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Bachelor of Environment and Society (Environmental Sciences)

Faculty of Arts & Sciences Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies

Credential
Bachelor

Duration
4 year(s)

Program Highlights

In the Bachelor of Environment and Society (Environmental Sciences) degree at CapU, you'll gain the skills to make a difference in the environmental workforce.

We offer two Environment & Society degree options at CapU: Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies.

If you choose environmental sciences, your passions lie in seeking new directions for our planet and society, to help fight climate change and the depletion of natural resources. 

This comprehensive environmental science program equips you to address pressing global challenges, including climate change and natural resource depletion, by creating sustainable solutions that benefit humanity and the environment.

In the first two years of your bachelor’s degree, you’ll take essential science courses in key disciplines, including biology, botany, chemistry, computer sciences, ecology, geography, research and statistics.

You'll also take electives in Indigenous and First Nations topics, social sciences and writing before moving into the upper levels of the program.

Train with CapU community partners

Throughout the program, you’ll study in small classes, receiving mentorship from expert instructors who combine theoretical concepts with practical, applied learning.

You'll develop your skills in a program that facilitates the integration of innovation, community partnership, experiential learning, teamwork and leadership.

As a CapU sciences student, you can also take advantage of our deep ties to the local community, participating in experiential learning activities, including lab and fieldwork with community partners like the Átl'ka7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere region.

  • Locate, analyze, and integrate information from natural and social sciences to build an evidence-based understanding of environmental problems and solutions.
  • Support the Calls for Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and gain competency in First Nations, Inuit and Métis history, and contemporary Indigenous perspectives including traditional ecological knowledge, and apply to work in cross-cultural environments.
  • Employ systems thinking and ethical and critical analysis to design inquiries that incorporate perspectives of interested parties in approaching environmental challenges.
  • Apply foundational knowledge, quantitative reasoning, and evidence-based analysis encompassing ecological, economic, and social frameworks to identify, address, and mitigate environmental issues.
  • Use regional-integrated and problem-based approaches that amplify the partnership between Indigenous and Western knowledge.
  • Model effective communication practices for relaying and interpreting environmental data and issues to a variety of audiences and for cooperating with interested parties.
  • Embrace roles and identities as mindful, eco-literate citizens, practitioners, and environmental leaders in delivering and designing solutions in a complex, interconnected world.

Admission Requirements

English language requirements

English is the language of instruction at CapU. All applicants are required to demonstrate competence in the English language prior to admission.

If English is not your first language or you’ve received your education in a language other than English, you must meet our English Language Requirements.

Basic requirements

  • High school graduation
  • A minimum grade point average of 2.0 (60%) calculated on English Studies 12 or English 12 or English First Peoples 12 and two academic Grade 12 courses
  • Pre-calculus 12 (C+) or
    • Pre-calculus 11 (A) or
    • Math Placement Test (Pre-calculus MPT) or
    • MATH 097 (C-) or
    • MATH 096 (C-) or
    • BMTH 044 (B)
  • Chemistry 11 or
    • CHEM 030 or
    • CHEM 130 or
    • BCHM 044
  • One course from the following:
    • Anatomy and Physiology 12 (C+) or
    • Chemistry 12 (C+) or
    • Physics 12 (C+) or 
    • BIOL 104 (C+) or
    • BIOL 106 (C+) and BIOL 107 (C+) or
    • CHEM 101 (C+) or
    • PHYS 104 (C+) or
    • BBIO 054 (C+) or
    • BCHM 054 (C+) or
    • BPHY 054 (C+)

Program Requirements

Lower-Level Requirements

Total credits: 51.00

Required:
BIOL 110General Biology I4.00 credits
BIOL 111General Biology II4.00 credits
BIOL 208Ecology4.00 credits
BIOL 230Botany - Algae to Angiosperms4.00 credits
CHEM 110Bonding and Structure4.00 credits
CHEM 111Chemical Dynamics and Energetics4.00 credits
COMP 115Learn to Code4.00 credits
ENSO 100Catalysts to Change - Perspectives on the Living Planet3.00 credits
ENSO 200Regional Studies I - Environmental Stewardship3.00 credits
GEOG 225Introduction to Geographic Information Systems4.00 credits
INTS 110Making Change: Regional Research and Action3.00 credits
STAT 101Introduction to Statistics3.00 credits
Choose 3.00 credits from the following list:
ANTH 206First Nations of British Columbia3.00 credits
ANTH 208Indigenous Peoples of North America3.00 credits
HIST 209History of Indigenous Peoples in Canada3.00 credits
Choose 4.00 credits from the following list:
BIOL 212Invertebrate Zoology4.00 credits
BIOL 213Vertebrate Zoology4.00 credits

 

Upper-Level Requirements

Total credits: 18.00

 

Upper-Level Modules

Total credits: 24.00

Required:

Students must complete a minimum of 24 credits of coursework from the module options listed below - either 2 modules, 1 module plus 12 credits, or 24 credits of coursework selected from any of the module options.

Module Requirements24.00 credits

 

Electives

Total credits: 27.00

Required:
ENGL 100University Writing Strategies3.00 credits
CMNS 250 Introduction to Technical Writing OR ENGL 220 Research Voices: Clarity and Style for the Academic Writer3.00 credits
Electives 100-level or higher18.00 credits
Electives 300-level or higher3.00 credits

 

Applied Ecology Module

Required:
BIOL 401Applied Population Ecology4.00 credits
BIOL 402Applied Ecosystem Ecology4.00 credits
GEOG 325GIS Applications in Natural Resource Management4.00 credits
Choose from the following list:

Select 3.00 credits

BIOL 409Global Change Biology3.00 credits
GEOG 316Climate Change: From Science to Sustainability3.00 credits

 

Biodiversity and Conservation Module

Required:
BIOL 308Conservation Biology3.00 credits
BIOL 408Ecosystem Restoration4.00 credits
BIOL 409Global Change Biology3.00 credits
Choose from the following list:

Select 3.00 credits

BIOL 350Natural History of BC3.00 credits
BIOL 351Global Biogeography3.00 credits
ENSO 301Traditional Systems of Resource and Land Use3.00 credits
GEOG 330Water Changes Everything3.00 credits
PSYC 340Psychology of Environmental Sustainability3.00 credits

 

Climate Change - Mitigation & Adaptation Module

 

Urban Sustainability Module

Required:
BIOL 305Ecological Principles for Sustainability3.00 credits
GEOG 355Urban Ecology3.00 credits
GEOG 455Green Infrastructures and Community Networks3.00 credits
Choose from the following list:

Select 3.00 credits

ENSO 301Traditional Systems of Resource and Land Use3.00 credits
GEOG 350Cities in the Global South3.00 credits
SOC 330Sociology of the City: Issues and Processes of Exclusion3.00 credits

 

Total program credits: 120.00

Program Notes

Students pursuing a baccalaureate degree must meet Cap Core graduation requirements in addition to their program requirements. In their final two years, students will further specialize their degree by completing a minimum of 24 credits of coursework associated with modules dedicated to Applied Ecology, Biodiversity & Conservation, Climate Change, and Urban Sustainability.

Contact

Have questions about this program?

Bachelor of Environment and Society



interdisciplinary@capilanou.ca

Student Information Services


604 984 4900
604 984 1798 (fax)
Library Building, room LB152
registration@capilanou.ca