Bachelor of Environment and Sustainability

at Memorial University of Newfoundland - Grenfell Campus Canada

This four-year bachelor of arts program explores the rituals, norms, beliefs, conflicts, and traditions that underpin culture and society.
By studying present and past cultural practices, and social and cultural shifts, students engage critically with important issues such as medical systems, the influences of mass media, global issues and trends, and the formation of group and personal identities. This program encourages students to learn about and contribute to contemporary debates on social and cultural issues that affect their daily lives and futures.

Why study social/cultural studies at Grenfell?  
Grenfell's social/cultural studies provides you with a broad, multidisciplinary education in contemporary social and cultural phenomena, and prepares students to engage with our multicultural, global, mass mediated and interconnected world as citizens, workers and scholars.  Our practical fieldwork courses involve original field research with human participants, and entail a broad range of skill sets applicable to many areas of employment after graduation.  Our focus on critical reading and effective writing provides lifelong skills. This is your invitation to join a vast, interactive learning experience where you approach the study of culture and society within present-day and historical contexts and from three distinct, yet complementary perspectives:

• Anthropology
• Folklore
• Sociology

These three areas share an emphasis on the individual experience and interpretation of culture and each rely on the ethnographic method – an approach that helps you understand the world from the perspective of the people you are studying. In the program there are opportunities for original field research under the mentorship of your professors.

In this four-year degree program, you'll learn about how humans look at their own personal development by studying diverse topics including:

• Literature
• Philosophy
• Religion
• History
• Fine arts
• Indigenous studies

Why study humanities at Grenfell
We ask big questions and look for connections. We study ideas and challenge conventions. We explore what it means to be human in an ever-changing world.

Grenfell's humanities program is one of only five in Canada. We provide students with an intimate, supportive learning environment where our instructors challenge you to consider ideas from a variety of perspectives and cultural works, past and present. The humanities program also encourages students to use critical thinking skills and creativity to express their ideas in effective ways. As a humanities student, you have opportunities to win scholarships and awards. Here are 11 reason why you should major in humanities!

Completing an arts degree at Grenfell Campus encompasses a full range of courses in English, environmental studies, historical studies, humanities, psychology, French studies, philosophy, and religious studies. 

Your program will enable you to develop your ability to think and write critically while exploring the past, present and future of society. You will have the opportunity to gain an appreciation for the diversity and importance of a variety of disciplines.

Why complete a Bachelor of Arts degree?
The Bachelor of Arts strengthens critical and creative thinking through a broad range of social, political and cultural studies. The program is designed to help students:

• Broaden your perspective on local and global affairs
• Encourage community and social involvement
• Prepare you for lifelong learning and occupational diversity

Explore BA Majors

• English
• Historical Studies
• Humanities
• Psychology
• Social/cultural Studies

Psychology seeks to understand how we think, act, and feel. By exploring mental functions and actions, we can understand individual and group behaviour. Grenfell's psychology program offers students a wide variety of topics and will provide you with skills and knowledge that will have relevance throughout your life including:

• Critical thinking
• Problem solving abilities
• Analytic abilities
• Writing skills
• Presentation skills

Near of the end of your studies, you'll have the opportunity to present your research to your peers, family, and the community at the Psychology Student Research Conference. It's a celebration of the work of our senior students and an impressive showcase of their skills in the research domain, further demonstrating the dynamic and comprehensive characteristics of psychology.

Historical studies involves more than facts, dates and events. 
The four-year bachelor of arts program focuses on historical developments, events, social and cultural conditions, major turning points and the lives of people who shape them. This program is about exploring the practical and intellectual aspects of the past that will intrigue, challenge and inspire students.

Why study historical studies?
History is the living, breathing story of humankind – how the past has influenced the present. Historical studies explores the different ways in which western societies, cultures and nations have evolved from the days of Greece and Rome to the present. You can take courses in European and North American history and explore the beginnings of empires to more recent globalization. Learn about art, cultural, gender and environmental history.

Historical studies students learn to research, discuss, communicate and engage an audience. You will learn how to investigate important issues and ideas, make sense of them, and critically evaluate them.

Science is about the origins of Earth and the understanding of the complex relationships between all its elements. It’s knowledge of plants and animals. It explains how a plane flies or what the soil is made of – it’s the foundation of our lives. Grenfell’s general science degree program is different from most: it recognizes the unique scientific foundation that comes from a triple concentration.

This four-year Bachelor of Science program gives you the opportunity to explore a variety of topics in five main areas of study. You will choose three of the following areas to focus on:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Earth Systems
• Mathematics
• Physics

Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the program, you’ll have a large number of course offerings to choose from. You’ll be led in classrooms by academics from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise. Your program will provide a broad academic preparation which will serve you well in many different careers.

Our science facilities include modern Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences and Physics labs, and you’ll have a chance to learn in Grenfell’s observatory which houses one of Atlantic Canada’s largest astronomical telescopes.

Math is all around us, from landing that perfect snowboard jump to designing the next best-selling app. It’s about discovering this place we live in through algorithms, calculations and logical reasoning. The computational mathematics program at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University is a four-year bachelor of science degree. Students strengthen their logical reasoning skills and can gain technical knowledge in diverse areas, including:

• Economics
• Engineering
• Physics
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Psychology
• Business
• Computer science

Why study computational mathematics at Grenfell?
Computational mathematics is about solving real world problems with numbers. It’s about learning to think critically and developing analytical skills that will prepare you for countless opportunities. Computational mathematics is the language of the future. You’ll gain the skills you need to navigate the numbers and prepare for the evolution of many industries.

In Grenfell's computational mathematics program, you‘ll take courses such as:

• Differential equations
• Numerical analysis
• Applied graph theory
• Statistics
• Vector calculus
• Logical reasoning
• Algorithms and complexity?

The environmental science program at Grenfell Campus focuses on applying natural sciences to better understand the environment. 
Program courses explore a science-based focus on the environment that extends from chemical reactions to ecosystem functions in response to human modification of the world around us.

Why study environmental science at Grenfell?

• The natural world with its complexity and beauty offers many opportunities to learn. The environment also provides energy, nourishment, employment and recreation – to use it wisely, we need to understand it.
• Grenfell’s environmental science program is a four-year interdisciplinary degree with general or honours options. You will also have the choice of completing one of two streams: 
• Chemistry stream students take specialized courses in analytical chemistry, industrial and atmospheric chemistry, as well as aquatic chemistry.
• Biology stream students take specialized courses in taxonomy, terrestrial and freshwater ecology, as well as statistical and field methods.

All students take an introductory course in field and lab techniques for environmental science along with a toxicology course, and then choose from senior courses in soils, restoration and water management, hydrology and ground water flow, environmental impact assessment, or conservation biology.

The program offers a combination of lectures, laboratory work and field courses in a package of required courses and environmental focus areas.

The Bachelor of Environment and Sustainability (BES) program bridges scientific concerns about natural resources with policy development and management. The four-year degree program offers two majors, one in Environmental Studies and one in Resource Management.

Why study environment and sustainability?
We depend on the environment for many aspects of our daily lives, including food, employment, recreation, and natural resources for homes, transportation and consumer goods.  Future generations will have a similar dependence on the environment as we do now; it is our responsibility to ensure that they way we use resources now does not impact access to those same resources by future generations.

This BES equips students with the tools and critical thinking skills necessary to make decisions regarding how we use the environment now with a view to future generations. Students in each BES major take a common set of courses through out the four years of the program. Environmental Studies majors take an additional set of courses from a social science perspective (such as economics, political science, geography) whereas Resource Mangement majors take as set of courses have an ecological or science based perspective (such as geographic information systems, population and resource dynamics, and quantitative methods).  

BES is ideal for students who are looking to design solutions that meet the needs of current society without jeopardizing the quality and quantity of resources for the future.  Students take a holistic approach, exploring ethics, ecology, economics, geography, risk, activism and policy, examining issues through both local and global lenses.

The bachelor of science generally takes four years to complete. After one year of study, you may apply to your desired major program; you may also select a minor. You can choose from a full range of majors, minors and joint programs to pursue your areas of interest while getting excellent preparation for graduate work or careers in your discipline.

Majors
Students are encouraged to choose their major after finishing their first year of study.

• Applied mathematics
• Behavioral neuroscience*
• Biochemistry
• Biology*
• Chemistry
• Chemistry (biological)
• Computational Chemistry
• Computer science*
• Computer science (smart systems)
• Computer science (software engineering) - honours option*
• Computer Science (visual computing and games)
• Earth sciences
• Economics*
• Environmental physics
• Geography
• Marine Biology
• Nutrition
• Ocean Physics
• Ocean Sciences
• Ocean Sciences (environmental systems)
• Physics
• Psychology*
• Pure mathematics
• Statistics

Co-op available
Students who wish to declare more than one major should consult the joint program options listed in the links above. If no joint option exists, students can complete a double major by fulfilling all the requirements of two individual majors.