Environmental Sciences Diploma: General Environmental Sciences Diploma Major

Location(s): Main Campus (Vermilion), Face-to-Face (F2F)

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Develop the skills required for the protection and sustainable management of water and land resources. On field trips and in labs, students receive hands-on training in the use of modern field equipment and develop the ability to execute environmental monitoring, field surveying and protection programs for water and soils. Considerable emphasis is provided on field procedures and practices for: protecting surface water, aquatic and riparian shoreline habitats, advanced site assessment, soil and groundwater remediation, and industrial water conservation and management. Students will have the opportunity to obtain certifications such as ground disturbance, H2S Alive®, and Standard First Aid/CPR-C with AED that are often required for employment in the environmental industry. There are growing employment opportunities with a variety of industries and government.

Graduation Requirements:

Students completing requirements with a minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0 will be awarded an Environmental Sciences: General Environmental Sciences major diploma.

Curriculum:

Year I Required Courses

BI 110 - Ecology & Field Biology 3 Credits
BI 205 - Limnology: Lakes & Rivers 3 Credits
BI 270 - Managing Rangeland Ecosystems 3 Credits
BO 120 - Field Botany & Plant Taxonomy 3 Credits
CO 166 - Scientific Writing & Computer Applications 3 Credits
MA 202 - Statistics & Data Management 3 Credits
SC 110 - Inorganic Chemistry 3 Credits
SC 125 - Environmental Mapping & GIS 3 Credits
SC 200 - Organic Chemistry 3 Credits
SO 210 - Introductory Soil Science 3 Credits

Total: 30 Credits

Year II Required Courses

BI 210 - Forest Ecology 3 Credits
SC 281 - Invasive Plant Ecology and Management 3 Credits
SC 301 - Applied Hydrology 3 Credits
SO 340 - Soil Classification and Landforms 3 Credits
SO 350 - Soil Health & Fertility 3 Credits
ZO 350 - Wildlife Biodiversity 3 Credits

Sub-Total: 18 Credits

Electives: (choose two per semester)

BI 317 - Wetland Classification & Management 3 Credits
RC 200 - Basic Energy Principles 3 Credits
RC 204 - Introduction to Wind Energy 3 Credits
RC 205 - Introduction to Solar Energy 3 Credits
RC 207 - Introduction to Biofuels 3 Credits
SC 307 - Environmental Site Assessment 3 Credits
SC 336 - Environmental Contaminants 3 Credits
ZO 213 - Fisheries Biology & Techniques 3 Credits
ZO 245 - Wildlife Habitat Conservation 3 Credits
ZO 410 - Fisheries Management 3 Credits

Sub-Total: 18 Credits

Total: 30 Credits

Optional Course Offered Between Year 1 and 2

*If taken, students can choose to opt out of BI 210 or SC 301 in year 2.

EPR 200 - Environmental Science Practicum 3 Credits

Notes:

Applied Skills:

Hands-on learning is emphasized through training in the field and labs to gain proficiency in the use of field equipment and procedures for:

Aquatic and wildlife habitat protection
Phase I and II Industrial Site Assessments
Spill response and Phase III soil and groundwater remediation field practices
Industrial Water Conservation and Management
Surface water, groundwater, and biological monitoring for quality assessment and protection
Soil, plant and aquatic organism identification for protection
GIS, GPS, mapping, remote sensing, and field surveying
Understanding of global & regional resources & their protection
Industrial waste management
Wetlands classification and delineation
Wetlands ecology and health assessment
Erosion and sediment control

Alberta Institute of Agrologists (AIA) Certification:

Graduates of this program qualify for membership in the AIA and are eligible to article as a Registered Technologist in Agrology (RT(Ag)).

EP Certification:

Lakeland College’s Environmental Sciences Diploma is nationally accredited through the Environmental Careers Organization of Canada (ECO Canada). Upon registration, each of our graduates is recognized as an Environmental Professional in training (EPt) by the Canadian Environmental Certification Approvals Board (CECAB) of ECO Canada. Because our program is one of a select group of accredited programs, graduates can apply for full EP designation after just four years of relevant Canadian environmental experience.

Career Opportunities:

Prepares students to work as environmental operations specialists with industry (oil & gas, mining, agriculture, forestry, and transportation), environmental regulatory specialists with government, and environmental technologists with consulting companies. Graduates typically work within a team of professionals as field operators and regulatory specialists in the areas of environmental surveying, monitoring and determining compliance with water, soil, and health & safety regulations. They help ensure all impacts from industrial and resource development activities are reduced or mitigated. Where impacts are found, they help to evaluate scope of the impact and support field remediation activities.

Opportunities for Further Study:

Lakeland College
- Bachelor of Applied Science: Environmental Management
Athabasca University
University of Alberta
- BSc Environmental and Conservation Sciences (up to 60 credits)
- Land Reclamation Conservation Biology
University of Lethbridge
- BSc Environmental Sciences
University of Saskatchewan
- BSc Ag (Environmental or Soil Science specialization) (up to 60 credits)