Join us at Laurier

Becoming a Golden Hawk means more than just cheering on our (really good) varsity teams – it means being a student who cares about your community, who works hard in the classroom, and who takes advantage of all the learning opportunities that can happen outside the classroom, too.

Steps to Apply

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Steps to Apply

Undergraduate AdmissionsGraduate Admissions

Environmental Science (BSc)

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Identify environmental challenges caused by human activities and develop techniques that help create solutions. Learn fundamental principles of how organisms interact with their biological, geochemical and physical environments. Understand how physical and chemical processes affect rock, soil, air and water, which influence the abundance and performance of living organisms. Learn to use analytical tools, including lab and field methods.

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Apply Your Learning

Make the most out of your university career by taking advantage of all that Laurier has to offer you. Volunteer work, campus clubs, leadership programs, studying abroad, work experience – there are so many ways you can extend your classroom experience into the real world.

Here are just a few examples of the experiences you’ll have access to in the Environmental Science program:

  • Live in the Faculty of Science Residence Learning Community to enhance your academic and social success.
  • Attend departmental seminars to hear about current research from faculty members and invited speakers to expand your knowledge.
  • Consider completing a thesis or directed studies course in your fourth year to participate in research in an area that interests you.
  • Take a field course through the Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology to gain experience in the field. Courses are based in Ontario, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, British Columbia, Africa and the Caribbean.

Check out the Environmental Science Experience Guide.

 

2020 graduates who secured employment or went on to postgraduate studies

 

Laurier ranks in the top 6 percent of universities worldwide*

 

students who gained hands-on learning experiences at Laurier in 2019/20

*Center for World University Rankings (CWUR)

Admissions

Format: full time or part time      Duration: four years     Start: September (fall term)     OUAC code: UES

Your Next Steps

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Program Details

About Environmental Science at Laurier

In our Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Environmental Science program, you will learn and understand how concepts from biology, chemistry and geography can be integrated to explain the processes that affect the physical environment and how these processes influence the biotic performance, from individual organisms to whole ecosystems.

The BSc in Environmental Science will give you the skills needed to understand how to use analytical tools, including lab and field methods, to quantify and assess the physical and chemical properties of soil, water and air for assessing and monitoring populations of organisms.

You will develop a broad range of techniques that will allow you to identify and devise solutions to environmental problems caused by human activities. You will be able to communicate these issues to diverse audiences for a number of purposes, such as helping to restore ecosystems or advocating for environmental issues.

Students in Environmental Science take one mandatory field course and have opportunities to take others through the Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology.

Faculty members hire students as research assistants to work help with studies in the lab and field.

Honours Thesis Option

Students completing an honours thesis will conduct a two-term research project that includes data collection, analysis and write-up.

Examples of honours thesis topics include:

  • "Relating intensity of forest fires to caribou herd depletion in the Northwest Territories"
  • "Effects of climate change on frozen landscapes in the north"
  • "Effects of atmospheric processes on the movement and fate of pollutants"
  • "Identification and conservation of rare and threatened plant species"

Your Path to Medical School

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Get one step closer to your medical school dreams at Laurier!

Our pathway agreement with American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (AUC) means you’re automatically granted an admissions interview to the AUC School of Medicine if you meet all academic requirements. Upon graduation, you’ll have the opportunity to write exams to practice medicine in Canada, the UK or the United States.

Program Options and Courses

Options and Minors

These are a few of the many popular academic opportunities which allow you to dive deeper into your major area of study or broaden your knowledge:

  • Communication Studies Minor
  • Global Studies Minor
  • History and Philosophy of Science Minor
  • Management Option

Check out other options to enhance your degree.

First-Year Courses

  • Biological Diversity and Evolution
  • Calculus I for the Natural Sciences
  • Environment, Sustainability, and Society
  • Fundamentals of Chemistry I
  • Fundamentals of Chemistry II
  • Introduction to Physical Geography
  • Introductory Calculus for the Natural Sciences
  • The Anatomy of Earth
  • Unifying Life Processes
  • 0.5 elective credit

Sample Upper-Year Courses

  • Field Surveying
  • Global Biogeography and Conservation Biology
  • Sedimentation
  • Snow and the Environment

Similar Programs

Co-op

Co-op is a way to integrate what you are learning in the classroom with practical experience in your field of study. Build your resume, earn money, develop your network, and graduate with work experience.

You can apply for admission to co-op in your first year and may be eligible for an admission interview early in your second year. As a student in this program, you will be eligible to complete paid work terms lasting 12 to 16 weeks.

Interested? Learn more about co-op.

Tuition and Scholarships

Getting a university education is an investment in your future.

At Laurier, we take financial health seriously by providing a wide variety of funding opportunities for you throughout your degree, such as scholarships and bursaries, and by equipping you with the skills to manage your finances effectively in the years to come.

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"Laurier has become a huge part of my life. It has taught me so much both inside and outside of lecture halls and quickly become my home away from home."

Kira P., Laurier graduate

Your Career Awaits

It’s not only about the journey; it’s about the destination. Let us help you get to where you’re going.

Here are just some examples of our graduates' destinations. What’s yours?

Sample Career Options

Note: Additional training and education may be required.

  • agricultural consultant
  • environmental scientist
  • laboratory technician
  • landscape consultant/planner
  • meteorologist
  • natural resources analyst
  • public policy analyst
  • science writer
  • surveyor/mapping scientist
  • water resource specialist

Explore more careers.

Support After Graduation

Alumni for life means that you have access to Career and Employment Support offered at Laurier for your entire career.

Waterloo Campus

The Waterloo campus is tucked into about one city block, so you’re steps away from your classes, food and your new favourite study spot.

There are many ways to tour our Waterloo campus, whether that's on a guided tour with one of our Laurier student ambassadors, on your own using virtual reality, or even on-demand through one of our pre-recorded tours. See our campus spaces and start to picture yourself at Laurier.

Interested in More Info?

Email chooselaurier@wlu.ca, call 519.884.0710 x3385 or see all contact information.

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