Earth and Environmental Sciences
The Earth is a wonderfully complex planet which has gone through immense changes over billions of years. Earth history and earth processes are the basis of our prediction of future events and are fundamental to our understanding of ongoing global change. The department of Earth and Environmental Science offers two interrelated programs: Geology (Earth Science) and Environmental Science, each with Associate Degrees.
Geology (GEOL courses) or Earth Science is the study of the composition, origin and development of planet Earth. Its courses therefore address Earth materials, Earth processes and Earth history. Geology involves inquiry into such diverse topics as rocks, minerals and fossils, natural resources (ore deposits, oil/gas), natural hazards (e.g. earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, landslides) and environmental issues such as groundwater pollution, climate change and nuclear waste disposal.
Environmental Science (SCIE courses) is an interdisciplinary program drawing upon Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry and Physics to study the nature and interactions of the four basic Earth systems: the Lithosphere, the Biosphere, the Atmosphere and the Hydrosphere.
A wide range of Earth and Environmental Sciences courses is described below. These typically involve weekly lectures and laboratories and, where noted, field studies including student field projects. The fundamental purpose of this program is to cultivate an awareness of how the earth works and to prepare students to go on in programs in the Earth Sciences (Geology), Environmental Sciences or Geotechnical Engineering. For non-majors, our goal is to foster informed citizens, capable of making reason decisions about matters of importance concerning the environment, natural hazards and global change.
Department Website
For an overview of this program, including faculty listings and frequently asked questions plus other resources, visit the departmental website.
Career/Further Educational Opportunities
Careers in Earth Science
Students who are considering a career in Earth Science will join colleagues employed in a wide variety of fields. These include university or college professors, research scientists, exploration geologists or geophysicists in the mining and oil and gas industries, geotechnical engineers interested in such matters as slope stability, site evaluation and terrain analysis in the forest, mining and development industries and even museum curators. Normally, to practice in the private sector and certain public sectors in the province of British Columbia, registration as a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo) is required. Students will be able to use the courses listed in this calendar to meet a number of the requirements for registration.
Further Education
For information on the course by course transfer credit for Earth and Environmental Sciences courses please consult the BC Transfer Guide. Those students who wish to pursue further studies in Earth Science or Environmental Science should consult the calendars of the institutions to which they wish to transfer for detailed program requirements. Programs can differ considerably from one university to another, so students wishing to continue in Earth Science may need to search for programs in Earth Science, Earth and Ocean Sciences, Geoscience, Geology or Natural Resource Science. Environmental Science programs may be freestanding or may be included within Geography, Earth Science or Natural Resource Science departments.
Location
First-year Earth and Environmental Sciences courses are offered at both the David Lam and the New Westminster campuses. Second-year Earth and Environmental Sciences courses are presently offered only at the New Westminster Campus.
Intake Dates/Application Deadlines
**Application deadlines may be extended.
Courses are offered Fall and Winter; please refer to individual course descriptions for detail. One or two introductory courses are often offered in Summer as well. Second-year courses depend upon enrolment numbers and are usually offered alternate years.
Prerequisite Compliance
Students who are requesting transfer credit from other institutions or submitting high school transcripts from outside of BC to satisfy prerequisite compliance are required to apply and submit those documents no later than three months in advance of the intake.
Credentials
Courses can be applied towards the Associate Degree in Science, the Associate Degree in Environmental Science, and the Diploma in Science. See the Credentials section for details.
Recommended Course Sequence
Year 1
| GEOL 1120 | Introduction to Earth Sciences |
| GEOL 1121 | History of the Earth |
| GEOL 1200 | Natural Disasters |
Year 2
| GEOL 2201 | Marine Geology |
| GEOL 2300 | Introduction to Mineralogy |
| GEOL 2320 | Paleontology: Life Through Time |
| GEOL 2410 | The Solid Earth: A Close Up Look at Rocks |
| GEOL 2420 | Ancient Environments |
Suggested Electives
| SCIE 1100 | Environmental Issues |
| SCIE 1107 | Introduction to Environmental Science |
| GEOG 2220 | Geomorphology |
| GEOG 2321 | Introduction to Hydrology |
*Note:
Students who have already completed GEOL 1120 and/or GEOL 1121 can proceed on to year two of the program.
Other Program Requirements
Normally, the following courses, or equivalents, are required for students wishing to complete an Associate in Science Degree or transfer into a BSc in this discipline.
| PHYS 1107 or 1110; 1207 or 1210 | BIOL 1110, 1210 |
| CHEM 1110, 1210, 2310, 2410 | ENGL (6 credits) |
| MATH 1120, 1220 | |
Environmental Science
This is a multidisciplinary program of courses leading towards an Associate Degree in Environmental Science, details of which are available in Credentials. The objective of this program is to provide students with a background in those aspects of science, mathematics, social science and economics which provide an understanding of the major environmental issues of our time. Students who complete this program may proceed to further degree programs in science and environmental science, including block transfer arrangements with the University of Lethbridge and Royal Roads University.
Department Website
For an overview of this program, including faculty listings and frequently asked questions plus other resources, visit the departmental website.