm size, production of biofuels versus food, non-point source pollution of rivers and lakes, and a loss of arable land to urbanization. Secondly, a growing population needs support from a number of different land uses (e.g., urban growth, transportation, water resource use, timber resources, etc.), many of which conflict, and all of which compete with food production land requirements. As the available land resource decreases, land-use competition for what remains will grow more fierce, making the need for smart and informed decision-making related to food production increasingly critical.
Program Prerequisites or Corequisites
All students in this program MUST take these pre- or corequisite courses, or their equivalents. These courses are taken as follows:
One of the following courses or CEGEP equivalent (e.g., CEGEP objective 00XU):
One of the following courses or CEGEP equivalent (e.g., CEGEP objective 00XV):
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Program Requirements
Note: Students are required to take a maximum of 34 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 15 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses, but does not include the domain prerequisites or corequisites listed above.
Location Note: When planning their schedule and registering for courses, students should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
Domain: Required Courses (6 credits)
Domain: Complementary Courses (36 credits)
36 credits of complementary courses selected as follows:
18 credits - Fundamentals
12 credits - Applied Sciences
6 credits - Social Sciences/Humanities
The Applied and Social Sciences courses are grouped according to subtopics. Students can choose their courses from one subtopic, or a combination of subtopics.
Fundamentals (18 credits)
One of the following Statistics courses or equivalent:
Note: Credit given for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section for the Faculty of Science.
One of:
One of:
One of:
One of:
One of:
Applied Sciences (12 credits)
Food and Human Health
* Note: Students take FDSC 200 or NUTR 207, but not both.
Food Production
Natural Resources and Natural Resource Impacts
* Note: Students take BIOL 465 or WILD 421, but not both.
** Note: Students take BREE 217 or GEOG 322, but not both.
Social Science (6 credits)
Economic and Resource Policy
* Note: Students take AGEC 333 or ECON 405, but not both.
Social Change and Human Impacts
Environment Management
* Note: Students may take only one of BREE 529, ENVB 529, or GEOG 201.
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Environment-Land Surface Processes and Environmental Change(63 Credits)
Program Requirement:
This domain (63 credits including core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment programs.
The thin soil layer on the planet's land surfaces controls the vital inputs of water, nutrients, and energy to terrestrial and freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Widespread occurrences around the globe of desertification, soil erosion, deforestation, and land submergence over water reservoirs indicate that this dynamic system is under increasing pressure from population growth and changes in climate and land uses. Production of key greenhouse gases (water vapour, CO2, and methane) is controlled by complex processes operating at the land surface, involving climate change feedbacks that need to be fully understood, given current global warming trends.
The program introduces students to the interacting physical and biogeochemical processes at the atmosphere-lithosphere interface, which fashion land surface habitats and determine their biological productivity and response to anthropogenic or natural environmental changes. Through an appropriate selection of courses, students can prepare for graduate training in emerging research areas such as earth system sciences, environmental hydrology, and landscape ecology.
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Program Requirements
Note: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses.
Location Note: When planning their schedule and registering for courses, students should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill’s Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
Domain Required Course (3 credits)
Domain: Complementary Courses (39 credits)
39 credits of complementary courses are selected as follows:
9 credits - 3 credits from each category of Statistics, Geographic Information Systems, Weather and Climate
9 credits of fundamental land surface processes
3 credits of environment and resource management
3 credits of field course
3 credits of social science
12 credits total of advanced studies chosen from List A: Particular Environments and List B: Surface Processes
Statistics
3 credits from one of the following Statistics courses or equivalent:
* Note: Other appropriate statistics courses may be approved as substitutions by the Program Adviser. Credit given for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section of the eCalendar for the Faculty of Science.
Geographic Information Systems
3 credits from:
Weather and Climate
3 credits from:
Fundamental Land Surface Processes
9 credits total of fundamental land surface processes chosen as follows:
0-3 credits chosen from:
0-3 credits from:
0-3 credits from:
0-3 credits from:
Environment and Resource Management:
3 credits from:
* Note: You may take BIOL 308 or ENVB 305, but not both.
Field Course
3 credits from:
Social Science:
3 credits from:
12 credits total of advanced studies chosen from the following two lists:
List A - Particular Environments:
3-9 credits of advanced study of Particular Environments:
List B - Surface Processes:
3-9 credits advanced study of Surface Processes:
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Environment - Renewable Resource Management(63 Credits)
Program Requirement:
This domain (63 credits including core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
Renewable resource management is an emerging field that focuses on the ecosystem structures and processes required to sustain the delivery, to humanity, of ecosystem goods and services such as food, clean water and air, essential nutrients, and the provision of beauty and inspiration. Renewable resource management recognizes humans as integral components of ecosystems and is used to develop goals that are consistent with sustainability and ecosystem maintenance.
The Renewable Resource Management domain provides students with an understanding of: 1) the interactions between physical and biological factors that determine the nature and dynamics of populations and entities in the natural environment; 2) the ways in which ecosystems can be managed to meet specific goals for the provision of goods and services; 3) the economic and social factors that determine how ecosystems are managed; 4) the ways in which management of natural resources can affect the capability of natural ecosystems to continue to supply human needs in perpetuity; and 5) the approaches and technologies required to monitor and analyze the dynamics of natural and managed ecosystems.
Program Prerequisites or Corequisites
All students in this program MUST take the following pre- or corequisite courses:
One of the following biology courses or CEGEP equivalent (e.g., CEGEP objective 00XU):
One of the following chemistry courses or CEGEP equivalent (e.g., CEGEP objective 00XV):
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Ms. Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Program Requirements
Note: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses, but does not include the domain prerequisites or corequisites listed above.
Location Note: When planning their schedule and registering for courses, students should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Location Note: Core required courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. You should register in Section 001 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Downtown campus, and in Section 051 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Macdonald campus.
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
Domain: Complementary Courses (42 credits)
42 credits of complementary courses are selected as follows:
9 credits - Basic Principles of Ecosystem Processes and Diversity
6 credits - 3 credits from each category of Statistics and GIS
6 credits - Advanced Ecosystem Components
6 credits - Advanced Ecological Processes
6 credits - Social Processes
9 credits - Ecosystem Components or Management of Ecosystems
Basic Principles of Ecosystem Processes:
9 credits of basic principles of ecosystem processes and diversity are selected as follows:
One of:
One of:
One of:
Statistics
One of:
GIS Methods
One of:
Advanced Ecosystem Components:
6 credits of advanced ecosystem components selected from:
Advanced Ecological Processes:
6 credits of advanced ecological processes selected from:
* Note: you can take BREE 217 or GEOG 322, but not both.
Social Processes:
6 credits of social processes selected as follows:
* Note: You may take AGEC 333 and ECON 405, but not both.
Ecosystem Components or Management of Ecosystems:
9 credits of ecosystem components or management of ecosystems selected from:
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Environment - Water Environments & Ecosystems - Biological(60 Credits)
Program Requirement:
The Water Environments and Ecosystems - Biological (60 credits including core) is a concentration open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.); Major in Environment or B.Sc.; Major in Environment program.
The program focuses on the ecological facet of the water environment and the mechanisms regulating the different forms of life in water bodies; and to a lesser extent on the physical mechanisms controlling water properties.
Graduates of this domain are qualified to enter the work force or to pursue advanced studies in fields such as marine biology, geography, physical oceanography, and atmospheric science.
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Program Requirements
Note: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses.
Location Note: When planning your schedule and registering for courses, you should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Location Note: Core required courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. You should register in Section 001 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Downtown campus, and in Section 051 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Macdonald campus.
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
Domain: Required Courses (3 credits)
Domain: Complementary Courses (36 credits)
36 credits of complementary courses are selected as follows:
3 credits - Meteorology
6 credits - Hydrology and Ecology
3 credits - Statistics
3 credits - Field Course
3 credits - Social Sciences and Policy
18 credits chosen in total from List A: Water Environments and Habitats, and List B: Surface and Atmospheric Processes
Meteorology:
3 credits from:
Hydrology and Ecology:
6 credits selected as follows:
3 credits from:
3 credits from:
Statistics:
3 credits from:
* Note: Other appropriate statistics courses may be approved as substitutes by the Program Adviser. Credit for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Science should consult "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section of the eCalendar for the Faculty of Science.
Field Course:
3 credits selected from the following courses or an equivalent Aquatic Field course:
Social Sciences and Policy:
3 credits from:
18 credits chosen in total from List A and List B as follows:
List A (Water Environments and Habitats)
9-12 credits chosen from:
* Note: you may take BIOL 540 or ENVR 540, but not both; you may take ENVB 210 or GEOG 305, but not both,
List B (Surface and Atmospheric Processes)
6-9 credits chosen from:
* Note: you may take ATOC 219 or CHEM 219, but not both; you may take ENVB 529 or GEOG 201, but not both.
Bachelor of Science (Agricultural and Environmental Sciences) (B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.)) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Major Environment - Water Environments and Ecosystems - Physical(63 Credits)
Program Requirement:
The Water Environments and Ecosystems - Physical (63 credits, including the core) is a a concentration open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.); Major in Environment or B.Sc.; Major in Environment program.
The program focuses on the physical facet of the water environment, and the transport and transformation mechanisms of water on the planet, from rivers to the oceans and atmosphere; and to a lesser extent on the biological processes taking place in water bodies.
Graduates of this domain are qualified to enter the work force or to pursue advanced studies in fields such as marine biology, geography, physical oceanography, and atmospheric science.
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the "Bieler School of Environment Student Handbook" available on the website (http://www.mcgill.ca/environment), or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Adviser (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Program Requirements
Note: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes core and required courses.
Location Note: When planning your schedule and registering for courses, you should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Location Note: Core required courses for this program are taught at both McGill's Downtown campus and at the Macdonald campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. You should register in Section 001 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Downtown campus, and in Section 051 of an ENVR course that you plan to take on the Macdonald campus.
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Note: Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
Domain: Required Courses (9 credits)
Domain: Complementary Courses (33 credits)
33 credits of complementary courses are selected as follows:
3 credits - Meteorology
6 credits - Hydrology and Ecology
3 credits - Statistics
3 credits - Intermediate Calculus
3 credits - Field course
9 credits chosen from List A: Engineering/Math/Hydrology
6 credits chosen from List B: Marine and Freshwater Biology
Meteorology
3 credits from:
Hydrology and Ecology
6 credits selected as follows:
3 credits from:
3 credits from:
Statistics
3 credits from:
* Note: Other appropriate statistics courses may be approved as substitutes by the Program Adviser.
Credit given for Statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in the Faculty of Arts or the Faculty of Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section of the eCalendar for the Faculty of Science.
Intermediate Calculus
3 credits from:
Field Course:
3 credits selected from the following courses or an equivalent Aquatic Field course:
List A: (Engineering/Math/Hydrology)
6-9 credits chosen from:
* Note: You can taken ENVB 529 or GEOG 201, but not both; you can take ENVB 530 or GEOG 506, but not both; you can take ENVB 210 or GEOG 305, but not both.
0-3 credits from:
List B: (Marine and Freshwater Biology)
6 credits chosen from:
Careers
■ Community Outreach and Conservation Coordinator
■ Environmental Assessment Officer
■ Sustainable Development or Environmental Program Manager
■ Public Health Officer
■ Environmental Scientist
■ Environmental Policy Advisor, and policy development
■ Advisor: corporate, social and environmental responsibility
■ Biostatistician
■ Climate Change Analyst
■ Environmental communication and education
■ Environmental/green innovation and
entrepreneurship
For more career options: mcgill.ca/caps/discipline