Undergraduate awards

Undergraduate students are honoured with awards that recognize their academic excellence, entrepreneurial spirit or financial need.

Recognizing academic achievements

Awards of excellence

The Faculty awards Term Distinction to officially recognize students who have attained a high degree of academic excellence.

To be awarded Term Distinction, students must:

  • Have at least one alpha/numeric grade in the average.
  • Have a minimum term overall average of 80% or higher.
  • Have an academic standing for the term of Satisfactory, Good, or Excellent.
  • Have no marks of incomplete course work (INC), course in progress (IP), under review (UR), or failing grades in the term under consideration for the term Distinction List. When INC or IP grades are resolved, the term’s average will be reviewed for eligibility.

To graduate with Distinction, students must graduate with a cumulative overall average of 80% or higher. To graduate with Dean's Honours, students must graduate with a cumulative overall average of 85% or higher. Students who qualify for both distinctions will graduate with Dean's Honours.

Alumni Gold Medal

An Alumni Gold Medal is presented annually at the spring convocation in recognition of academic excellence of the top graduate from the Faculty of Environment. The award recipient is chosen by the Faculty of Environment dean and associate dean of undergraduate studies based on scholastic achievement.

Departmental awards for Distinguished Academic Achievement

Awards for Distinguished Academic Achievement are presented annually at spring convocation in recognition of academic excellence of the top graduating student from each academic plan. The award recipient is chosen based on a predetermined set of criteria, including scholastic achievement, community/extracurricular service, C.V., and letters of support. Normally, these students are considered for, of which one is selected, as the recipient of the Alumni Gold Medal.

Recognizing the entrepreneurial spirit

Jack Rosen Memorial Award for Environmental Innovation

This award is presented to the winner of the annual Jack Rosen pitch competition. Students submit ideas for products and services that could help prevent, mitigate, or solve a pressing environmental problem. Ten are selected to pitch their idea to a panel of judges in a competition for the grand prize of $2,000. Up to two additional honourable mention awards of $500 each may be awarded based on merit.

Learn more about the Jack Rosen Memorial Award for Environmental Innovation

Don Fleming Pragma Council Award

The Don Fleming Award, valued at up to $1,500, is awarded annually to a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in year three or four in the School of Planning who has a minimum 75% overall average and demonstrated financial need. Preference is given to students who have demonstrated strong entrepreneurial skills, problem solving skills, and creativity through work terms, course work or extracurricular involvement. Preference is also given to students with career aspirations in the real estate field or urban development.

Learn more about the Don Fleming Pragma Council Award.