If you are curious or concerned about climate change, pollution, resource depletion and degradation, loss of biodiversity, invasive species, or conservation of natural habitats, our Environmental programs offer you exciting study and career opportunities.
Environmental Science students apply tools and principles from biology, chemistry, physics, geology, geography, hydrology, climatology, and geographic information systems (GIS), among others, to characterize and analyze how the physical and living environment functions and how it is affected by human activities.
Environmental Studies students connect the tools and principles of environmental science with principles from social science, arts, and humanities to characterize and analyze complex human-environment interactions and formulate effective ethical, political, and social strategies to address human impacts.
Our comprehensive, integrated, systems-based approach combines classroom, laboratory, and field studies to provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to guide sustainable development and use of precious Earth resources, and to mitigate human-induced environmental impact and change.
Environmental Studies
The Environmental Studies program at the University of Windsor provides an integrated, multidisciplinary, and systems-based approach to understanding human interactions with and influences on the natural, built, social, and organizational environments.
Earth’s environment is everything surrounding us – living and non-living. This includes not only the natural environment, but also built, social, and organizational human environments, as well as the relationships and interactions between these environments.
Incorporating aspects of science, social science, humanities, and arts, the program characterizes and analyzes complex human environment interactions and formulates effective ethical, political, and social strategies to address human impacts.
Our Bachelor of Environmental Studies program blends diverse academic disciplines to create a one-of-a-kind learning experience. The program introduces you to the range of social, cultural, economic, political, legal, and ethical factors influencing human interaction with the environment. At the same time, you will gain literacy in aspects of the physical and biological sciences in order to better understand natural environmental processes.
You will learn techniques for obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting environmental information, such as academic literature and public reports, statistics, case studies, and map data. You will get practice with many methods of environmental analysis, data visualization, and presentation, such as geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, aerial photography, cartography, cost-benefit analyses, environmental impact assessment, questionnaire design, and field measurement.
Experiential Learning
Independent research projects are available in the fourth year of the program, which are supervised by University faculty or external organizations. Example external partners include the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research (GLIER), Essex-Windsor Solid Waste Authority, and the Essex Region Conservation Authority. An optional field course is available to third-year students and other international field course experiences can be arranged in consultation with a program counsellor.
Career Paths
- Auditing
- Impact and quality assessment
- Planning and resource management
- Sustainability policy and practice
- Conservation and restoration
- Law, regulation, and policy (with additional studies)
- Recreation and eco-tourism
Admission Requirements
Minimum 70% average. Ontario Secondary School graduates require six Grade 12 U or M courses, including ENG4U.
