Environment & Resource Studies

The Environment and Resource Studies (ERS) program is for students looking to study on the basis of their interest and the needs of society.

ERS students are...

• Solutions-oriented - create effective solutions by studying the environmental, human and economic impacts of challenges
• Flexible - customize your degree to suit your interests - only 18 courses are required
• Close-knit - work one-on-one with a professor to explore your interest in depth
• Experiential - gain perspective during field trips, co-op work terms and the Australia exchange

ERS students want to make a difference

And you'll do just that during your 8-month research project in fourth year. Past student projects include:

• The Nuclear Gamble: Neoclassical & Ecological Economic Arguments, Including Consideration for Global Warming and Sustainability
• How Green Roofs Can Improve the Urban Environment in Uptown Waterloo Ontario
• Building Better Buildings: The Transition to Environmental Building in Canada

Christy, pictured above, was concerned about farming willow thickets for biodiesel and the effects that could have on breeding birds in the area. She focused her fourth year research project on this topic and thanks to her research, we now know that willow thickets are dynamic communities that need to be expanded so that they can continue to provide a habitat for breeding birds.

Get out of the classroom

How can you study the environment only in a lecture hall? In Environment and Resource Stuides, you'll have the opportunity to participate in an international exchange, or seek volunteer and work opportunities overseas. Enhance your degree with a certificate from Niagara College in environmental management and assessment or in ecosystem restoration.

Or, take a two-week course at the Waterloo Summit Centre for the Environment, a research, teaching and community centre in Huntsville, Ontario for students in the Faculty of Environment.

Co-op sequence