Undergraduate Programs
Calendar 2004-05
Calendar 2004-05
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Undergraduate Programs Calendar 2004-05 |
McGill School of Environment
1 The School
1.1 Location
For advising, contact: Program Coordinator, Mr. Peter Barry Telephone: (514) 398-4306 Fax: (514) 398-1643 E-mail: info.mse@mcgill.ca Website: www.mcgill.ca/mse Downtown Campus 3534 University Street Montreal, QC H3A 2A7 Telephone: (514) 398-2827 Fax: (514) 398-1643 Macdonald Campus Rowles House 21,111 Lakeshore Road Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9 Telephone: (514) 398-7559 Fax: (514) 398-78461.2 Administrative Officers
Deborah Buszard; B.Sc.(Bath), Ph.D.(Lond.)
Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
John Hall; B.A.(Oxford), M.A.(Penn St.), Ph.D.(LSE)
Dean, Faculty of Arts
Alan G. Shaver; B.Sc.(Car.), Ph.D.(M.I.T.)
Dean, Faculty of Science
Nigel Roulet; B.Sc., M.Sc.(Trent), Ph.D.(McM.)
Director
Peter Barry; B.Sc.(C'dia), M.Sc.(McG.)
Program Coordinator
1.3 Academic Staff
ProfessorPeter G. Brown; B.A.(Haverford), M.A., Ph.D.(Columbia) (joint appoint. with Geography and Natural Resource Sciences)Associate ProfessorArun Agrawal; B.A. (Hindu College, Delhi U, M.B.A. (I.I.M.), M.A., Ph.D. (Duke) (joint appoint. with Political Science)Assistant ProfessorsMadhav Badami; B.Tech., M.Sc.(I.I.T.), M.E.Des.(Calg.), Ph.D.(Br.Col.) (joint appoint. with School of Urban Planning)Sylvie de Blois; B.Sc.(Agr.)(McG.), M.Sc., Ph.D.(Montr.)(joint appoint. with Plant Science)Colin Duncan; B.A.(Queen's), M.A., Ph.D.(York)Jaye Ellis; B.A.(Calg.), LL.B., B.C.L.(McG.), LL.M.(U.B.C.) (joint appoint. with Law)Frédéric Fabry; B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) (joint appoint. with Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences)Rebecca Hardin; B.A. (Brown), M.Phil., Ph.D.(Yale) (joint appoint. with Anthropology)Gregory Mikkelson; B.A.(Trinity), M.S., Ph.D.(Chic.) (joint appoint. with Philosophy)Garry Peterson; B.Sc. (Waterloo), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Florida) (joint appoint. with Geography)Anthony Ricciardi; B.Sc.(Agr.), M.Sc., Ph.D.(McG.) (joint appoint. with Redpath Museum)Raja Sengupta; B.Sc. (Bombay), M.Sc.(I.I.T), Ph.D. (Illinois) (joint appoint. with Geography)Lisa Sideris; B.A., M.A., Ph.D.(Indiana) (joint appoint. with Religious Studies)Renée Sieber; B.Sc.(Mich. St.), M.P.A.(W. Mich.), Ph.D.(Rutgers) (joint appoint. with Geography)Joann Whalen; B.Sc.Agr.(Dal.), M.Sc.(McG.), Ph.D.(Ohio St.) (joint appoint. with Natural Resource Sciences)Associate MembersAgricultural and Biosystems Engineering: Suzelle Barrington, Robert BonnellAgricultural Economics: John HenningAnthropology: John Galaty, Colin H. ScottArchitecture: Avi FreidmanAtmospheric and Oceanic Sciences: Charles LinAvian Science and Conservation Centre: David BirdBiology: Catherine PotvinChemistry: Bill ChanCivil Engineering and Applied Mechanics: Van-Thanh-Van Nguyen, Jim NicellDeveloping Area Studies: Rosalind BoydDietetics and Human Nutrition, School of: Laurie Chan, Tim Johns, Harriet KuhnleinEarth and Planetary Sciences: Don Baker, Alfonso Mucci, Jeanne PaquetteEconomics: Robert Cairns, Myron Frankman, Chris Green, Franque Grimard, Tom NaylorEpidemiology and Biostatistics: Mark GoldbergGeography: Gail Chmura, Oliver Coomes, Thom Meredith, Tim Moore, Wayne H. Pollard, Nigel RouletHistory: Myron EchenbergLaw, Faculty of: Jane GlennManagement, Faculty of: Frances WestleyMedicine, Ethics, Law: Margaret SomervilleMining and Metallurgical Engineering: Jim FinchNatural Resource Sciences: Benoit Côté, Mark Curtis, Brian Driscoll, Jim W. Fyles, William Hendershot, Roger Titman, Terry WheelerParasitology, Institute of: James SmithPathology, Autopsy Service: Bruce CasePhilosophy: Philip BuckleyPlant Science: Pierre Dutilleul, Don Smith, Marcia WaterwayPolitical Science: Hudson Meadwell, Philip OxhornRedpath Museum: David M. GreenSociology: Uli LocherUrban Planning, School of: Jeanne Wolfe1.4 Creation of the School
McGill's Faculties of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Arts, and Science have forged a unique approach to the study of environment through the inter-faculty, trans-disciplinary McGill School of Environment (MSE).
The growth of technology, globalizing economies, and rapid increase in population have had dramatic and significant environmental impacts. These changes have been accompanied by an increasing awareness of the relationship between human activity and the environment. Environmental problems range from local and short-term degradation through to the perturbation observed over the entire globe and for many years. The importance of human-environment relations for environmental and social well-being, and the complexity and conflict involved in environmental analysis and decision making, requires a depth and breadth of knowledge. The MSE has developed its programs with the approach of introducing students to a broad range of ideas early in the program to provide a foundation and an openness upon which more specialized, disciplinary knowledge can be built.
1.5 Goals of the School
The McGill School of Environment has the following goals:
- to provide an exciting and rigorous program that allows for intellectual growth in the comprehension of environmental systems or components of the environment;
- to impart to students an understanding of current environmental concerns;
- to help students gain an understanding of the complexity and conflicts that underlie most environmental problems; and
- to give students an opportunity to apply their knowledge in the analysis of specific, contemporary environmental issues.
2 Admission, Registration and Regulations
2.1 Admission
Students may be admitted to a B.A., B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.), or a B.Sc. program, offered by the MSE on the University's two campuses: the Macdonald Campus and the Downtown Campus. They register as students within their Faculty of admission and are governed by all rules and regulations of that Faculty.
Students who have already completed a Bachelor or an equivalent degree may be admitted to the Diploma in Environment through any of the three MSE Faculties: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Arts, and Science. They register as students within their Faculty of admission and are governed by all rules and regulations of that Faculty relative to the Diploma.
Please see "Admission Requirements" on page 13.
2.2 Degree Requirements
To be eligible for a B.A. degree, students must fulfill all the Faculty and program requirements as indicated under Arts "Faculty Degree Requirements" on page 48.
To be eligible for a B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) degree, students must fulfill all the Faculty and program requirements as indicated under Agricultural and Environmental Sciences "Faculty Information and Regulations" on page 304.
To be eligible for a B.Sc. degree, students must fulfill all the Faculty and program requirements as indicated under Science "Faculty Degree Requirements" on page 246.
To be eligible for the Diploma in Environment, students must fulfill all program requirements as specified in section 8 "Diploma in Environment".
2.3 Important Information about Program Selection
The MSE uses students' program selections to identify which students are in the School's major programs (and, by extension, which students are in the McGill Environmental Students' Society).
Students in U1 who are unsure of the Domain they want to pursue may register in the Major or Faculty program in Environment without picking a Domain. However, they must pick a Domain in their U2 year.
Note:
Students must select a Domain in order to graduate; they cannot graduate without choosing a Domain.
(None of the above applies to students in the Minor or Diploma Programs.)
2.4 Course Numbering System at McGill
The first four characters of a McGill course number refer to the unit offering the course. For example, MSE courses begin with the Subject Code ENVR (formerly 170- ).
The three numbers following the Subject Code refer to the course itself, with 200-level courses usually taken by U1 students, 300-level by U2 students, and 400-level by U3 students. Senior undergraduate students can also take some 500-level courses, but they should limit themselves to no more than one per term.
2.5 Examination Regulations
Regulations concerning the method of evaluation of any course (including those governing supplemental examinations) are those of the Faculty that offers the course. Students should note that supplemental exams are available for courses taught in the Faculties of Arts, of Science, and of Education, but not for courses taught in the Faculties of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, of Engineering, or of Management.
Note:
All ENVR courses, regardless of where they are taught, are offered only by the Faculty of Science.
2.6 Courses outside the Student's Faculty
Students in the School's B.A., B.Sc., and B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) programs may take courses outside their Faculty according to the regulations of their Faculty of admission. These regulations are not identical:
- Arts students, see Faculty of Arts "Courses outside the Faculties of Arts and of Science" on page 50.
- Science students, see Faculty of Science "Courses outside the Faculties of Arts and Science" on page 248.
- Agricultural and Environmental Sciences students, see Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Minimum Credit Requirement.
- Faculty of Science students in particular should be aware that some courses are restricted and cannot be taken for credit. See the Science Student Affairs Website at www.mcgill.ca/artscisao. Check under Departmental Students; Course and Program Selection; Science Students; Policy for Courses Outside Arts and Science.
- Students in the Diploma in Environment follow the program as specified.
3 Programs Offered
The McGill School of Environment has developed five programs which are offered on the Downtown and Macdonald campuses. These programs strive to offer the flexibility necessary to deal with the environment through a set of core courses that provide the general knowledge base of the program combined with a progressive series of courses in a trans-disciplinary area of environmental specialization, referred to as a Domain.
The programs are designed to prepare students for further study in environment or discipline-based graduate programs, and for employment in industry, government, and education.
The MSE offers five options for students interested in pursuing environmental studies.
1. A Minor in Environment is open to all undergraduate students.2. A Faculty Program in Environment leading to a B.A is open to students meeting the entrance requirements of the Faculty of Arts.3. A Major in Environment leading to a B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) is open to students meeting the entrance requirements of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.4. A Major in Environment leading to a B.Sc. is open to students meeting the entrance requirements of the Faculty of Science.5. A Diploma in Environment is available only to students who have already completed a Bachelor or an equivalent degree, and who wish to return to university for further undergraduate study. The Diploma is offered by all three MSE Faculties: Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Arts, and Science.4 Minor in Environment
The Minor in Environment is intended to complement an expertise obtained through a Major, Major Concentration or a Faculty Program offered by an academic unit other than the MSE. Students taking the Minor in Environment are exposed to different approaches, perspectives, and world views that will help them gain an understanding of the complexity and conflicts that underlie environmental problems.
Students, after consulting with their adviser in their major program or concentration and the MSE Program Coordinator, can declare their intention to do a Minor in Environment.
To obtain a Minor in Environment, students must:
a. register for the Minor on-line, using Minerva;b. submit their program of courses already taken and to be taken for the Minor in Environment to the MSE Program Coordinator for approval;c. pass all courses counted towards the Minor with a grade of C or higher;d. complete 18 credits from the courses listed below not otherwise counted towards the student's Major program or concentration or a second Minor program; ande. ensure that all the credits specified in (c) above are taken outside the discipline or field of the student's Major program or concentration.4.1 Minor Concentration in Environment
This 18-credit Minor is intended for Arts students in the multi-track system.
Adviser: Mr. Pete Barry, MSE Program Coordinator E-mail: info.mse@mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-4306Complementary Courses(18 credits)Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
4.2 Minor in Environment
This 18-credit Minor is intended for Science and Agricultural and Environmental Science students, but is open to students from other faculties as well, except Arts.
Adviser: Mr. Pete Barry, MSE Program Coordinator E-mail: info.mse@mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-4306Complementary Courses(18 credits)Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
5 B.A. Faculty Program in Environment
The B.A. Faculty Program has two components: Core and Domain. Students follow three steps in their degree program.
1. Core: The Core consists of four introductory courses and one intermediate-level course where students are exposed to the different approaches, perspectives, and world views that will help them gain an understanding of the complexity and conflicts that underlie most environmental problems. Through the Core program students go beyond the confines of their individual views of environment.2. Domain: Domains provide a trans-disciplinary study of a particular theme or component of the environment.3. Senior Core and Research: In the two senior courses of the Core, students will apply the general and specialized knowledge that they have gained in the program to the analysis of some specific, contemporary environmental problems.To obtain a B.A. Faculty Program in Environment students must:a. register in a Domain on-line, using Minerva;b. satisfy the co- / prerequisites for the program (calculus and a basic science course);c. pass all courses counted towards the Faculty Program with a grade of C or higher;d. confirm that their course selection satisfies the required components of the MSE Core and their chosen Domain, and that the complementary courses are approved courses in their chosen Domain; ande. fulfill all Faculty requirements as specified for the B.A. in the Arts "Faculty Degree Requirements" on page 48, which include meeting the minimum credit requirement as specified in their letter of admission.B.A. FACULTY PROGRAM IN ENVIRONMENT(54 credits)The B.A. Faculty Program requires, as either a pre- or corequisite for the first year of the program:
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Each Domain has different requirements which are listed below. Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section.The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
5.1 Ecological Determinants of Health in Society Domain
This Domain (54 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.A. Faculty Program in Environment.
An understanding of the interface between human health and environment depends not only on an appreciation of the biological and ecological determinants of health, but equally on an appreciation of the role of social sciences in the design, implementation, and monitoring of interventions. Demographic patterns and urbanization, economic forces, ethics, indigenous knowledge and culture, and an understanding of how social change can be effected are all critical if we are to be successful in our efforts to assure health of individuals and societies in the future. Recognizing the key role that nutritional status plays in maintaining a healthy body, and the increasing importance of infection as a health risk linked intimately with the environment, this domain prepares students to contribute to the solution of problems of nutrition and infection by tying the relevant natural sciences to the social sciences.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
Prerequisite or Corequisite Courses for ProgramNOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses, but does not include the Program prerequisites or co-requisites listed above.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(6 credits)Domain: Complementary Courses(27 credits)5.2 Economics and the Earth's Environment Domain
This Domain (54 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.A. Faculty Program in Environment.
Understanding Earth's geologic processes provides us with the knowledge to mitigate many of our society's environmental impacts due to resource extraction and waste disposal. This knowledge is not always enough, as economics often plays a controlling role in how we use and abuse our environment.
This Domain educates students in the fundamentals of economics and Earth sciences. The fundamentals of economics are provided, as is their application to the effects of economic choices on Earth's environment. Examples of these applications include the economic effects of public policy towards resource industries and methods of waste disposal, and the potential effects of global warming on the global economy. Students also learn of minerals, rocks, soils, and waters which define much of Earth's environment and how these materials interact with each other and with the atmosphere. Courses in specific subdisciplines of Earth sciences combined with courses presenting a global vision of how the Earth and its environment operate provide the student with the necessary knowledge of geologic processes. Examples of this knowledge include the effects of mineral and energy extraction on the environment and how industrial waste interacts with solids and liquids in the environment. The Earth science and economics studies merge in the final year when the students apply what they have learned in the Domain to current environmental issues.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
Prerequisite or Corequisite Courses for ProgramNOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 34 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses, but does not include the Domain prerequisites or co-requisites listed above.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(16 credits)5.3 Environment and Development Domain
This Domain (54 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.A. Faculty Program in Environment.
Adviser: Mr. Pete Barry, MSE Program Coordinator E-mail: info.mse@mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-4306The quest for sustainable paths to economic development requires scholars and practitioners to transcend the boundaries of traditional disciplines. This Domain offers students sufficient depth and breadth of study to acquire a strong grasp of current theories, concepts, and approaches to environment and development. It prepares them for graduate study in interdisciplinary programs (e.g., development studies or environmental studies) as well as in integrative social sciences (e.g., anthropology, geography, etc.).
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
Prerequisite or Corequisite Courses for ProgramNOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(12 credits)6 Major in Environment - B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) and B.Sc.
Students in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) program and students in the Faculty of Science B.Sc. program can register in the Major in Environment.
The Major has two components: Core and Domain. Students follow three steps in their degree program.
1. Core: The Core consists of four introductory courses and one intermediate-level course where students are exposed to the different approaches, perspectives, and world views that will help them gain an understanding of the complexity and conflicts that underlie most environmental problems. Through the Core program students go beyond the confines of their individual views of environment.2. Domain: Domains provide a trans-disciplinary study of a particular theme or component of the environment.3. Senior Core and Research: In the two senior courses of the Core, students will apply the general and specialized knowledge that they have gained in the program to the analysis of some specific, contemporary environmental problems.To obtain a Major in Environment, students must:
a. register in a Domain, on-line using Minerva;b. pass all courses counted towards the Major with a grade of C or higher;c. confirm that their course selection satisfies the required components of the MSE Core and their chosen Domain, and that the complementary courses are approved courses in their chosen Domain; andd. fulfill all Faculty requirements as specified by the faculty in which they are registered: for the B.Sc. (Ag.Env.Sc.) refer to Agricultural and Environmental Sciences "Faculty Information and Regulations" on page 304; for the B.Sc. refer to Science "Faculty Degree Requirements" on page 246. This includes meeting the minimum credit requirement as specified in their letter of admission.MAJOR PROGRAM IN ENVIRONMENT(57 to 66 credits - depending upon Domain selected)Core: Required Courses(18 credits)
Population Stream or Cellular Stream (42 credits)
(42 credits)
Physical Stream or Biological Stream (36 - 39 credits)Each Domain has different requirements which are listed below. Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
6.1 Biodiversity and Conservation Domain
This Domain (63 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc (Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
Advisers: Professor Graham Bell E-mail: graham.bell@mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-4086 ext. 4087 Professor David Green E-mail: david.m.green@mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-4086 ext. 4088This Domain links the academic study of biological diversity with the applied field of conservation biology. The study of biological diversity, or 'biodiversity', lies at the intersection of evolution with ecology and genetics, combining the subdisciplines of evolutionary ecology, evolutionary genetics and ecological genetics. It has two main branches, the creation of diversity and the maintenance of diversity. Both processes are governed by a general mechanism of selection acting over different scales of space and time. This gives rise to a distinctive set of principles and generalizations that regulate rates of diversification and levels of diversity, as well as the abundance or rarity of different species. Conservation biology constitutes the application of these principles in the relevant social and economic context to the management of natural systems, with the object of preventing the extinction of rare species and maintaining the diversity of communities. As the impact of industrialization and population growth on natural systems has become more severe, conservation has emerged as an important area of practical endeavour.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(9 credits)
6.2 Ecological Determinants of Health Domain
This Domain (63 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc (Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
This Domain considers the interface between the environment and human well-being, with particular focus on the triad that ties human health to the environment through the elements of food and infectious agents. Each of these elements is influenced by planned and unplanned environmental disturbances.
For example, agricultural practices shift the balance between beneficial and harmful ingredients of food. Use of insecticides presents dilemmas with regard to the environment, economics and human health. The distribution of infectious diseases is influenced by the climatic conditions that permit vectors to coexist with man, by deforestation, by urbanization, and by human interventions ranging from the building of dams to provision of potable water.
In designing interventions that aim to prevent or reduce infectious contaminants in the environment, or to improve food production and nutritional quality, not only is it important to understand methods of intervention, but also to understand social forces that influence how humans respond to such interventions.
Students in the Population Stream will gain a depth of understanding at an ecosystem level that looks at society, land and population health. Students in the Cellular Stream will explore the interactions in more depth, at a physiological level.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
Ecological Determinants of Health Domain -
Cellular StreamThis Domain (63 credits) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 31 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(6 credits)Domain - Cellular Stream: Complementary Courses(36 credits)Ecological Determinants of Health Domain -
Population StreamThis Domain (63 credits) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 31 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(6 credits)Domain - Population Stream: Complementary Courses(36 credits)6.3 Environmetrics Domain
This Domain (63 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
Adviser: Professor Dutilleul E-mail: dutilleul@macdonald.mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-7851 ext. 7870In view of the crucial need for sound study design and appropriate statistical methods for analyzing environmental changes and their impacts on humans and various life forms and their ecological relationships, this program is intended to provide students with a strong background in the use of statistical methods of data analysis in environmental sciences.
Graduates will be capable of effectively participating in the design of environmental studies and adequately analyzing data for use by the environmental community. Accordingly, the list of courses for the Environmetrics Domain is composed primarily of statistics courses and mathematically oriented courses with biological and ecological applications. The list is completed by general courses that refine the topics introduced in the MSE core courses by focusing on the ecology of living organisms, soil sciences or water resources, and impact assessment. These courses should allow the students to understand their interlocutors and be understood by them in their future job. Students can further develop their background in applied or mathematical statistics and their expertise in environmental sciences by taking complementary courses along each of two axes: statistics and mathematics, and environmental sciences. An internship is also offered to students to provide them with preliminary professional experience.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Course(6 credits)6.4 Food Production and Environment Domain
This Domain (63 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc in Environment program.
Adviser: Professor Sylvie de Blois Email: Sylvie.deblois@mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-7851 ext. 0852The business of food production is an area of human activity with a large and intimate interaction with the environment. Modern agriculturalists must strike a delicate balance between trying to provide food for themselves, their families and urban dwellers while trying to minimize environmental damage. When negative effects due to agricultural activities do occur, they are not usually the classic point source effects that we have come to associate with industry or large cities. Rather, the effects are over extremely large land areas cumulating, perhaps, in pollution of river systems or lakes some distance away. As world populations grow, and as diets change, potentially negative interactions between agricultural systems and other facets of the environment will become more frequent. In the same way, urban sprawl will make conflicts between agriculture and urbanites more common.
With a judicious choice of courses, graduates of this Domain may be eligible to apply for membership in the Ordre des agronomes du Québec (OAQ) and the Agricultural Institute of Canada (AIC). See the MSE website for details at www.mcgill.ca/mse: BSc Programs: Food Production and Environment Domain.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
Prerequisite or Corequisite Courses for DomainNOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 34 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 15 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses, but does not include the Domain prerequisites or co-requisites listed above.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(9 credits)
6.5 Land Surface Processes and Environmental Change Domain
This Domain (63 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
Adviser: (Before September 2004) Mr. Pete Barry, MSE Program Coordinator E-mail: info.mse@mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-4306 (September 2004 and after) Professor Michel Lapointe E-mail: lapointe@geog.mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-4959The thin soil layer on the planet's land surfaces controls the vital inputs of water, nutrients and energy to terrestrial and freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Widespread occurrences around the globe of desertification, soil erosion, deforestation and land submergence over water reservoirs indicate that this dynamic system is under increasing pressure from population growth and changes in climate and land uses. Production of key green-house gases (water vapor, CO2 and methane) is controlled by complex processes operating at the land surface, involving climate change feedbacks that need to be fully understood, given current global warming trends.
The program introduces students to the interacting physical and biogeochemical processes at the atmosphere-lithosphere interface, which fashion land surface habitats and determine their biological productivity and response to anthropogenic or natural environmental changes. Through an appropriate selection of courses, students can prepare for graduate training in emerging research areas such as earth system sciences, environmental hydrology and landscape ecology.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Course(3 credits)6.6 Renewable Resource Management Domain
This Domain (63 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
Renewable resource management is an emerging field that focuses on the ecosystem structures and processes required to sustain the delivery, to humanity, of ecosystem goods and services such as food, clean water and air, essential nutrients, and the provision of beauty and inspiration. Renewable resource management recognizes humans as integral components of ecosystems and is used to develop goals that are consistent with sustainability and ecosystem maintenance.
The Renewable Resource Management domain provides students with an understanding of: 1) the interactions between physical and biological factors that determine the nature and dynamics of populations and entities in the natural environment; 2) the ways in which ecosystems can be managed to meet specific goals for the provision of goods and services; 3) the economic and social factors that determine how ecosystems are managed; 4) the ways in which management of natural resources can affect the capability of natural ecosystems to continue to supply human needs in perpetuity; and 5) the approaches and technologies required to monitor and analyze the dynamics of natural and managed ecosystems.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required Courses are offered on both campuses.)
Prerequisite or Corequisite Courses for DomainNOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses, but does not include the Domain prerequisites or corequisites listed above.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Complementary Courses(42 credits)6.7 Water Environments and Ecosystems Domain
This Domain is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
To educate students in both the ecological and physical facets of the water environment, this Domain offers two streams, with students choosing one or the other facet.
Those electing the biological stream will concentrate on the mechanisms regulating the different forms of life in water bodies. They will acquire, as well, a good understanding of the physical mechanisms controlling water properties.
Students interested in studying the transport and transformation mechanisms of water on the planet, from rivers to the oceans and atmosphere, will select the physical stream. They will acquire, as well, a solid background in the biological processes taking place in water bodies.
Graduates of this Domain are qualified to enter the work force or to pursue advanced studies in fields such as marine biology, geography, physical oceanography and atmospheric science.
Water Environments and Ecosystems Domain -
Biological StreamThis Domain (57 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
Adviser: Mr. Pete Barry, MSE Program Coordinator E-mail: info.mse@mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-4306Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required Courses are offered on both campuses.)
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Course(3 credits)Domain: Complementary Courses(33 credits)Water Environments and Ecosystems Domain -
Physical StreamThis Domain (60 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required Courses are offered on both campuses.)
Recommended Corequisite Course for DomainNOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses, but does not include the Domain prerequisites or corequisites listed above.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(9 credits)
7 Major in Environment - B.Sc.
In addition to the selection of Domains available to students in the Major program in either the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, see section 6 "Major in Environment - B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) and B.Sc.", students in the Faculty of Science program can choose from one of the two Domains limited to Science students only:
Atmospheric Environment and Air Quality, orEarth Sciences and Economics.Refer to section 6 "Major in Environment - B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) and B.Sc." for the general guidelines and regulations which apply to all Domains in the Major in Environment program.
7.1 Atmospheric Environment and Air Quality Domain
This Domain (60 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc. Major in Environment program in the Faculty of Science.
The rapid expansion of industrialization has been accompanied with a host of environmental problems, many, if not most, involving the atmosphere. Some problems are of a local nature, such as air pollution in large urban centres, while others are global, or at least reach areas far removed from industrial activities.
The emphasis in this Domain is on the mechanisms of atmospheric flow and on atmospheric chemistry. Courses examine how the atmosphere transports pollution, lifting it to great heights into the stratosphere or keeping it trapped near the ground, moving it around the globe or imprisoning it locally, or how it simply cleanses itself of the pollution through rainfall. The Domain also gives students the training required to understand the important chemical reactions taking place within the atmosphere, as well as the know-how necessary to measure and analyze atmospheric constituents.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 31 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(18 credits)Domain: Complementary Courses(21 credits)7.2 Earth Sciences and Economics Domain
This Domain (66 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc. Major in Environment program in the Faculty of Science.
The resources necessary for human society are extracted from the Earth, used as raw materials in our factories and refineries, and then returned to the Earth as waste. Geological processes produce resources humans depend on, and they also determine the fate of wastes in the environment. Understanding Earth's geologic processes provides us with the knowledge to mitigate many of our society's environmental impacts due to resource extraction and waste disposal. Additionally, economics frequently affects what energy sources power our society and how our wastes are treated. Earth sciences and economics are essential for our understanding of the many mechanisms, both physical and social, that affect Earth's environment.
This Domain includes the fundamentals of each discipline. Students learn of minerals, rocks, soils, and waters and how these materials interact with each other and with the atmosphere. Fundamental economic theory and the economic effects of public policy towards resource industries, methods of waste disposal, and the potential effects of global warming on the global economy are also explored.
Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
Courses offered at Macdonald Campus are marked with an (M). (Core Required courses are offered on both campuses.)
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 34 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 15 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Core: Required Courses(18 credits)Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project(3 credits*)Domain: Required Courses(22 credits)Domain: Complementary Courses(23 credits)8 Diploma in Environment
Adviser: Mr. Pete Barry, MSE Program Coordinator E-mail: info.mse@mcgill.ca Telephone: (514) 398-4306The Diploma is designed for students with an undergraduate degree who wish to enrich or reorient their training, supplementing their specialization with additional undergraduate level course work. The Diploma requires 30 credits of full-time or part-time studies at McGill; it may be started in either January or September. The Diploma is a one-year program if taken full-time.
Students holding a B.Sc. or a B.A. degree or equivalent in good standing, will be permitted to register for the Diploma through the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the Faculty of Arts, or the Faculty of Science, provided they are otherwise acceptable for admission to the University.
Students must have a grade of C or higher in all courses for the Diploma.
DIPLOMA IN ENVIRONMENT(30 credits)Required Courses(18 credits)Complementary Courses(12 credits)Course descriptions and prerequisites can be found in the Courses section. The most up-to-date information on courses being offered this academic year is available on Class Schedule at www.mcgill.ca/minerva.
9 Field Studies
9.1 African Field Study Semester
The Department of Geography, Faculty of Science, coordinates the 15-credit interdisciplinary African Field Study Semester. Note: The AFSS will only be offered in 2004-05 pending approval by the Dean of Science.
9.2 Barbados Field Study Semester
The Department of Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, coordinates the 15-credit interdisciplinary Barbados Field Study Semester, offered in the fall term. For more information, see the Department of Bioresource Engineering.
9.3 Panama Field Study Semester
Website: www.mcgill.ca/mse/field_study/panamaThis program is a joint venture between McGill University and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama.
Hands-on experience is gained through a research project organized around multidisciplinary environmental issues. The nature of these projects will centre on practical environmental problems/questions important for Panama. Students will form a team that will work with Panamanian institutions (NGO, governmental or research).
There is one week of transition and 12 weeks of course attendance in Panama. Field trips will be integrated into each of the courses offered.
Offered:
Winter Term.
Location:
Offered at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama.
Enrolment Limit:
25 students.
Fees:
Approximately $4,000CDN - excludes regular McGill fees, airfare, food, and insurance; includes lodging.
Quebec residents may be eligible for a financial subsidy from the Ministry of Education, see "Quebec Government Awards for Quebec Residents" on page 37.
Application Deadline:
March 15, 2004 for January 2005 (Winter Term of the academic year 2004-05).
Application Details:
Students must submit a letter of intent, CV, and copy of their transcript to: Susan Gabe, Biology Undergraduate Office, Stewart Biology Building, Room W4/8, Downtown Campus. E-mail: susan.gabe@mcgill.ca. Telephone: (514) 398-7045.
Prerequisites:
HISP 218 Spanish Language Elementary or equivalent proficiency, and MATH 203 Principles of Statistics 1 or equivalent. A GPA of 3.00 and higher is recommended. The program is aimed at undergraduate students in their final year.
PANAMA FIELD STUDY SEMESTER - offered Winter Term
(15 credits)Required Courses(9 credits)Complementary Courses(6 credits)9.4 Macdonald Campus Summer Field Study
Human Impacts on the EnvironmentCourses are available during Summer Session that provide students the opportunity to participate in supervised field research concerning flora and fauna not easily studied at other times of the year, and to apply knowledge from the classroom to environmental issues in the field. Common thematic elements include: the linkages between physical, biological and human systems, field research, and human impacts on the environment. Students learn and apply research techniques and analytical skills within a multi-disciplinary, holistic approach.
For more information, see "Macdonald Summer Field Semester: Human Impacts on the Environment" on page 318 under the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the Faculty Website at www.mcgill.ca/macdonald/programs, the 2004 Summer Studies Calendar or their Website at www.mcgill.ca/summer.
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