Environmental Studies Courses

ENVM6001	Nature, Society and Social Ecology	3 ch
Human activity has consequences for local, regional, and global ecosystems. Conversely, biophysical and environmental conditions influence human decisions, actions and potentials. The need to understand these reciprocal relationships is increasingly recognized by policymakers, academics, and practitioners in a variety of disciplines. This course examines sustainability, resilience, growth and degrowth, and imagines ways in which humans might live more harmoniously with other beings on the planet. The course is reading-heavy, discussion-based, and requires active input from students. Readings include “classics” in environmental management, as well as timely, contemporary works. Through engagement with course material and in discussion with peers, students will deepen their understanding of their own environmental values.

ENVM6002	Biophysical Foundations of Ecosystem Management	3 ch
Ecosystem management looks at conserving ecological services and restoring natural resources while meeting the socioeconomic, political and cultural and needs of society. The principal objective of ecosystem management is the maintenance and proper use of natural resources. This course will explore fundamental biophysical elements of a forested watershed. You will learn fundamental ecological and biological concepts related to “healthy” aquatic and terrestrial systems, as well as techniques used to assess aquatic and terrestrial systems that will ultimately help you build a final presentation of the status of a forested watershed – grouped by valued ecosystem components (VEC; water, trees, fish, benthic invertebrates). The course emphasizes observation, discussion, and exercises. This is a blended course with classroom-based lectures and a strong emphasis on the field components.

ENVM6003	Advanced Management Topics in Forestry and Environmental Management	3 ch
This course introduces students to the theory and application of structured decision making (SDM) in environmental management contexts. SDM is a systematic, transparent process that integrates science and stakeholder values to inform decision-making. The course emphasizes consensus building as a key outcome, equipping students with practical tools to facilitate collaborative solutions for complex environmental problems. The course has a strong focus on working as part of a team and collaboration with distinct stakeholder groups.

ENVM6004	Environmental Impact Assessment:	3 ch
This course will explore the Environmental Impact Assessment process, with special attention paid to socio-economic issues. While emphasis will be placed on practice, it is important for students to understand theoretical foundations, as well as to examine critiques of environmental impact assessment. The goals of this course will be to provide students with the tools to conduct environmental impact assessments, as well as critique and improve the process on the ground.

ENVM6005	MEM Internship	3 ch
The internship course is intended to provide an opportunity for students to work with a partner (internal or external to UNB), and have a real-world experience while learning and exploring tangible issues in the environmental management field. They will present a summary of their internship, which must be related to some aspect of environmental stewardship or management, in both written and oral formats. Together with ENVS 6006 MEM Internship Report they are worth 6 credit-hours. As such, students will be required to present a summary of their work done via the Internships at a level that would meet professional standards. Students can register in ENVS 6005 and ENVS 6006 either together in one term or separately in two terms, as long as the student registers in both courses over the span of the MEM degree.

ENVM6006	MEM Internship Report	3 ch
The internship course is intended to provide an opportunity for students to work with a partner (internal or external to UNB), and have a real-world experience while learning and exploring tangible issues in the environmental management field. They will present a summary of their internship, which must be related to some aspect of environmental stewardship or management, in both written and oral formats. Together with ENVS 6006 MEM Internship they are worth 6 credit-hours. As such, students will be required to present a summary of their work done via the Internships at a level that would meet professional standards. Students can register in ENVS 6005 and ENVS 6006 either together in one term or separately in two terms. As long as the student registers in both courses over the span of the MEM degree.

ENVM6007	Practicum in Water, Wildlife, and Forest Management	3 ch
Effective environmental and natural resource management requires hands-on experiences. The objective of this course is to provide students with practical experience by working together, in small subgroups, on a common resource management issue. Professionals working in the field will describe the particular management issue at the outset of the course. Students will provide a report and present their analysis and findings to decision-makers, professors, and fellow students.

ENVM6008	Management of Natural Systems	5 ch
Introduces management design issues and practices for a variety of natural systems so that students can effectively work across related disciplines. Objective is to enable students to quantitatively design and evaluate strategies aimed at producing desired set of outcomes for natural systems, including forests, wildlife populations, and hydrological networks.

ENVM6920	Directed/Independent Study	3 ch
This research/course based course is intended to provide students a course to register in as a directed/independent studies, each registration in ENVM 6920 will have a different title and different instructor, following the same guidelines as FOR 6920. ENVM 6920 will be offered every term.

ENVM6997	MScEM Thesis	0 ch
The course guides the student in the development and execution of the thesis research project from inception to completion, culminating with thesis deposit and defense. Students will progress through checkpoints set by the supervisor and Advisory Committee. Students receive credit for this course once all degree requirements are fulfilled. Students must register for this course throughout the duration of their research-based program.