Subscribe to our RSS FeedMaking a Major Decision
It’s that time of year again where university and college students are faced with the difficult task of declaring their major. The path to choosing a major will be different for different people, however discovering your major is a process, and may take several quarters of work on your part.
Environmental majors are becoming increasingly popular on university campuses across Canada. In general there is no single major you should choose if you are interested in developing your education toward pursuing a career in the environmental field, because the field is so diverse. Many majors in the liberal arts would be helpful to your preparation by providing skills and experience with critical thinking and communication.
I attended McMaster University where I majored in Geography and Environmental Science.
Graduating from this program well prepared me to study environmental issues from a social science perspective but I was also able to communicate and understand the science perspective as well. Subsequently, I attended Dalhousie University for the Master of Resource and Environmental Management program. This is an excellent program for anyone interested in developing problem-solving tools to create innovative solutions to resource and environmental issues.Here’s a list of other Canadian universities that offer programs with an environmental focus:
Dalhousie University
Resource and Environmental Studies
University of Calgary
Energy and the Environment
Resources and the Environment Program
Environmental Design
Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of British Columbia
Resources, Environment and Sustainability
Community and Environment
Concordia University College of Alberta
Environmental Health
Simon Fraser University
Resource and Environmental Management
University of Manitoba
Environmental Design
University of New Brunswick
Forestry and Environmental Management
Environmental Biology
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Water Quality
University of Guelph
Environmental Science
University of Windsor
Environmental Geoscience
York University
Environmental studies
University of Waterloo
Environment and Business
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Environmental Chemistry
Université du Québec à Montréal
Environmental Design
University of Toronto
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Studies
Making a decision about a major is never easy, but take the time to analyze your values, interests, skills, and personality type and this will guide you in the right path. In addition to school, look out for extra curricular activities in your field. Contact your local environmental organization for volunteer opportunities. These practical experiences will test your motivation and continued interest, augment your classroom learning, and allow you to apply your knowledge to real problems. Â
Good luck with making your major decision!
Barb | September 17, 2009
You forgot the University of Northern British Columbia - Environmental Studies, Environmental Engineering, NREM Wildlife & Fisheries, NREM Forest Ecology & Management, NREM Outdoor Recreation & Tourism, Nature-Based Tourism Management. Do your homework.
Raman Niroshanghantan | September 18, 2009
Great point Barb, but I don’t think it was meant to be an exhaustive list and rather was just some suggestions of programs. But this is great information presented I must say.
Prabhjit Banga | September 18, 2009
Hi Barb thank you for comment. The list was not meant to be an exhaustive list and was merely examples of some of the programs available in Canada. There are many many more, including programs in colleges as well as graduate level programs. But nonetheless, thank you for your suggestions.