Best Programs: Environmental Sciences

Today’s younger generation is concerned about the environment. A 2023 study by market research company Leger found that 60 per cent of Gen Z and millennials are concerned about climate change—and that’s up from 53 per cent in 2022. But while students today may want to help look for solutions, environmental studies programs have actually seen a decline in enrolment. Some schools have seen a drop of 50 per cent; perhaps an indication that many students, overwhelmed by climate anxiety, want to look elsewhere for their future jobs. But jobs are ripe in this field: more than 50,000 new environment-related job postings and nearly 200,000 job replacements will be circulated within the next decade, accounting for an eight per cent hike in environmental employment. 

Environmental studies combines the study of environmental issues with a number of disciplines—some programs are focused on politics, some on business and others on arts and culture. These cross-discipline degrees allow graduates to not just work in the environmental sector but also in policy, the private sector, non-profit organizations and more. Jobs can include educating others as environmental communication specialists, analyzing policy for the government, working at cleantech startups, consulting for an energy company or writing policy for a corporation looking to go green. 

Students interested in environmental studies should pay attention to how much the program they are considering engages with the world outside the classroom. A good environmental studies program encourages students to think globally, since communities around the world are interconnected by climate. This might mean courses that study how different governments are dealing with climate change or have developed their environmental policies, or how the environment affects human health around the world. 

Since environmental studies intersects with a number of other disciplines, and the crossovers differ from school to school, students should look closely at the teaching philosophy and content of the available courses to ensure they align with their educational and career aspirations, and their values. 

For example, the University of Alberta’s environmental studies program has a concentration in politics, society and global environment, which teaches students political and social methods to understand environmental issues and prepares graduates for working in government. Some schools have a teaching philosophy, or specific courses, that value Indigenous wisdom and non-Western philosophies, like courses that look specifically at Indigenous stewardship of the environment or how different faith groups around the world view nature. Others look at access to clean air and water through a colonial lens, or tackle the ways in which inequalities in wealth, race and gender are tied to environmental change. In all cases, programs that look at issues from a variety of angles will better prepare students for opportunities after school—environmental issues are far-reaching, so solving them will require people who are trained in multiple disciplines and holistic ways of thinking. 

Environmental studies students are often activism-minded, so schools with a diverse range of sustainability-focused clubs, like advocacy groups, or opportunities to volunteer in the local community, may be important. As so many post-grad paths for environmental studies students lead to careers in non-profit organizations and the public sector, having opportunities during school to volunteer and work on student initiatives will not only appeal to environmentally minded students, but will also be great additions to their resumés. If graduate work is part of the plan, opportunities to perform research with a professor to develop skills and gain experience, and maybe even have some research published, is another important consideration to keep in mind.

Standout Environmental Studies Programs

Trent University

Trent’s bachelor of environmental science and studies program marries the sciences with the arts, so students get a well-rounded education that integrates many different disciplines. The program is known for incorporating studies with the school’s natural surroundings, says Joel Nicholson, the CEO and co-founder of Youthfully, an academic coaching group. The campus, located in Peterborough, Ontario, is home to 11 nature areas, a farm and state-of-the-art labs that students can use to get their hands dirty. 

University of British Columbia

Located right on the Pacific coast, UBC’s environment and sustainability program focuses on the interaction between societies and the environment, and offers courses that challenge students to look at the environment and sustainability from local and global perspectives. Students are pushed to ask broad questions about how colonialism and inequities are tied to the environment, and to develop skills suited for work in government policy and non-government organizations (NGOs). Graduates leave UBC with a bachelor of arts in environment.

University of Manitoba

This interdisciplinary environmental studies program at the U of M encourages students to focus on the institutional, political and legal aspects surrounding environmental issues. The program offers experiential learning through a number of field courses, which take place outside of the classroom and provide hands-on learning, as well as a co-op so students can apply the concepts they’re learning in the classroom. The environmental studies program is housed within the Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth and Resources, which also hosts the school’s environmental sciences program—students in the two programs share courses and field experiences, giving them the best of both worlds. 

University of Waterloo

Waterloo offers a number of bachelor of environmental studies programs. The environment, resources and sustainability program focuses on addressing broad challenges like food security and ecosystem conservation; in geography and environmental management, students learn technical skills, like sensing techniques and map production to help tackle climate change, water scarcity and population growth; and for students wanting to merge their passion for sustainability with profitability, the environment and business program offers the foundations of a business degree with environment courses such as field ecology and human geography. All programs offer co-op placements.

Memorial University

Memorial University, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, is home to a bachelor of environment and sustainability program that allows students to pick between focusing more on the social science side of the environment, taking courses like economics and geography, or on the science part, taking courses like quantitative methods and population and resource dynamics. BES students also get hands-on experience, with opportunities for fieldwork at a marine station or in outdoor recreation group management.