ObjectivesOur programs focus on the environment and on the radical transformation of the earth by human action. They examine the place of humans in the natural world, sustain a critical awareness of the complexity and inter-connectedness within and between cultural and natural systems, focus on an understanding of the causes and consequences of environmental change, promote effective and efficient policies for environmental management, and provide students with important technical skills in computer cartography and GIS which are increasingly required in the workplace. All programs have a common core at the introductory and intermediate levels.
Academic titleBachelor of Arts in Human Environment
Course descriptionFor all Geography B.A. programs there is a common 12 credit core in the first year and a common 12 credit core in the second year. The program is made up of courses in human geography, physical geography and techniques. In the first year there is one introductory course in each area followed by a course which integrates all three. At the second year students take courses in all three areas; while in the final year all courses integrate both physical and human geography.
Honours in the Human Environment: 60 credits
* 15 required credits in the Study of Human and Biophysical Environment: Mapping the Environment, an Integrated Approach to Land, People and Society
* 3 elective credits from Geology of the Earth, Urban Development, Geography of Global Change
* 12 required credits in Historical and Cultural Perspectives in the Environment, Research Methods, Geographic Information Systems
* 12 elective credits in both human and physical geography from: Population Geography, Urban Geography, Resource Analysis and Management, Plant Ecology, Hydrology, Biogeography, Landform Evolution, and The Climate System
* 12 elective credits in Geography at the advanced level
* 6 required credits for Honours Essay
* 30 elective credits in any department, some of which may take the form of a Minor in another discipline
Specialization in the Human Environment: 60 credits
Same requirements as Honours in the Human Environment, but the Honours essay is replaced by six elective credits in Geography at the intermediate or advanced level.
Major in the Human Environment: 42 credits
* 15 required credits in the Study of Human and Biophysical Environment: Mapping the Environment, an Integrated Approach to Land, People and Society
* 3 elective credits from Geology, Urban Development, Geography of Global Change
* 12 required credits in Historical and Cultural Perspectives in the Environment, Research Methods, Geographic Information Systems
* 6 elective credits in both human and physical geography from Population Geography, Urban Geography, Resource Analysis and Management, Plant Ecology, Hydrology, Biogeography, Landform Evolution, and the Climate System
* 6 elective credits in Geography at the advanced level
* 48 elective credits in any department, some of which may take the form of a Major or Minor in another discipline
Minor in the Human Environment: 30 credits
* 18 required credits in the Study of Human and Biophysical Environment: Mapping the Environment, an Integrated Approach to Land, People and Society, and Historical and Cultural Perspectives in the Environment
* 12 elective credits in Geography at the intermediate or advanced level