MSEM students

MSEM students are required to take ENVS 801, 802, 804, 805, 990 and 992 (18 credit units). In addition, they must complete 12 credit units of additional courses, of which six credit units must be from the Restricted Electives list. The other credit units may be met by any other courses taught at the U of S.

An MSEM student may take up to two senior undergraduate courses to fulfill elective requirements, with approval of the graduate chair. Please note that not all elective courses will be offered each year.

MES and PhD students

MES students must complete a minimum of 12 credit units of graduate coursework. They are required to take ENVS 801 or 802 (depending on their background), as well as 803, 990 and 994.

PhD students must complete a minimum of six credit units of graduate courses. They are required to take ENVS 990 and 996, and are encouraged to enroll in ENVS 801 or 802, if they have not already completed an interdisciplinary graduate program.

MES and PhD students must consult their faculty supervisor or advisory committee when selecting their elective courses. A student may take one 400-level undergraduate course to fulfill the elective requirement with the approval of the advisory committee. Credit may be granted for graduate-level courses taken previously at the U of S or another university, provided they have not already been credited toward a bachelor's or advanced degree. Students are encouraged to consult the elective and restrictive electives list for courses that may be of interest to them.

ENVS 801.3 – Ecosystem Science and Sustainability: An introduction to how principles and concepts of ecology and ecosystems science are applied to advance environmental sustainability. Students will gain a solid understanding of how natural systems function, and how scientists apply their understanding and confront uncertainties about ecosystems to address environmental management problems, and advance environmental sustainability. This course may include an out-of-classroom field component.

Note: This course has excursion fees in addition to regular tuition.

ENVS 802.3 – Human Dimensions of Environmental Change: Explores the past and present interactions between people and the natural world. It addresses ways that environment has molded human societies and ways that people have altered nature. Contemporary concerns for environmental sustainability are introduced by examining human entanglement with a range of natural and modified systems. This course may include an out-of-classroom field component.

Note: This course has excursion fees in addition to regular tuition.

ENVS 803.3 – Research in Environment and Sustainability: The purpose of this course is to introduce graduate students to conceptual, practical, and ethical issues in conducting interdisciplinary research about environment and sustainability. By the end of the course, students will have a research plan from which their proposal and research activities can be developed.

ENVS 804.3 – Decision-Making for Environment and Sustainability: Intended to enhance students' professional and scholarly effectiveness, this course introduces an interdisciplinary approach to environmental conservation problems (from the policy sciences) that enables them to critically appraise and constructively engage with environmental and sustainability policy and processes, and develop functional understanding of conventional institutional approaches to environmental management and new emergent approaches.

ENVS 805.3 – Data Analysis and Management: Environmental data management is complex because of its volume, qualitative and quantitative forms, and temporal and spatial characteristics. This course introduces students to statistical, qualitative, and visual methods of problem solving and data reduction and representation and describes methods for managing large and complex data sets.

ENVS 990 – Seminar in Environment and Sustainability (no credit unit)

ENVS 992.6 – Project in Environment and Sustainability: Project in Environment and Sustainability is a requirement of the Master of Sustainable Environmental Management (M.SEM.) degree, and accessible only to those students. Intended to permit students to build upon skills gained through the course component of their program, the project gives an opportunity to further investigate an aspect of environment and sustainability of particular interest and in a manner which contributes to their professional development.

ENVS 994 – Research in Environment and Sustainability (no credit unit)

ENVS 811.3 – Multiple Ways of Knowing in Environmental Decision-making: This course is set in the context of environmental decision-making, and involves critical examination of human-nature relations and multiple ways of knowing (epistemologies). Knowledge systems addressed include, but are not limited to, Aboriginal knowledge systems and intuitive ways of knowing. Applications to the legal "duty to consult" with Aboriginal peoples will be addressed, and students are asked to analyze their own decision-making beliefs and practices in the context of multiple understandings of the world.

ENVS 821.3 – Sustainable Water Resources: Will rigorously explore water resource sustainability in western Canada from physical, chemical, biological, socio-economic, and technological perspectives. Biophysical influences on water abundance and quality, current threats to water resources, and efforts to provide for sustainable management of water resources will be examined.

ENVS 822.3 – Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainability: A graduate level course designed to introduce students in an integrative manner to the field of biodiversity conservation and how to apply its principles to best promote sustainability. Understanding biodiversity and its management requires an interdisciplinary approach with particular reference to mechanisms of change and human impacts on the environment. This course will be interdisciplinary in its approach. The course will focus on: biodiversity (definition, types of biodiversity, distribution, economic and social value); threats to biodiversity (habitat loss, exotic species and their impacts, climate change); and conservation of biodiversity (species at risk, habitats, protected areas). This course will also review social, ethical and policy issues surrounding biodiversity conservation and management (international approaches and agreements, national strategy and regulations for Canada, Saskatchewan provincial regulations), including traditional knowledge.

ENVS 831.3 – Current Issues in Land Reclamation and Remediation: Current issues in land reclamation and remediation are examined. The impact of human activity in a variety of environments is examined and strategies for reclamation and remediation are investigated. Biophysical factors are the emphasis of the course, however the context of social and economic issues are incorporated.

ENVS 881.3 – Environmental Economics and Policy Making: This course will focus on developing an understanding of natural resource and environmental challenges using economic theory. A series of natural resource and environmental issues will be studied with existing and proposed policy measures analyzed using an economic framework.

ENVS 898.3 – Legal Issues and the Environment: This course examines the role of Canadian legal institutions in securing sustainability goals. It canvasses the constitutional jurisdiction of the four levels of government, and critically examines the jurisprudence and legislation directed at environmental protection and management in Canada. The role of the SENS graduate within this legal rubric will also be discussed. (not offered in 2012/2013).

GEOG 885.3 – Advanced Applications of Environmental Management: Using a collaborative learning model, this course will analyze theoretical and practical problems associated with defining and evaluating resource and environmental management and its associated strategies. (not offered in 2012/2013).

GEOG 886.3 – Advanced Environmental Impact Assessment: A project-based course focusing on emerging concepts and broader applications of environmental assessment principles and practices. Course topics varying from year to year following developments in the field, and may include such topics as cumulative effects assessment, strategic environmental assessment, project scooping, assessment methods and techniques, monitoring and follow-up.

ENVS 823.3 – Chemicals in the Environment: This course will provide an understanding of the processes that control the movement of chemical contaminants in the environment. Local and global methods for chemical regulation/management will be addressed in the context of society and economics. The use of modeling to predict the environmental fate/effects of contaminants will be presented.

ENVS 898.3 – Introductory Numerical Modeling for Environmental Scientists: The purpose of this course is to provide graduate students with a set of modeling skills to allow them to develop their own numerical models to solve problems of coupled flow and transport in porous media. The course requires a basic understanding of groundwater flow and transport processes. A particular set of numerical methods for solving sets of partial differential equations are introduced to the student. Models are written in MATLAB using ODE solvers. Specific applications include models for water supplies in aquifers, contamination in aquifers, and water and energy balances in soils. This will also provide the student with an in-depth understanding of widely used commercial and non-commercial software such as USGS MODFLOW. The models help the student to think through the physical processes and interpret field data.

ENVS 898.3 – Statistical Methods in Environmental Sciences: This course is designed for graduate students to improve their knowledge and understanding of the application of statistical methods in environmental sciences. Content will include introduction to basic statistical concepts including exploratory data analysis techniques, continuous and discrete distributions, hypothesis testing, correlation and regression analysis, analysis of variance, experimental designs, nonparametric statistics, trend testing, and introduction to generalized linear models and extreme value theory. The primary objective of the course is for students to learn a variety of techniques that are applicable across a range of problems, irrespective of a specific discipline, involving small and large datasets. At the end of the course, students should be able to apply the techniques to their own research projects.

ANTH 806.3 – Anthropological Environments: This course is designed to teach history, theory, and central concerns of Environmental Anthropology at an advanced level. The course covers the breadth of historical development of the sub-discipline internationally, while examining selected topics in depth through a regional focus on northern North America.

The course presupposes prior knowledge of social science methods and theories.

GEOG 880.3 – Environmental Geographies: Introduces a range of philosophical perspectives, topical issues, and methodological approaches to studies in environmental geography. Considers research focused on applied research about management strategies and policy making as well as theoretical work focused on politics associated with environmental problems. Also examines possible synergies between the two.

Prior instruction in environmental impact assessment is helpful, but not a prerequisite.

CHE 882.3 – Design of Industrial Waste Treatment Systems: Designed to provide students with fundamental information regarding air and water pollution problems. Procedures for the design of air pollution control systems and wastewater treatment plants are covered. Regulation and legislation associated with air and water pollutions are discussed.

PUBH 898.3 – Research Methods in Public Health: Research is a systematic undertaking to establish evidence. Although research is a fallible source of knowledge, it is the most sophisticated method of acquiring knowledge to advance the academic disciplines. This course provides fundamental health research skills necessary for the public health professional to work in both research and applied settings. This course will focus on the issues and skill required at each specific stage of the research process and will explore the practical and relevant issues involved in the design, and conduct of research activity. Students will have the opportunity to experience and apply their knowledge through the critical appraisal of published research and the development of a research proposal aimed at addressing a critical public health issue.

BPBE 899.6 - Aboriginal Land Management Project: This field-based project course focuses on some of the major issues Aboriginal Peoples face in the 21st century. It provides in-depth, hands-on exposure to Aboriginal development issues, including: wildlife, sovereignty, economic development, constitutional reform, leadership, land and water rights, etc. In particular, the course emphasizes problem definition, client relationships, and designing and completing a community based research project related to an identified community need. The course is devoted primarily to preparation and presentation of a comprehensive paper based on a field investigation. Students, in teams of two, will work with Aboriginal communities to address critical issues as identified by the community.

Every year during the second term, a select number of courses are offered in a compressed, four-week format. This format enables our students to participate in other activities, such as student exchange programs with partner schools overseas with similar course formats. Compressed courses also allow for in-depth concentration and study on one topic at a time and more time for students to concentrate on proposal writing and field work. The courses offered in the compressed format are advertised to students each fall and may change year to year.

Please note that this initiative is subject to change, based on professor availability and student enrollment.

Selections for the 2012/13 academic year are:

• ENVS 804 (January)
• GEOG 886 (February)
• ENVS 822 (March)
• ENVS 890* (April)

*Tentative.