Bachelor of Environmental Studies

"Acquire the knowledge to create a sustainable future. The reasons why are all around you."

With the new Bachelor of Environmental Studies program at the University of Prince Edward Island, you will learn to make environmental connections across academic fields and to analyze the environmental challenges we face today. In the classroom, field, and community, you will lead the way in finding innovative solutions—making a positive impact on sustainability in your personal life, locally and globally.

Environmental issues typically do not respect traditional academic boundaries and require scientific, technical, human, and social perspectives to address. As an interdisciplinary liberal arts and science program, the Bachelor of Environmental Studies will provide students with the opportunity to integrate knowledge across faculties of Arts, Science, and Business.

Dr. Carolyn Peach Brown, Director Environmental Studies

Degree Description

A student enrolled in the BES will require a total of 120 credit hours or 40 Courses which includes a minimum of 42 credit hours or 14 discipline-specific courses with a designation of Environmental Studies (ENV). Of these 14 ENV courses, at least 6 must be at the 3000 level or above, including at least 2 at the 4000 level. There are 5 required core (ENV) courses included as part of the 14 discipline-specific courses, one of which requires a 30-hour internship working with a community partner engaged in the environmental field (ENV 3010). There are requirements from the Faculties of Arts, Science, and the School of Business. Students are required to choose one of three specializations:

• Environmental Thought and Practice
• Island Environments and Sustainability
• Environmental Innovation and Change Management

Note: Each specialization has specific required courses.

Specializations

Course requirements for the areas of specialization

Students are expected to apply for a particular specialization at the beginning of their second year. However, it is possible for students to declare a specialization until the end of their third year. Please note that ENV courses taken as part of a specialization requirement can be used to fulfill the ENV requirements for the BES.

See the Suggested Course Sequence tab for each specialization's suggested sequence.

Environmental innovation and change management specialization

The specialization in Environmental Innovation and Change Management focuses on learning how to live within the limits of our environment and develop innovations to manage the interaction of human activities with and upon the environment in a positive way; to challenge the conventional and move organizations, businesses, and communities to invoke positive change.

Two Core Specialization Courses = 6 Hours Credit

• ENV 3320 - Environmental Innovation and Change Management Skills
• Either Economics 2110 - Introduction to Resource Economics OR Economics 2150 - Environmental Economics

9 credit hours chosen from the following list OR another course with permission of the Director:

• ENV 2240 - Field Course in Ecological Forestry
• ENV 2420 - Society and Natural Resources
• ENV 3510 - Sustainable Community Planning
• ENV 3540 - Environmental Valuation: Theory and Practice
• ENV 4330 - Environmental Communication Strategies
• ENV 4950 - Environmental Studies Symposium
• ENGN 1520 - Engineering and the Biosphere
• BUS 1410 - Marketing
• BUS 2650 - Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management
• BUS 3730 - Tourism Management
• PHYS 2610 - Energy, Environment and the Economy
• S/A 3410 - Technology, Society, and the Environment

Environmental thought and practice specialization

The specialization in Environmental Thought and Practice focuses on the exploration of the values, attitudes, and beliefs of people in relation to the environment in order to provide answers to pressing environmental concerns.

Two Core Specialization Courses = 6 Hours Credit

• Either Psychology 1010 - Introduction to Psychology I OR Psychology 3330 – Ecopsychology
• Sociology/Anthropology 3410 - Technology, Society, and the Environment

9 credit hours chosen from the following list OR another course with permission of the Director:

• ENV 2420 - Society and Natural Resources
• ENV 2310 - Island Environmental Histories
• ENV 3420 - Environment and Development
• ENV 4110 - Environmental Governance
• ENV 4330 - Environmental Communication Strategies
• ENV 4950 - Environmental Studies Symposium
• ENG 3220 - English-Canadian Poetry
• ENG 3620 - 19th-Century American Literature 1830-1910
• HIST 4830 - The History of the Environmentalist Movement
• PHIL 2060 - Animal Ethics
• PHIL 3710 - Community-based Ethical Inquiry

Island environments and sustainability specialization

The Island Environments and Sustainability specialization focus on the diverse characteristics of islands and Islanders’ interaction with the environment in order to gain an understanding of lessons for sustainability in all places.

Two Core Specialization Courses = 6 Hours Credit

• IST 2010 - Introduction to Island Studies
• Either POLS 2330 - Political Geography OR ENV 334 - Environmental Stresses on Island Communities

9 credit hours from the following list OR another course with permission of the Director:

• ENV 2120 - Earth's Physical Environment
• ENV 2310 - Island Environmental Histories
• ENV 3110 - Understanding Climate Change
• ENV 3210 - Natural Hazards
• ENV 3510 - Sustainable Community Planning
• ENV 4110 - Environmental Governance
• BIO 2220 - Ecology
• BIO 3270 - Field Coastal Ecology
• BIO 3910 - Marine Biology
• BIO 4520 - Biogeography and Macroecology
• BIO 4620 - Watershed Ecology
• SOC 3050 - Population and Society

History

The University of Prince Edward Island has a long-standing tradition of academic excellence dating back to the early 19th century. The University’s campus is a reflection of the character of UPEI on many levels—a complementary blend of old and new, of tradition and innovation.

UPEI at a Glance

• UPEI has 4,600+ students and more than 250 faculty, an 18:1 ratio
• UPEI students come from every province in Canada and more than 70 countries
• We have a 200-year history of providing higher education
• Our campus size is 140 acres
• UPEI's school motto is Faith, Knowledge, Service
• Downtown Charlottetown is a 20-minute walk from UPEI, but public transportation is free for UPEI students

Our Vision

The University of Prince Edward Island will be a leader in delivering outstanding experiential learning opportunities that encourage our students to develop to their full potential in both the classroom and the community. Driven by discovery, UPEI will be a destination for those eager to advance our world by creating new knowledge. Together, we will foster the development of tomorrow’s leaders who will emerge from their studies ready to excel and contribute to the betterment of our global and local communities.