Environmental and Sustainability Studies (BA Program)
Annie Booth, Professor
Zoë Meletis, Associate Professor
Sinead Earley, Assistant Professor
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
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 credits necessary to meet the Academic Breadth requirement of the University (see Academic Regulation 15).
Program Requirements
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 | 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 Recreation and Tourism | |
GEOG 204-3 | Introduction to GIS |
Upper-Division Requirement
300 Level
Gender, Environment and Sustainability
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Public Engagement for Sustainability
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Low-Carbon Transitions: Theory and Practice
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Aboriginal Perspectives on Land and Resource Management
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400 Level
Environmental Law
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Environmental and Professional Ethics
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Global Environmental Policy: Energy and Climate
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Environmental & Sustainability Studies Senior Seminar
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Tenure, Conflict and Resource Geography
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or FNST 306-3 | Indigenous Women: Perspectives | |
or FNST 407-3 | First Nations Perspectives on Race, Class, Gender and Power | |
or FNST 416-3 | International Perspective | |
or FNST 444-3 | Experiential Course in First Nations Studies | |
or GEOG 306-3 | Critical Development Geographies | |
Environmental Justice
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or GEOG 305-3
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Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making
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Environmental Problems and Human Behaviour
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or ANTH 312-3
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Human Adaptability and Environmental Stress | |
or ANTH 405-3 | Landscapes, Place and Culture | |
or ANTH 413-3 | Environmental Anthropology |
Areas of Specialization
Global Environmental Studies
Social Geography
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Introduction to Global Studies
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Cultural Geography
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Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making (if NOT taken as a requirement for the major)
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Critical Development Geographies
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Changing Arctic: Human and Environmental System
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Geographies of Culture, Rights and Power
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Any INTS 3-credit language course | |
INTS 210-3 | Globalizations |
Introduction to the Circumpolar North
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Lands and Environments of the Circumpolar North 1
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Contemporary Issues of the Circumpolar North 1
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Communities and Environmental Citizenship
Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology
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or POLS 332-3 | Community Development |
Social Geography
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Introduction to Canadian Business
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Organizational Behaviour
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Environment and Society
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Mediation, Negotiation and Public Participation
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Rural Community Economic Development
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Contemporary Challenges Facing Aboriginal Communities
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First Nations Perspectives on Race, Class, Gender and Power
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Migration and Development
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Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making
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GEOG 307-3 | Changing Arctic: Human and Environmental Systems |
Health Geography
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NREM 110-3 | Food, Agriculture, and Society |
Foundations of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
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Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
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Municipal Government and Politics
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Natural Resource Management
Required
Field Skills
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Introduction to Natural Resources Management and Conservation
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The Practice of Conservation
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Foundations of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
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Introduction to Traditional Ecological Knowledge
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Cartography and Geomatics
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Resource Inventories and Measurements
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Integrated Resource Management
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Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Tourism
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Mediation, Negotiation and Public Participation
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Field Applications in Resource Management
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Natural Resources Planning
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Conservation Planning
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Recreation and Tourism Impacts
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Protected Area Planning and Management
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Conservation Area Design and Management
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Contemporary Issues in the Circumpolar North
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Indigenous Perspectives
Three of the following:
Ethnography of Northern British Columbia
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Contemporary Challenges Facing Aboriginal Communities
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Aboriginal Resource Planning
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Social Geography
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Ethnobotany
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First Nations Community and Environmental Planning
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ENPL 409-3 | Advanced First Nations Community and Environmental Planning |
Any FNST 3-credit language course | |
Any FNST 3-credit culture course | |
Research Methods in First Nations Studies
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First Nations Religion and Philosophy
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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 | International Perspective |
FNST 444-3 | Experiential Course in First Nations Studies |
Traditional Use Studies
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Cultural Geography
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Indigenous Geographies of Climate Resilience | |
History of Indigenous People of Canada
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Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity
GEOG 203-3 | Canada: Places, Cultures and Identities |
WMST 303-3 | Lesbian and Bisexual Lives |
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 |
FNST 306-3 | Indigenous Women: Perspectives |
WMST 103-3 | Introduction to Gender Studies |
WMST 209-3 | Gender and Cultural Studies: An Introduction |
ENPL 208-3 | First Nations Community and Environmental Planning |
FNST 217-3 | Contemporary Challenges Facing Aboriginal Communities |
FNST 312-3 | Image of the Indian in Film |
FNST 350-3 | Law and Indigenous Peoples |
GEOG 209-3 | Migration and Development |
GEOG 306-3 | Critical Development Geographies |
POLS 377-3 | Politics of Climate Change |
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 15). 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)
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.
Area of Specialization: 24 to 29 credit hours
Lower-Division Requirement
Introductory Ecology
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or POLS 100-3
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Contemporary Political Issues
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Introduction to Environmental Citizenship
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Environmental Perspectives |
Upper-Division Requirement
Public Engagement for Sustainability
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|
Low-Carbon Transitions: Theory and Practice
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Environmental Law
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|
Environmental and Sustainability Policies
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Internship
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Environmental & Sustainability Studies Senior Seminar
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Tenure, Conflict, and Resource Geography
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or GEOG 306-3
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Critical Development Geographies
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or FNST 306-3
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Indigenous Women: Perspectives
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or FNST 407-3
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First Nations Perspectives on Race, Class, Gender and Power
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or FNST 416-3
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International Perspective
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or FNST 444-3
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Experiential Course in First Nations Studies
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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
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)
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 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 |
ANTH 405-3 | Landscapes, Place and Culture |
or ANTH 413-(3-6) | 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
Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies
be used to fulfill requirements for a minor in Environmental 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
Introduction to Environmental Citizenship
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Introduction to Environmental Policy
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Environmental and Professional Ethics
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Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology
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Environmental Law
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Environmental Perspectives
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Gender, Environment and Sustainability
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Public Engagement for Sustainability
|
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Global Environmental Policy: Energy and Climate
|
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First Nations Environmental Philosophy and Knowledge
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Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making
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Tenure, Conflict, and Resource Geography
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Environmental Justice
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First Nations' Approaches to Resource Management
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Environmental Problems and Human Behaviour
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Minor in Global Environmental Change
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
ENVS 210-3 | Environmental Perspectives |
ENVS 431-3 | Global Environmental Policy: Energy and Climate |
Introductory Ecology
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or BIOL 201-3
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Ecology
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Plant Ecology
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Introduction to Atmospheric Science
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Northern Contaminated Environments
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Biometeorology
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Storms
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Air Pollution
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Introduction to Remote Sensing
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Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy
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Environment and Society
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Sustainable Communities: Structure and Sociology
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Environmental Impact Assessment
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Environmental Law
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Introduction to Environmental Policy
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Political Ecology: Environmental Knowledge and Decision-Making
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Tenure, Conflict, and Resource Geography
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Environmental Justice
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Introduction to Environmental History
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Topics in Environmental History
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Introduction to Global Studies
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International Organization
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Sustainable Resource Recreation and Tourism
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Contemporary Political Issues
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Society, Policy and Administration of Natural Resources
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Environmental Problems and Human Behaviour
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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
Environmental Law
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Mediation, Negotiation and Public Participation
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Public Engagement for Sustainability
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POLS 332-3 |
Community Development
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POLS 434-3 | Resource Communities in Transition |
Ethnobotany
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Introduction to Planning
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Mediation, Negotiation and Public Participation
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Social Research Methods
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Advanced First Nations Community and Environmental Planning
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Environmental Perspectives
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Introduction to Environmental Policy
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Public Engagement for Sustainability
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Introduction to Traditional Ecological Knowledge
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Indigenous Environmental Philosophy
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Internship
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Tenure, Conflict and Resource Geography
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Indigenous Geographies of Climate Resilience | |
Northern Communities
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Topics in Environmental History
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Agroforestry
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Sustainable Recreation and Tourism
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Municipal Government and Politics
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Community Development
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Resource Communities in Transition
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