Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

at University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) - Prince George Campus Canada

The Public Administration and Community Development major gives students the skills required to function within a range of groups, organizations, and offices. Graduates are able to interact with appropriate professionals, receive their input and reports, and collate a wide range of information and material in service of their group/organization/office. Skills in analysis and synthesis are complemented by an ability to work cooperatively and effectively, and an ability to communicate clearly through written, oral, and graphic media.

Mathematics
An important feature of the mathematics degree program is the early emphasis on the development of abstract reasoning and the relation of the abstract to the concrete. The degree requirements have been chosen so as to provide students with a broad background in mathematics while still leaving them room to pursue their individual interests.

Physics
Physics is the study of nature at its most fundamental level. As such it is the science upon whose principles all other sciences and technologies are based. Because it is so basic, a major in physics is ideal preparation, not only for further study in physics, but also for advanced study in such diverse fields as biophysics, medicine, astrophysics, chemical physics, engineering, meteorology, and computer science.

Tourism has become the largest industry and employer in the world.  One of the most important and fastest growing sectors in tourism is nature-based tourism, which comprises attractions, activities and experiences involving interaction with natural and cultural resources (e.g., ecotourism, adventure tourism, indigenous tourism).  This degree examines the various components of the nature-based tourism system, giving emphasis to the entrepreneurial perspectives and sustainability issues in the industry.  Reflecting the interdisciplinarity of the field, and related career directions, students select from the following Areas of Specialization: marketing and entrepreneurship, outdoor education and leadership, indigenous/cultural tourism, or environment and society.

Explore the cause and effect of critical events throughout history such as warfare, activism, exploration, culture and science.

Historians study what people have thought, said, and done in the past. You will learn to think critically about the historical processes that shape the present. As a history major, you will develop the knowledge needed to pursue careers in law, education, journalism, civil service, politics, museum and library archives, or post-secondary professorship.

Program Details
This degree draws on almost every time period, theory and geographical space. Choose from a variety of subjects, including the record of First Nations in Canada, women in European medieval society, and history of law, or delve into religious, race and economic issues that span global borders.

Our faculty bring a mix of methodologies to their instruction—you are encouraged to follow your personal interests in course selection and independent research. The department offers specialized courses in the history of law, crime and punishment.

Students pursuing a BSc in Conservation Science and Practice focus on understanding and addressing the contemporary challenges facing the sustainable use and conservation of our environment. Navigating these challenges requires a strong scientific foundation, including the necessary appreciation for both the natural and human dimensions of conservation and management. This degree equips students with the knowledge to enter a solutions-based career that actively contributes to solving today’s conservation and management problems. Our goal is to provide students with the philosophical foundation, scientific theory, and technical skills to address the challenge of maintaining the functioning of ecosystems across developed, developing and still-wild landscapes.

The BSc in Conservation Science and Practice allows students to pursue one of two majors:

• Wildland Conservation and Recreation
• Landscape Conservation and Management

The major in Landscape Conservation and Management focuses on natural and human-modified systems across broad spatial scales. The emphasis in this major is on integrated landscapes that support a wide variety of values and activities, including the maintenance of biodiversity, the rights and practices of Indigenous Peoples, ecosystem services, and resource extraction. Courses in this major consider human activities across a range of ecological scales but with an emphasis on landscape and ecosystem-level processes. Graduates from the major develop the skills to work with cutting-edge tools and data that are necessary for the planning and management of multiple values across space and time. 

English
Study for a degree in English and prepare to be an effective communicator, critical thinker, or creative writer. Apply your skills to many rewarding careers including public relations and writing novels, blogs, textbooks and advertising copy.

Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Learn to be an effective agent of environmental, sustainability and social innovation as you promote the mitigation of, and/or adaptation to, environmental and sustainability challenges.

A degree in Environmental and Sustainability Studies leads to a rewarding career in sectors such as government, Indigenous government and agencies, the non-profit sector, law (with additional training), international development, environmental consulting, environmental health and more.

The General Business major allows students to obtain a reasonable depth of knowledge in all the functional areas of business while maintaining a broad-based education in business management. This combination provides the integrative management skills to operate both within and across functional responsibility areas, an ability valued highly by employers. Therefore, General Business majors are in demand by many firms and government organizations. Students intending to start their own business endeavours would also be well-served by the General Business major.
 

History
Historians study what people have thought, said, and done in the past. You will learn to think critically about the historical processes that shape the present. As a history major, you will develop the knowledge needed to pursue careers in law, education, journalism, civil service, politics, museum and library archives, or post-secondary professorship.

Women's Studies 
Women's Studies is an interdisciplinary field dedicated to studying the historical, cultural, literary, and societal role of women and gender. UNBC's program has strengths in areas such as women's and gender history; gender, literature, and literary theory; gender, colonialism, and postcolonialism; gender and globalization; feminism, justice, and ethics; gender and health; and gender and international studies.The Women's Studies program offers majors and minors in Women's Studies and, in cooperation with other programs, four joint majors. At the graduate level, the program offers a Master's degree in Gender Studies.

The Bachelor of Science (Integrated) provides a broad science base and integrates more than one area of study.  The program allows students to transfer into single-discipline science majors built on a foundation of Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics, or alternatively to switch from them to the BSc (Integrated).  Prior to starting the first year of study, students are strongly encouraged to consult with an appropriate Program Advisor for their anticipated area of concentration.

Areas of Specialization are:

• Biology, Ecology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
• Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Computer Science
• Environmental and Earth Sciences
• Geography (Science) and GIS
• Mathematics and Statistics
• Natural Resources and Forestry
• Physics

Economics
Economics as a discipline is constructed around the need to identify agents in the economy and analyze their interactions. As such it is based upon deriving generalizations by identifying behavioural rules and examining causal relationships between economic variables. The emphasis on examining causal relationships is a distinguishing feature of economics and forms an important part of its claim to be a social science. As well as addressing these central concerns, the Department of Economics recognizes the interaction between the economy and other broader social, political, cultural and technological forces. The Department therefore places special emphasis on courses that analyze institutions, facilitate comparative studies, encourage a historical approach, and recognize the pervasiveness of technological change.

Mathematics
An important feature of the mathematics degree program is the early emphasis on the development of abstract reasoning and the relation of the abstract to the concrete. The degree requirements have been chosen so as to provide students with a broad background in mathematics while still leaving them room to pursue their individual interests.