Diploma in Environmental Studies
| Campus | Vernon (Jan, Sep), Penticton (Jan, Sep), Salmon Arm (Jan, Sep), Kelowna (Jan, Sep) |
|---|---|
| Delivery | Part-Time, Full-Time |
| Credential | Diploma |
| Notes | This program is student loan eligible. Please note, this diploma can only be completed in full at the Kelowna campus. The first year of the program is offered at the Vernon campus and a selection of courses is offered at the Penticton and Salmon Arm campuses but a number of specialized courses and second year courses are only offered at the Kelowna campus. |
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Program Highlights
Gain a solid foundation of environmental knowledge from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities that will prepare you to work in a variety of roles in the environmental sector.
Tuition and Fees
2022-23: $4,566.17
- Fees listed are for first year (two semesters) for a typical, full-time student taking 5 courses per semester (4 lecture-based courses and 1 course with a lab component) in the Environmental Arts stream. Depending on the stream and the courses selected fees may vary.
- Fees include all mandatory fees: Activity fee, Health & Dental, Student Association fee, Education Technology fee, Development fee.
- All amounts are approximate and are subject to change.
- International students will pay International tuition fees
Program Details
The Diploma in Environmental Studies offers an interdisciplinary opportunity to understand the physical principles governing the environment and the social and cultural aspects that influence human behaviour towards the environment. Students will gain a holistic knowledge of the environment through courses from the sciences, social sciences and humanities. The interdisciplinary model will equip students with the critical and analytical skills to think through the many complex factors that influence our understanding of the environment.
The diploma has four options: interdisciplinary environmental arts, environmental management, environmental science and geographic information science. Courses have university transfer credit providing students with the option of further study in either environmental studies or other disciplines. Students can also move directly into the workplace for there is a growing demand for labour in the environmental sector.
Prospective students should ensure that they have the prerequisites for the courses in the option that they wish to pursue.
Block Transfers: please see http://www.bctransferguide.ca/search/block and the GEOG/EESC department for details of the block transfer programs.
This diploma can only be completed in full at the Kelowna campus. The first year of the program is offered at the Vernon campus and a selection of courses is offered at the Penticton and Salmon Arm campuses but a number of specialized courses and second year courses are only offered at the Kelowna campus.
For details on what is offered visit:
For more information, book an appointment with an Education Advisor.
Admission Requirements
Regular Applicants: A regular applicant will be a secondary graduate or a secondary school student, or its equivalent, who has or who will complete the requirements for senior secondary graduation, or its equivalent, not less than one month prior to commencement of classes for the semester to which admission is sought - either fall or winter. The following minimum entrance requirements will apply to regular applicants:
-
B.C. secondary graduation, or equivalent.
-
English 12 with minimum 60% or alternatives.
Students with a passing grade of less than 60% in English 12, English 12 First Peoples or TPC 12 will be admissible to the first year of the Associate of Arts Degree, subject to the following conditions:
-
Registration is restricted to courses for which the student satisfies the prerequisites. Registration in first-year English courses is, therefore, prohibited.
-
Successful completion of the English entrance requirements within the first year of studies. This may be done in one of the following ways:
-
Successful completion of English 12, English 12 First Peoples or TPC 12 or an equivalent course with a minimum grade of 60%. This may be done concurrently through the College's Adult Basic Education Program or by completing an equivalent course through a distance education program.
-
Writing the LPI and obtaining a score of at least 24/40 (level 4).
The LPI Test is no longer being offered after July 31, 2020. Okanagan College will continue to accept LPI Test results for two years from the date an applicant tested. Approved alternatives are available. Please consult academic entrance requirements.
-
Mature Applicants: A mature applicant will be at least 19 years of age and will not have attended secondary school on a full-time basis for a minimum period of one year.
Secondary graduation is waived for mature applicants. The English entrance requirements, as stated above, must be satisfied prior to admission. Admission may be granted on the condition that the entrance requirements will be completed prior to the commencement of classes for the semester to which admission is sought - either fall or winter.
Program Outline
Interdisciplinary Environmental Arts Option Required Courses:
Year One
INDG 100 Introduction to Indigenous Studies
ANTH 121 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
GEOG 128 Human Geography: Space, Place and Community
GEOG 129 Human Geography: Resources, Development and Society
SOCI 111 Introduction to Sociology I
SOCI 121 Introduction to Sociology II
EESC 101 Environmental Science
ENGL 100 University Writing
One of:
ENGL 150 Critical Writing and Reading: Poetry and Drama
ENGL 151 Critical Writing and Reading: Short Fiction and the Novel
ENGL 153 Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
One of:
EESC 111 Earth and Environmental Science
GEOG 111 Introduction to Physical Geography: Climate & Vegetation
GEOG 121 Introduction to Physical Geography: Water & Landscapes
Year Two
GSWS 222 Eco-Feminism
GEOG 270 Geographic Data Analysis
GEOG 272 Introduction to Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing
Two 200 level or higher GEOG or EESC courses
PHIL 251 Environmental Ethics
POLI 204 Canadian Environmental Policy
One of:
INDG 202 Okanagan Concepts and Frameworks
INDG 204 Indigenous Concepts and Frameworks
One of:
All 200 level or higher GEOG or EESC courses
ANTH 245 Culture and the Environment
ANTH 260 Ethnobotany: Plants and People
ECON 271 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
ENGL 237 Studies in Nature Writing
POLI 219 Canadian Public Administration
SOCI 217 Consumer Society
SOCI 295 Current Topics in Sociology
Environmental Management Option Required Courses:
Year One
ECON 115 Principles of Microeconomics
EESC 101 Environmental Science
ENGL 100 University Writing
GEOG 129 Human Geography: Resources, Development and Society
INDG 100 Introduction to Indigenous Studies
One of:
ENGL 150 Critical Writing and Reading: Poetry and Drama
ENGL 151 Critical Writing and Reading: Short Fiction and the Novel
ENGL 153 Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
One of:
EESC 111 Earth and Environmental Science
GEOG 111 Introduction to Physical Geography: Climate & Vegetation
GEOG 121 Introduction to Physical Geography: Water & Landscapes
One of:
MATH 111 Essential Mathematics for Arts
MATH 112 Calculus I
STAT 121 Elementary Statistics
One of:
BIOL 111 Biology for Science Majors I
BIOL 112 Evolution and Ecology
One of:
BIOL 121 Biology for Science Majors II
BIOL 122 Physiology of Multicellular Organisms
Year Two
/ ENGL 235
ECON 271 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
GEOG 270 Geographic Data Analysis
GEOG 272 Introduction to Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing
GEOG 311 Environmental Management
One 200 level or higher GEOG/EESC lab science course
One 200 level or higher GEOG/EESC course
POLI 204 Canadian Environmental Policy
One of:
INDG 202 Okanagan Concepts and Frameworks
INDG 204 Indigenous Concepts and Frameworks
One of:
All 200 level or higher GEOG or EESC courses
ANTH 245 Culture and the Environment
ANTH 260 Ethnobotany: Plants and People
BIOL 203 Introduction to Ecology
BIOL 275 Freshwater Plants and Animals
PHIL 251 Environmental Ethics
POLI 219 Canadian Public Administration
Environmental Science Option Required Courses:
Year One:
BIOL 111 Biology for Science Majors I
BIOL 121 Biology for Science Majors II
EESC 101 Environmental Science
ENGL 100 University Writing
MATH 112 Calculus I
Open elective (3 credits)
One of:
ENGL 150 Critical Writing and Reading: Poetry and Drama
ENGL 151 Critical Writing and Reading: Short Fiction and the Novel
ENGL 153 Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
One of:
EESC 111 Earth and Environmental Science
GEOG 111 Introduction to Physical Geography: Climate & Vegetation
GEOG 121 Introduction to Physical Geography: Water & Landscapes
One of:
CHEM 111 Principles of Chemistry I
CHEM 112 Introductory Chemistry I
One of:
CHEM 121 Principles of Chemistry II
CHEM 122 Introductory Chemistry II
Year Two:
BIOL 203 Introduction to Ecology
/ ENGL 235
GEOG 272 Introduction to Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing
One 200 level or higher GEOG/EESC lab science course
One of:
INDG 202 Okanagan Concepts and Frameworks
INDG 204 Indigenous Concepts and Frameworks
One of:
GEOG 270 Geographic Data Analysis
STAT 230 Elementary Applied Statistics
One of:
ECON 271 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
GEOG 210 Introduction to Environmental Issues
PHIL 251 Environmental Ethics
POLI 204 Canadian Environmental Policy
Three of:
All 200 level or higher GEOG or EESC courses
Geographic Information Science Option
This option is under review and is not currently being offered.
Year One
EESC 101 Environmental Science
ENGL 100 University Writing
GEOG 111 Introduction to Physical Geography: Climate & Vegetation
GEOG 172 Map Use, Design, and Analysis
GEOG 270 Geographic Data Analysis
One of:
EESC 111 Earth and Environmental Science
GEOG 121 Introduction to Physical Geography: Water & Landscapes
One of:
ENGL 150 Critical Writing and Reading: Poetry and Drama
ENGL 151 Critical Writing and Reading: Short Fiction and the Novel
ENGL 153 Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
One of:
ANTH 111 Introduction to Biological Anthropology
ANTH 121 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
HIST 112 Canada to 1867
HIST 122 Canada Since 1867
One of:
BIOL 111 Biology for Science Majors I
or BIOL 112 Evolution and Ecology
CHEM 111 Principles of Chemistry I
or CHEM 112 Introductory Chemistry I
PHYS 111 Calculus-Based Physics I
or PHYS 112 Introductory Physics I
Year Two
GEOG 272** Introduction to Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing
GEOG 274** Introduction to GIS Analysis
GEOG 275 The Earth From Above: Remote Sensing of the Environment
GEOG 276** Geodatabases: Effective Data Management in a Spatial World
GEOG 277** Applied Geospatial Technology and Environmental Challenges
GEOG 278** Applied GIScience and Environmental Project Management
One of:
COSC 111 Computer Programming I
COSC 180 Multimedia Computing
One of:
CMNS 235 Professional Writing and Communications
or ENGL 235 Professional Writing and Communications
INDG 202 Okanagan Concepts and Frameworks
INDG 204 Indigenous Concepts and Frameworks
HIST 206 Indigenous Peoples and Colonization in Canada
Two of:
All 200 level or higher GEOG or EESC courses
ANTH 111 Introduction to Biological Anthropology
ANTH 121 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
HIST 112 Canada to 1867
HIST 122 Canada Since 1867
PHIL 251 Environmental Ethics
POLI 204 Canadian Environmental Policy
Please note: PLA is available for courses marked by the double asterisk (**)
The Diploma in Environmental Studies will be granted upon the successful completion of 60 prescribed credits, including at least eighteen (18) credits of 200-level courses as outlined below.
Additional Information
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