Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management 

• General Information
• Regulations
• Curriculum
  • Core (Required Courses)
• Majors
• Electives
• Minor Programs

NOTE: For Faculty information please see the Bachelor of Science in Forestry program section

General Information

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management (BScEM) degree gives students degree options in the interdisciplinary fields of environmental studies and natural resources. The degree offers three majors: "Environmental Stewardship", "Water Resources Management", and "Wildlife Conservation."
BScEM graduates will learn to solve environmental and natural resource problems from a holistic, systems perspective. They will have skills required to characterize, analyze, and predict change in natural systems. Incorporating their knowledge of land, water, air, plants, animals, and people, they will be able to develop comprehensive solutions to environmental challenges that respect multiple perspectives and demonstrate appropriate stewardship of natural resources.

The BScEM program is designed to help students to acquire the following skills and abilities:

• Technical Outcomes:
  • Characterize a resource, environment or system
  • Analyze a resource, environment or system
  • Predict change over time in a resource, environment or system
  • Synthesize information into comprehensive solutions
• Professional Outcomes:
  • Information literacy
  • Structured problem solving
  • Computer literacy
  • Communication in a professional manner
  • Respectful social interactions
  • Managing and completing projects independently and as a team

Regulations

Students are strongly advised to read the General University Regulations, Section B of this Calendar to obtain important information not covered in the following:

1.    A minimum of 141 Environmental Stewardship major), 142 (Water Resources major) or 141 (Wildlife Conservation major) credit hours and completion of all core courses are required for the BScEM degree.

2.    All entering students of the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management are required to attend the orientation program as organized by the Faculty.

3.    Students must consult with the Student Services Coordinator, or other designated advisor, to receive advice on course selection. Students who wish to register for more than 22 credit hours in a term must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the previous assessment period and obtain permission from the Assistant Dean.

4.    Students will take courses in normal sequence; exceptions require a minimum 3.0 GPA average in the preceding assessment period, and permission of the Student Services Coordinator, or other designated advisor, and the instructor of the course. Courses in which a student is deficient must be taken not later than the next academic year, except by special permission of the faculty.

5.    Degree requirements must be successfully completed in not more than 16 terms during a period of 8 consecutive calendar years from the date of first registration in the program. Transfer students will have the time limit prorated on the basis of advanced credit granted.

6.    A minimum assessment grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required at the end of each year. Assessment is in May following the completion of the spring examination period and includes the preceding intersession, Summer School and Spring Extensions.

7.    A student who has been required to withdraw from the program for academic reasons once, and who reapplies for admission following the withdrawal period, may be re-admitted to the program. If re-admitted, the student will automatically be on academic probation. Failure to meet the normal academic requirements at the next time of assessment will result in final dismissal from the program. Further applications for re-admission will not be considered.

8.    C grade minimum is required for all prerequisite and core courses used for credit towards the BScEM degree.

Curriculum

The core program focuses on a wide range of environmental studies with a blend of courses in basic, biophysical, social, and management sciences. In addition, students select one major from Environmental Stewardship, Water Resources Management, and Wildlife Conservation. Opportunity for students to pursue an education of substantial personal choice is provided by elective courses that can be organized in areas of concentration leading to minors. Students may also elect to follow minors offered by other faculties, or take a general variety of courses of personal interest.

Core courses are listed below. Students are advised to incorporate electives to balance work loads to a normal load of five or six courses per term. 

Observations and experimentation in the natural environment are critical to the education of environmental management professionals, so work in natural settings is an important part of many courses. Extensive use is made of University forests which total 3,000 hectares in area, including the UNB Forest, in close proximity to the Fredericton campus. To work in these and other areas, students are advised that they will need an approved hard hat (approximate cost $10.00) and approved safety-toed work boots (approximate cost $100.00). Students taking FOR1001 will be required to purchase a “field kit” containing a hard hat, safety glasses, cruising vest, compass and forest measurement equipment. This kit will be charged directly to a student account and ranges from $350-$400. 

Students will be required to pay for a portion of costs of extended field trips. 

Core (Required) Courses

Common Core

Majors

Courses required for each major in addition to the above listed common core courses are shown below.

Environmental Stewardship Major

POLS 1803 The Politics of Climate Change 
ENVM 2023 Climate Change
ENVM 3000 Indigenous Perspectives in Natural  Resources Stewardship
ENVM 3457 Forest Watershed and Water Quality Management
ENVM 4001 Environmental Impact Assessment and Management
FOR 2425 Autoecology of Forest Vegetation
FOR 4545 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management
POLS 3534 Quantitative Approaches in Political Science
ENVM 4003 Environmental Management Tools
ENVM 2101 Ecosystem Valuation 
POLS 3217 Canadian Environmental Policy
One of the following two:
FOR 3303 Remote Sensing in Forestry & Envirnomental Management
FOR 3284 LiDAR for Forestry and Environmental Management

Water Resources Management Major

Minimum of two courses from elective List A and two from elective list B

Elective List B

Wildlife Conservation Major

Total number of credit hours from required courses (108 ch) and selections from constrained electives (15 ch) must equal a minimum of 123 ch. An additional 18 ch of electives is required (or 12ch with an Honours). Minimum total credit hours needed to graduate is 141.

Students intending to apply for Wildlife Biologist Certification with the Wildlife Society after graduation are suggested to take the following courses as their Constrained-B (2) and unconstrained electives (6). 

• ESCI1041 (Environmental Earth Sciences) 

• ENVM2101 (Ecosystem Valuation) 

• 2 additional courses from the English electives list 

• MAAC1021 (Intro. Culture Arts and Media), or MAAC1023 (Media, Tech and Creativity) 

• 1 for-credit course with a MATH subject code 

• within Constrained-B Electives:  
  • BIOL3083 (Botany) and  
  • BIOL4732 (Mammalogy) or FOR4723 (Ornithology) 

Required Courses (108ch)

In addition to those listed in the core common to all EM majors, required courses for the Wildlife Conservation Major include the following: 

FOR 2425 Autoecology of Forest Vegetation
BIOL 2063 Lab in Biological Diversity
BIOL 2013 Evolutionary Genetics 
BIOL 2018 Lab in Evolutionary Genetics
FOR 3445 Ecology of Populations and Communities
FOR 4545 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management
BIOL 4191 Wildlife Management
Constrained Electives (ranges from 15-20 ch, depending on courses taken)

1 of either: ENGL 1103 or ENGL 1144

Elective List A (for 6-8 credit hours, depending on courses taken)

2 courses from the following:

Elective List B (for 5-10 credit hours, depending on courses taken)

2 courses from the following:

BIOL 3703 Vertebrate Zoology
BIOL 3603 Invertebrate Zoology
BIOL 3083 Botany
FOR 4723 Ornithology
BIOL 4732 Mammalogy
BIOL 4741 Fish Biology or BIOL 4746 Lab Studies in Fish Biology (2 ch)
BIOL 3883 Entomology
BIOL 3673 Parasitology or BIOL 4688 Applied Studies in Parasitology (4 ch)
BIOL 3873 Ethology

Honours Program 

Students enrolled in the BScEM program who wish to pursue an Honours within a specific major: BScEM Honours in Environmental Stewardship, BScEM Honours in Water Resource Managment or a BScEM Honours in Wildlife Conservation must declare their intent to the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies prior to the end of the third year of their program and have a CGPA of at least 3.0. All Honours students are required to complete ENVM 4991 (Honours Project); a full-year 6-ch course which involves submitting a detailed project report and an oral defense in a seminar-style presentation, with all work done under the supervision of a relevant ForEM faculty member, and FOR 4004 (Research Methods and Scientific Communications). The topic of honours research is expected to align with the student’s major of study within the BSc. Environmental Management program.  

To graduate with Honours in their major, students must meet certain minimum standards in the course work beyond second year. 

1. Maintain a CGPA of at least 3.0
2. Achieve a minimum grade of B- in ENVM 4991 
3. Achieve a minimum grade of B- in FOR 4004 

Please note: Honours standing is specific to the major and is not a designation applied to the BScEM degree overall. 

Minor Programs

Minors in Environmental Stewardship, Water Resources Management, and Wildlife Conservation are available. No credit hours for courses in a student's major program may be counted towards a minor. Course substitutions may be made from time to time at the discretion of the Student Services Co-ordinator or designated faculty advisor.

Minor in Environmental Stewardship

A grouping of courses totaling at least 24 credit hours must be taken from within from a program-specific core or required electives. Please see the Student Services Co-ordinator or designated faculty advisor to verify selection of courses.

Required Courses:

ENVM 2004 Social and Cultural Systems
ENVM 2021 Natural Resource Mgmt., Institutions, Policy, and Governance
ENVM 4001 Environmental Impact Assessment and Management

Two courses from:

BIOL 2003 Introduction to Ecology
ENVM 2023 Climate Change
FOR 4545 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management

Optional List:

BIOL 3459 Economic Botany
BIOL 4191 Wildlife Management
BIOL 4233 Conservation Biology
BIOL 4351 Climate Change and Environmental Responses
BIOL 4773 River and Lake Ecosystem
BIOL 4863 Environmental Biology
CE 3403 Introduction to Environmental Engineering
CE 5411 Water Supply and Wastewater Removal
CHE 5313 Energy and the Environment
FOR 4625 Integrated Management of Insects and Fungi
ESCI 3442 Geohydrology
ESCI 4452 Environmental Impact Assessment
HIST 5342 Environmental History of North America
HIST 5345 Natural Resources, Indust. and Envir. in Atlantic Canada
PHYS 2902 Environmental Physics
SOCI 3553 Sociology and Environment

Minor in Water Resource Management

A grouping of courses totaling at least 24 credit hours taken from within a program-specific core or constrained electives, including four courses from the following list:

BIOL 4741 Fish Biology
BIOL 4773 River and Lake Ecosystems
ENVM 3532 Ecohydrology
ENVM 3112 Water Resources Management
BIOL 3633 Biological Oceanography
ENVM 3201 Urban Hydrology and Water Management
ENVM 3457 Forest Watershed and Water Quality Management

Minor in Wildlife Conservation

Students must pass a minimum of 24 ch (approx. 8 courses) taken from the following list of courses. A minimum of 6 courses must be selected from the required list. The remaining credit hours (approx. 2 courses) can be selected from courses not already taken from the required list, or from the optional list.

Required List:

BIOL 4233 Conservation Biology
BIOL 2063 Biological Diversity
BIOL 2068 Lab in Biological Diversity

Choose two from:

BIOL 3883 Entomology
FOR 4723 Ornithology
BIOL 4732 Mammalogy
BIOL 4741 Fish Biology

Choose one from:
BIOL 4191 Wildlife Management
FOR 4665 Wildlife Investigational Techniques

Optional List:

BIOL 2013 Evolutionary Genetics
BIOL 2018 Lab in Evolutionary Genetics
FOR 3445 Population and Communities
BIOL 3083 Botany
BIOL 2003 Introduction to Ecology
BIOL 3541 Plant Ecology
BIOL 3603 Invertebrate Zoology
BIOL 3703 Vertebrate Zoology
BIOL 3873 Ethology
BIOL 4641 Coastal Marine Ecology
BIOL 4746 Laboratory Studies in Fish Biology
BIOL 4773 Aquatic Ecology
BIOL 4851 Ecology of Marine Birds
BIOL 4863 Environmental Biology
BIOL 6183 River Habitats and Hydraulics
FOR 2113 Introduction to Wildlife and Aquatic Ecology
FOR 3445 Ecology of Populations and Communities
FOR 4425 Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management
FOR 4625 Integrated Management of Insects and Fungi
ESCI 1052 The Earth: Its Origin, Evolution and Age

Major Program:

A Major or Secondary Major in any of the programs (Environmental Stewardship, Water Resources Management, or Wildlife Conservation) can be arranged between any Faculty at UNB and the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management, subject to the conditions given by the home faculty. Consultation and approval of the Program Directors in each faculty are required. Completion of a Major or Secondary Major usually requires between 24 to 48 credit hours of courses.