Customize your degree | School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability

Credentials

The Environment, Resources and Sustainability (ERS) program is very flexible, so many students include a credential to learn and refine additional marketable skills. Credentials include minors, options, diplomas, and certificates. A credential may be embarked upon in first year, by completing relevant elective courses, however 'declaring' a credential does not occur until Level 2A (2nd year of study) using a Plan Modification form. Diplomas are not officially declared ahead of time; students simply request their diploma(s) on their Application to Graduate form.

Please note that Environment, Resources and Sustainability is an Honours Plan, so credentials that require an Honours Plan are open to School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability (SERS) students.

Use the Plan Modification form to declare your credentials in 2A term.

Note: Counting Courses: If a course is 'required' for your ERS major degree as a core or core elective, it can count once more only, for a credential, such as a minor, option, diploma, or certificate. If the course is not a required core or core elective for your ERS major, it can count twice, such as for two credentials.

Use the Multi-Plan Template for Credentials (PDF) to ensure you are counting courses for your credentials correctly. Once you complete this form, you can send it to the ERS Undergraduate Advisor for review.

Double-majors

You may wish to do a double-major by linking with one of the many other campus disciplines.

Some of our students have successfully completed double majors in:

Please refer to other programs' descriptions in the Undergraduate Calendar.

Minors

Minors offered within the Faculty of Environment include:

A new minor that may be of interest to ERS students is

Social Innovation and Impact Minor (United College)

For more minor options visit the Undergraduate Calendar.

Diplomas

Diplomas are not declared - students simply complete the courses successfully, and then request the Diploma on their application to graduate.

Diplomas within the Faculty of Environment include:

For more diploma options visit the Undergraduate Calendar.

Certificates and Options

Certificates and options available to Faculty of Environment students include:

Business Option
Co-operative Education Research Certificate
Experiential Education (EDGE) Certificate - for students in the regular (non co-op) stream
Global Experience Certificate
Leadership Development Certificate

Guided Pathways

Within the ERS Honours Regular and ERS Honours Co-op Plans, students requested information about following particular streams of study within their degree. In response to this request, Professor Stephen Murphy recently compiled two (2) Guided Pathways for ERS Undergraduate Students:

Accelerated Master's Program for senior ERS students

Excellent students in SERS can apply for admission to the Accelerated Master's Program. This program allows students in their final year of study to begin graduate study alongside their final undergraduate course requirements. Apply for this program in 3rd year. Ideally, students should strive to make space in their final academic year to accommodate a graduate course in each term. See this link for more information on the Accelerated Master's Program for SERS students.

International exchanges

As a student in the SERS, we want you to think locally and globally. You'll be learning about hundreds of international environmental cases in your courses, but there is nothing quite like studying abroad for a semester or more. International exchanges are a great way to travel and learn about other countries while earning your degree. We encourage you to study at a university in another country and earn credit towards your UWaterloo degree. Our students have studied at many universities, including Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia, University of Leeds in the U.K., and University of Lausanne in Switzerland, but there is a world of opportunities available to you. Learn more about countries where you can study or work.

Note: Students who wish to be considered for the exchange must be enrolled in an honours program. They will have completed the requirements for the first two years of study in their UWaterloo program, maintained an overall grade average of at least 75% in their last two full-time terms of study and have no "WF" (Withdrew/Failure, no credit granted) or "FTC" (Failure To Complete, incomplete course work, no credit granted (value 0)) grades on their record.

SERS students planning to travel on exchange in their third year of study will need to fulfill remaining core requirements in their fourth/final year (fall/winter).