Diploma in Northern Outdoor and Environmental Studies

at Yukon University - Whitehorse Campus Canada

Northern Outdoor and Environmental Studies is a multidisciplinary exploration of contemporary environmental issues and human-environment relationships, with particular emphasis on northern systems.

Drawing upon the natural and social sciences, humanities and the arts, and integrating experiential learning opportunities to bridge classroom, community and Yukon wilderness, the program critically examines a variety of environmental issues, including:

• Land use and interpretation
• Resource depletion and stewardship
• Wilderness protection and fragmentation
• Biodiversity
• Pollution and contaminants
• Climate change

The complex nature of environmental subject matter is addressed through ecological, socio-cultural, political, economic and philosophical inquiry.

The program is sufficiently broad to be of interest to students seeking vocational opportunities after completing their studies at Yukon University or preparing for transfer to a university degree program.

It also presents an exciting continuing education opportunity for individuals currently employed in or interested in fields such as education, environmental policy or management, recreation and tourism.

Renewable resources include the living portions of the natural world such as plants and animals as well as non-living resources such as air and water. Managing these resources so they are sustainable for future generations is a critical mission. Achieving this task involves a balancing act so that we can meet society’s present needs without harming the resource base for the future.

Students receive a Diploma of Renewable Resources Management (RRMT) after successfully completing a total of 22 academic courses over a two-year period as well as non-credit courses in Winter Travel and Survival, Wilderness First Aid and Firearms Safety. Most of these courses are delivered in a classroom setting with an emphasis on practical techniques acquired during mandatory labs, short field trips and three separate 10-day field courses.

Team and individual projects, discussions and presentations are important aspects of program delivery. Practising managers from the community frequently assist with the teaching.

Students take a set of core courses in first year that develop competencies in areas such as:

    data collection
    oral and written communication
    computer use
    mapping
    basic biology

Two field courses between first and second year offer the chance to gain field experience, while many of the second year courses emphasize practical management aspects and give students the opportunity to choose from a series of electives.

Instruction reflects the cultural, political and employment realities in Yukon—particularly those associated with the implementation of land claim settlements—but program content is of wide application and graduates have found employment across Canada.

Our goal is to provide the knowledge, skills and perspectives to enable graduates to assist with the management of land, water, forest, fish and wildlife resources in the North; and to prepare students for transfer to degree level programs in fields related to renewable resource management.

Our Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) aims to create business leaders who will increase prosperity where they live and work.?Many northern rural and remote areas of Canada and the world are well positioned to expand, develop and provide rich and rewarding places to live and work.?This degree is created for those interested in making a difference in these places.?Students will be exposed to values, knowledge and skills that prepare them to work well and collaboratively within the business and governance context of the North.?

This BBA is distinctive in that it has been created from a de-colonial perspective.? The curriculum is rooted in the context of our unique identity and circumstances that are common to much of the world.? Our identity is closely tied to the land and wilderness, and to First Nations’ traditions and cultures. However, many of the circumstances that define us are not unique to Yukon; low population densities, vast distances and remoteness, higher costs, and operating environments that often require people to work independently while fulfilling broad roles are common beyond urban centres.?

The programs balance the academic rigor necessary for baccalaureate-level training while fostering communal growth through experiential learning and creating a supportive learning community.? Graduates leave prepared to create and sustain prosperity in places and circumstances akin to ours, but wherever they call home. 

Northern First Nations Studies is an interdisciplinary program in which students learn about the history, cultures and accomplishments, as well as the social, political and national concerns of First Nations and other Indigenous peoples of the Yukon, the Canadian North and the Circumpolar World.

The Aviation Management diploma trains in a unique northern climate that offers variable topography and an increased number of acceptable flying days.

The Aviation Management diploma comprises a block transfer of pilot training credentials earned at Alkan Air (or other recognized flight school) that equals one year or 30 credits and an additional 30 credits earned at Yukon University. Students are expected to earn a commercial pilot license while concurrently earning academic credits. However, students may enter the program with some pilot training (a private pilot license for example) or a completed commercial license.

Students may complete the ground school and flight training component of the Aviation Management diploma in a flexible manner. The majority of ground school courses will occur during the evening at Alkan Air and flight training must take place during daylight hours (exception is night time flight training). Students may participate in ground school courses and flight training throughout the calendar year and these components are completed on an individualized basis. All flight training components are organized directly with Alkan Air Flight School.

In order to attain a Commercial Pilot License, students must first be endorsed with a Private Pilot License (included in the Aviation Management program). The Private Pilot License component consists of 45 flight training hours (minimum). The Commercial Pilot License component consists of 200 hours (minimum) of total flight time. The Private License and Commercial License components involve a number of Transport Canada regulated flight training courses and exams.

Students receive a Diploma of Aviation Management after successfully completing Transport Canada's Commercial Pilot License, Yukon First Nation core competency, a total of 10 academic courses (30 credits) over a two-year period, as well as a 40-hour, non-credit course in Advanced Wilderness and Remote First Aid/CPR-Ca

The School of Science offers university-transfer courses in mathematics and in the earth, life and physical sciences.

Students can complete a one-year Certificate of Science, a two-year Diploma of Northern Science or a four-year Northern Environmental and Conservation Sciences degree. The Certificate of Science is awarded for the completion of the equivalent of one year of full-time university-level study (30 credits) in the sciences that meets the requirements below.

Students also have the opportunity to take second year courses that are commonly required for continuing studies in biology and life science-related fields. These studies can allow you to specialize in:

• Medicine
• Nutrition
• Molecular or cell biology
• Genetics
• Zoology
• Botany
• Ecology
• Animal behavior
• Physiology

Yukon University offers most courses needed for the first two years of a Bachelor of Science degree program with a major in Biology.

The Northern Science diploma, ENCS stream, prepares students for transfer to the Bachelor of Science in Northern Environmental and Conservation Sciences (ENCS) program, offered at Yukon University in partnership with the University of Alberta. The diploma program provides two years of university transferable courses that fulfill the requirements to enter the third year of the ENCS program with a Major in Northern Systems.

The Diploma of Northern Science, ENCS stream, is awarded for the completion of the equivalent of 60 credits. Courses are selected from Core and Elective options, as well as two additional three-credit "free electives".  These free electives can be chosen from a variety of disciplines (discuss with a Program Advisor).

Combining theory and practice, the Heritage and Culture certificate (HCC) prepares students for work in the heritage and culture management field, with a specific focus on Yukon First Nations heritage and culture management.

Topics covered in the HCC include:

• Yukon First Nations history
• Public administration
• Archives and collections management
• Preservation of traditional knowledge
• Language and culture
• Anthropology

Students develop a foundation of professional ethics and values, self-awareness and critical thinking, and an understanding of heritage issues within their communities.

The School of Science offers university-transfer courses in mathematics and in the earth, life and physical sciences. Students can complete a one-year Certificate of Science, a two-year Diploma of Northern Science or a four-year Bachelor of Science degree.

The Diploma of Northern Science is designed for those who wish either to enter a scientific profession or to work in the North at the technical level. A wide choice of electives enables students to concentrate on a particular field of study or to construct a general science program with a strong northern focus.

In the first year, students have two options:

• Complete the Yukon College Certificate of Science (or equivalent) OR
• Complete a first-year program comprised of Chemistry, English and selected electives.

Building on this base, in their second year, students take the Northern Studies Core as well as northern-oriented science electives and develop practical expertise by attending the Northern Studies Field Camp.