Plan requirements

ERS offers two plans of study leading to a Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) degree in Environment, Resources and Sustainability (ERS):

Here are the requirements for students beginning in SERS in Fall 2022

Honours Regular Plan (4 Year)

Note: SERS core courses are only offered in terms indicated. Course requirements are listed here plus 7 courses/3.5 units of ERS/ENVS core electives are also required within this plan.

Year 1

Fall term (Sept - Dec):

  • ERS 100: Foundations: Environment, Resources and Sustainability
  • ENVS 178: Environmental Applications of Data Management and Statistics
  • ENVS 195: Introduction to Environmental Studies
  • Plus electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Winter term (Jan - Apr):

  • ERS 101: Approaches: Environment, Resources and Sustainability
  • ERS 102: Sustainability and the Really Long View
  • ENVS 200: Field Ecology
  • Plus electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Year 2

Fall term:

  • ERS 201: Environmental Policy, Politics and Governance
  • ERS 202: Natural Resources Ecology
  • ERS 215: Introduction to Environmental Assessment
  • Plus electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Winter term:

  • Electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Year 3

Fall term:

  • ERS 300: Social Ecological Systems Analysis
  • ERS 301: Sustainability Thought, Practice and Prospects
  • Plus electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Winter term:

  • Electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Year 4

Fall and Winter terms:

  • ERS 400: Social-Ecological Approaches to Sustainability (Fall)
  • ERS 401: Translational Ecology (Winter)
  • ERS 402: Senior Honours Seminar (Winter), plus one ERS 3XX/4XX level 0.5 unit course (for a total of 1.0 unit)
    OR
    ERS 403A/B: Senior Honours Thesis (Fall and Winter - by approval only in January)
  • Plus electives*

* of elective choices, be sure to fulfil required 7 courses/3.5 units of core ERS/ENVS course electives, two of which may have ENVS prefix. These are completed over your entire plan of study.

Honours Co-op Plan (4 and 3/4 years)

Note: SERS core courses are only offered in terms indicated. Course requirements are listed here plus 7 courses/3.5 units of ERS/ENVS core electives are also required within this plan.

Year 1

Fall term (Sept - Dec) (1A):

  • ERS 100: Foundations: Environment, Resources and Sustainability
  • ENVS 178: Environmental Applications of Data Management and Statistics
  • ENVS 195: Introduction to Environmental Studies
  • Plus electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Winter term (Jan - Apr) (1B):

  • ERS 101: Approaches: Environment, Resources and Sustainability
  • ERS 102: Sustainability and the Really Long View
  • ENVS 200: Field Ecology
  • Plus electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Spring term (May - Aug):

  • Off-term - no work term or academic term; you make your own plans

Year 2

Fall term (2A):

  • ERS 201: Environmental Policy, Politics and Governance
  • ERS 202: Natural Resources Ecology
  • ERS 215: Introduction to Environmental Assessment
  • Plus electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Winter term:

  • 1st co-op work term

Spring term (2B):

  • Electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Year 3

Fall term:

  • 2nd co-op work term

Winter term (3A):

  • Electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Spring term:

  • 3rd co-op work term

Year 4

Fall term (3B):

  • ERS 300:Social Ecological Sstems Analysis
  • ERS 301: Sustainability Thought, Practice and Prospects
  • Plus electives* for a total of 2.5 units (5 courses)

Winter term:

  • 4th co-op work term

Spring term:

  • 5th co-op work term

Year 5

Fall term (4A) and Winter term (4B):

  • ERS 400: Social-Ecological Approaches to Sustainability (Fall)
  • ERS 401: Translational Ecology (Winter)
  • ERS 402: Senior Honours Seminar (Winter), plus one ERS 3XX/4XX level 0.5 unit course (for a total of 1.0 unit)
    OR
    ERS 403A/B: Senior Honours Thesis (Fall and Winter - by approval only in January)
  • Plus electives*

* of elective choices, be sure to fulfil required 7 courses/3.5 units of core ERS/ENVS course electives, two of which may have ENVS prefix.

In addition, for students who are considering a Master's Plan of study, ERS offers an Accelerated Master's Program

ERS requires six items to graduate:

  • Communication requirement
  • 40 courses total, or 20.0 units
  • ERS core course requirements (7.5 units)
  • 7 ERS/ENVS core electives (7 courses/3.5 units) where 5 courses/2.5 units must be labelled ERS. The plan allows for 18 courses/9 units of 'free' electives of your choice, which can be taken from all disciplines starting in first term. Free electives can be used for specializing your ERS degree.
  • 27/40 courses above 100-level (the plan allows for 13 courses at 100-level)
  • Averages of 65% overall and 70% major

Students in ERS Honours Co-op Plan must also fulfill:

  • 4 successful work term placements
  • 4 Professional Development (PD) courses

Degree 'average requirements' are the same whether you're in the ERS Honours Regular Plan or ERS Honours Co-op Plan. ERS major average must be 70% and overall (all courses) average must be 65% every term. Averages always must include all courses on record.

Note that ERS core courses are unique to this plan of study and therefore, we will normally not permit core course credit for courses taken at another institution. Students wishing to go on exchange or study elsewhere should plan to stay longer to finish their ERS requirements, or adjust their schedules to ensure they are on campus for core course offerings in the term that they are available. ERS core courses are generally offered once per year in a particular term.

Joint Honours with ERS

Students from other plans wishing to do a joint honours degree with ERS as the second major should refer to the Undergraduate Calendar for the requirements for Joint Honours in ERS.

Communication Requirement

The Communication Requirement is a requirement for all students. This requirement must be completed by the end of 2B term. A grade of 65% or higher in ERS 101 fulfills this requirement. A grade below 65% in ERS 101 will require the student to enroll in and achieve 65% in one of the following courses:

To graduate, refer to the Undergraduate Calendar plan requirements from the year you started in ERS.

Important note: ERS core courses are offered once per year in a particular term – refer to the “Course Selection Offerings List for Undergraduate Students” during the course selection period which occurs prior to term enrollment.  

Students can pursue credentials along with their ERS major degree. These can be an option, minor, certificate or diploma. See the Undergraduate Calendar for a comprehensive list of these choices, and their requirements.

More details about credentials for ERS students can be found here: https://uwaterloo.ca/environment-resources-and-sustainability/undergraduate/customize-your-degree

Use the Multi-Plan Template for Credentials (PDF) to ensure you are counting courses for your credentials correctly. A single course can count twice maximum. Once you complete this form, you can send it on the SERS UG Advisor for review.

This page contains supplemental information to that found in the Undergraduate Calendar; specifically, the suggested course sequencing for completing your degree in eight academic terms. Deviating from this sequencing is allowed, but students need to recognize that this may extend the number of terms of study. Students who opt to go on exchange, forcing them to deviate from the suggested course sequence, should take this into consideration when choosing to study abroad and discuss any possible ramifications with their academic advisor.

The Undergraduate Calendar is the official resource for all degree requirements, including undergraduate regulations. Students must refer to the Undergraduate Calendar to ensure approved degree requirements are being met. If there is a discrepancy between this page and the Undergraduate Calendar, the Undergraduate Calendar being the official source for degree requirements and undergraduate regulations, will take precedence.