Environmental Geosciences Option

The Environmental Geosciences Option is offered by the Department of Earth Sciences.  Consult the Earth Sciences listing for contacts and Faculty.

All students in the Earth Sciences, Geological Studies, and Environmental Geosciences programs will take a common core in the first two years of study. Honours may be requested after 3rd year. Because many third and fourth year courses are offered in alternate years, students must consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies when planning their program in order to graduate in a timely fashion. All required and elective ESCI courses must be passed with a grade of C or better to count toward graduation.

The Environmental Geosciences Option provides students who have an interest in the environment with the knowledge required to pursue careers or graduate studies in environmentally related geoscience fields, especially in areas related to water resources, climate change, contamination, and remediation.

The Option includes two programs: Major (minimum 142 ch) and Honours (minimum 150 ch). Two required field schools, typically held after exams, for the Major and Honours programs contribute 10 ch to the program totals. Both programs are designed to meet current academic knowledge requirements set by Geoscientists Canada for professional registration in the environmental geoscience stream (see Professional Registration in the Earth Sciences listing of this calendar).

Common Core

First Year (37 ch minimum)

ESCI 1001, ESCI 1006 or ESCI 1026 or ESCI 1703, ESCI 1012,  ESCI 1017, SCI 1001, SCI 1002,  MATH 1003 or MATH 1053, MATH 1013 or MATH 1063, CHEM 1001, CHEM 1006, CHEM 1012, CHEM 1017. The third science must also include the labs, either PHYS 1051 (or PHYS 1061 or PHYS 1071),  PHYS 1052 (or PHYS 1062 or PHYS 1072),  PHYS 1091, PHYS 1092, or BIOL 1001, BIOL 1006, BIOL 1012, BIOL 1017. 

Any deficiencies in the first-year requirements must be made up in the second year.

PHYS 1071 and PHYS 1072 may be substituted for PHYS 1061 and PHYS 1062, but students are cautioned that they may not be accepted for professional registration in some provinces.

Second Year (35 ch minimum, plus 5 ch field school after winter exams)

ESCI 2131, ESCI 2142, ESCI 2211, ESCI 2272, ESCI 2321, ESCI 2602, ESCI 2703, STAT 2264 or STAT 2593, plus two science electives (8 ch minimum) chosen from the following:

PHYS 1051 (or equivalent) and PHYS 1091 (counts as one elective)
PHYS 1052 (or equivalent) and PHYS 1092 (counts as one elective)
BIOL 1001 and BIOL 1006 (counts as one elective)
BIOL 1012 and BIOL 1017 (counts as one elective)
MATH 1503 or MATH 2003
CS 1003 or CS 1073
CHEM 2121 or CHEM 2201 or CHEM 2321 or CHEM 2401 or CHEM 2421

Courses used to satisfy first year requirements cannot be used to meet this second year requirement. Other sciences may be taken with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, but students must take a full year of physics (PHYS 1051/PHYS 1052 or equivalents, and PHYS 1091/PHYS 1092) and at least one term of Biology (BIOL 1001 and BIOL 1006) in either the first or second year. 

Major Program

Third and Fourth Year (66 ch minimum)

ESCI 2022, ESCI 3442, ESCI 3631, ESCI 3713, ESCI 4401, ESCI 4512, one of ESCI 3482 or ESCI 3492, ESCI 4452, GE 5753, ESCI 3282, ESCI 3292

Electives

Three courses at the 2000 level or above (9 ch minimum) from Biology, Chemistry or Environmental Studies that form a coherent group.
Twelve credit hours of elective courses from any Faculty or Department. Faculty of Arts, and an Ethics or First Nations course are recommended.

Honours Program

This program is recommended for students intending to pursue graduate studies in environmental geoscience, or whose goal is to become a professional geoscientist.

Entrance to the Environmental Geosciences Honours Program requires a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 overall, by the end of the third year. The student must have completed all first and second year requirements and at least 20 ch of earth science requirements for their stream. An application for admission to the Honours program, available from the Director of Undergraduate Studies, must be submitted by the last day to add classes of the fall term of the fourth year. Students not admitted to the Honours Program may continue in the Major Program.

For graduation with an Honours degree, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and a grade of B- or higher in ESCI 4900 are required. Students failing to meet these requirements will be awarded a Major degree.

Third and Fourth Year (74 ch minimum)

Course requirements are the same as for the Major program, plus ESCI 4900.

Co-op Program

The UNB Faculty of Science seeks to provide opportunities for students and employers to develop relationships that enhance the learning experience for students and present employers with skilled, motivated employees looking to make a career connection. To achieve this, the Faculty through the Department of Earth Sciences, and other Science departments and programs, operates a Co-operative education program. Co-op opportunities are available for qualified students, please refer to the Science section of this calendar for detailed information.

Minor Program

The Department of Earth Sciences does not offer a Minor in Environmental Geosciences. Students may take a minor in Earth Sciences with a suitable choice of courses in environmental geoscience. Consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies.