This program is open only to students in the B.Sc. or B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major Environment.
IMPORTANT: Please note that this program has been updated as of the Fall 2025 semester.
Students who entered the program prior to Fall 2025 and are planning to complete the previous version of the program should refer to the applicable listing in the eCalendar.
What physical and biological processes operate in fresh and saltwater ecosystems, and how can they be protected?
To educate students in both the ecological and physical facets of the water environment, this domain offers two streams, with students choosing one or the other facet. Those electing the Biological Stream will focus on the mechanisms regulating the different forms of life in water bodies. They will acquire, as well, a good understanding of the physical mechanisms controlling water properties.
Students interested in studying the transport and transformation mechanisms of water on the planet, from rivers to the oceans and atmosphere, will select the Physical Stream. They will acquire, as well, a solid background in the biological processes taking place in water bodies.
Graduates of this program are qualified to enter the workforce or to pursue advanced studies in fields such as marine biology, geography, physical oceanography and atmospheric science.
See also Information for Students for details concerning:
- Suggested First Year Courses
- Taking courses on both campuses
- ENVR course sections - beware!
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 required and complementary courses.
NOTE: Revisions have been made to this Concentration, shown below, effective Fall 2025.
Required Courses (21 credits)
ATOC 215. Oceans, Weather and Climate.
ENVR 200. The Global Environment.
ENVR 201. Society, Environment and Sustainability.
ENVR 202. The Evolving Earth.
ENVR 203. Knowledge, Ethics and Environment.
ENVR 301. Environmental Research Design.
ENVR 400. Environmental Thought.
Complementary Courses (42 credits)
Senior Research Project
3 credits from:
AEBI 427. Barbados Interdisciplinary Project.(M)(in Barbados)
ENVR 401. Environmental Research.
ENVR 451. Research in Panama. (in Panama)
FSCI 444. Barbados Research Project. (in Barbados)
GEOG 451. Research in Society and Development in Africa. (in Africa)
* 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives
Hydrology and Ecology
3 credits from:
BREE 217. Hydrology and Water Resources. (M)
or GEOG 322. Environmental Hydrology.
3 credits from:
BIOL 308. Ecological Dynamics.
or ENVB 305. Population and Community Ecology. (M)
Statistics
3 credits from:
AEMA 310. Statistical Methods 1.
GEOG 202. Statistics and Spatial Analysis.
MATH 203. Principles of Statistics 1.
Field Course
3 credits from:
BIOL 331. Ecology/Behaviour Field Course. (at Mont St. Hilaire)
BIOL 334D1. Applied Tropical Ecology. and BIOL 334D2. Applied Tropical Ecology. (in Barbados)
BIOL 335. Marine Mammals. (in New Brunswick)
BIOL 343. Biodiversity in the Caribean. (in Barbados)
GEOG 495. Field Studies - Physical Geography. (at Mont St. Hilaire)
WILD 401. Fisheries and Wildlife Management. (M) (field trip in New York)
27 credits from one of the following two streams:
Biological Stream
Social Sciences and Policy
3-6 credits from:
AGEC 333. Resource Economics. (M)
ANSC 555. The Use and Welfare of Animals. (M)
ANTH 339. Ecological Anthropology.
ANTH 418. Environment and Development.
COMS 360. Environmental Communication.
ECON 225. Economics of the Environment.
ECON 326. Ecological Economics.
ENVB 437. Assessing Environmental Impact. (M)
ENVR 421. Montreal: Environmental History and Sustainability. (offered alternate years, in May term)
ENVR 422. Montreal Urban Sustainability Analysis. (offered alternate years, in May term)
GEOG 302. Environmental Management 1.
GEOG 340. Sustainability in the Caribbean. (in Barbados)
GEOG 404. Environmental Management 2. (in Africa)
GEOG 498. Humans in Tropical Environments. (offered alternate years; in Panama)
GEOG 530. Global Land and Water Resources.
HIST 510. Environmental History of Latin America (Field). (offered alternate years; in Panama)
POLI 345. International Organizations.
POLI 350. Global Environmental Politics.
WCOM 314. Communicating Science.
WILD 421. Wildlife Conservation. (M)
Water Environments and Habitats
12-15 credits from:
BIOL 310. Biodiversity and Ecosystems.
BIOL 342. Global Change Biology of Aquatic Ecosystems.
BIOL 432. Limnology.
BIOL 441. Biological Oceanography.
BIOL 465. Conservation Biology.
BIOL 553. Neotropical Environments.(in Panama)
BREE 533. Water Quality Management. (M)
ENVB 210. The Biophysical Environment. (M)
or GEOG 305. Soils and Environment.
ENVB 410. Ecosystem Ecology. (M)
ENVB 500. Advanced Topics in Ecotoxicology. (M) (offered Fall 2025 and alternate years)
ENVR 540. Ecology of Species Invasions.
or BIOL 540. Ecology of Species Invasions.
GEOG 470. Wetlands.
MICR 331. Microbial Ecology. (M)
NRSC 333. Pollution and Bioremediation. (M)
PARA 410. Environment and Infection. (M)
SOIL 535. Soil Ecology. (M)
WILD 302. Fish Ecology. (M)
Surface and Atmospheric Processes:
6-9 credits from:
ATOC 214. Introduction: Physics of the Atmosphere.
ATOC 219. Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry.
or CHEM 219. Introduction to Atmospheric Chemistry.
ATOC 341. Caribbean Climate and Weather. (in Barbados)
BIOL 515. Advances in Aquatic Ecology.
BREE 509. Hydrologic Systems and Modelling.
CHEM 267. Introductory Chemical Analysis.
ENVB 529. GIS for Natural Resource Management. (M)
or GEOG 201. Introductory Geo-Information Science.
ENVB 530. Advanced GIS for Natural Resource Management. (M)
EPSC 220. Principles of Geochemistry.
EPSC 325. Environmental Geochemistry.
EPSC 519. Isotopes in Earth and Environmental Science.
EPSC 522. Advanced Environmental Hydrology.
or GEOG 522. Advanced Environmental Hydrology.
GEOG 308. Remote Sensing for Earth Observation.
GEOG 505. Global Biogeochemistry.
GEOG 506. Advanced Geographic Information Science.
GEOG 550. Historical Ecology Techniques.Note: You may take only one of: ATOC 219 or CHEM 219; ENVB 529 or GEOG 201; EPSC 522 or GEOG 522.
Physical Stream
Atmosphere and Thermodynamics
6 credits from:
ATOC 214. Introduction: Physics of the Atmosphere.
ATOC 315. Thermodynamics and Convection.
Advanced Hydrology
3 credits from:
BREE 509. Hydrologic Systems and Modelling. (M)
BREE 533. Water Quality Management. (M)
EPSC 522. Advanced Environmental Hydrology.
EPSC 549. Hydrogeology.
GEOG 522. Advanced Environmental Hydrology.
Intermediate Calculus
3 credits from:
Engineering/Mathematics/Hydrology
6-9 credits from:
AEMA 305. Differential Equations. (M)
or MATH 315. Ordinary Differential Equations.]ATOC 309. Weather Radars and Satellites.
BREE 416. Engineering for Land Development. (M)
BREE 420. Engineering for Sustainability. (M)
BREE 506. Advances in Drainage Management. (M)
BREE 509. Hydrologic Systems and Modelling. (M)
BREE 510. Watershed Systems Management. (M)
[course link BREE 533} (M)
CIVE 323. Hydrology and Water Resources.ENVB 210. The Biophysical Environment. (M)
or GEOG 305. Soils and Environment.ENVB 529. GIS for Natural Resource Management. (M)
or GEOG 201. Introductory Geo-Information Science.ENVB 530. Advanced GIS for Natural Resource Management. (M)
or GEOG 506. Advanced Geographic Information Science.EPSC 522. Advanced Environmental Hydrology.
or GEOG 522. Advanced Environmental Hydrology.EPSC 549. Hydrogeology.
GEOG 308. Remote Sensing for Earth Observation.
GEOG 314. Geospatial Analysis.
SOIL 315. Soil Nutrient Management. (M)Note: You may take only one of: ENVB 529 or GEOG 201; ENVB 530 or GEOG 506; ENVB 210 or GEOG 305; AEMA 305 or MATH 315; EPSC 522 or GEOG 522.
Marine and Freshwater Biology
6-9 credits from:
BIOL 310. Biodiversity and Ecosystems.
BIOL 342. Global Change Biology of Aquatic Ecosystems.
BIOL 432. Limnology.
BIOL 441. Biological Oceanography.
BIOL 553. Neotropical Environments. (in Panama)
GEOG 470. Wetlands.
GEOG 505. Global Biogeochemistry.
GEOG 530. Global Land and Water Resources.
WILD 302. Fish Ecology. (M)
WILD 421. Wildlife Conservation. (M)