Staff List

Academic Advisor
Ruhina Shaikh
advisor.gge.utm@utoronto.ca

Director and Program Advisor
Monika Havelka
Room 3291, William G. Davis Bldg
905-828-5366
monika.havelka@utoronto.ca

The interdisciplinary programs are administered by the Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, which advises students and coordinates participating departments, faculty and programs.

The curriculum stresses the integrative nature of the study of the environment. Students will develop the environmental problem-solving skills required for some of the most dynamic areas of today's job market. Environment faculty members encourage students to become involved in basic enquiry and critical thinking, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and the application of concepts to real-life problems.

The Environment programs begin with a first-year Science course, ENV100Y5 (The Environment). The programs offer students abundant opportunities to become involved in environmental practice, research and fieldwork (e.g., ENV299Y5 Research Opportunity Program, ENV232H5 Environmental Sustainability Practicum, ENV497H5, Environmental Research Project). Students may also have the opportunity to complete a practical work placement course related to their specific area of interest (JEG400/401Y5 Geography/Environment Internship).

Professional Advancement for Geography and Environment Students (PAGES)
The program is based on a series of workshops, career events and related activities designed to help students develop: an awareness of research, career and graduate possibilities; skills required to apply successfully for employment and graduate studies; and personal skills to improve self-confidence and potential within the workplace, professional direction and self-awareness. On successful completion of the program students receive a transcript annotation. Please contact Professor Matthew Adams (md.adams@utoronto.ca) for details on registering for this program.

The Environmental Science programs offer an opportunity to study the interdisciplinary sciences that are required to understand complex environmental problems involving the natural world and human impacts. Students can tailor the scientific focus of the program to their own interests, by choosing courses from Geographical and Earth Science Perspectives; Biological/Ecological Perspectives; and Physical/Chemical Perspectives. For example, one possible pathway through Environmental Science focuses on the relationships among biota, land, water, and air, the structure and function of natural and managed ecosystems, and processes in the biogeochemical environment. This pathway would rely mainly on courses chosen from the Geographical and Ecological Perspectives. An alternative, more analytical pathway is better suited to students with a strong interest in laboratory sciences, who wish to apply their knowledge to problems of chemical, physical, and biotechnical remediation and the control of environmental problems. This pathway would involve more course choices in the Physical and Chemical Sciences. Fieldwork, experiential learning, and research opportunities are important to all of the Environmental Science programs. No matter which pathway is followed, some courses on Social and Policy Perspectives are also part of the program. The premise is that those who will develop our scientific knowledge and technological capacities must also have a basic understanding of environmental management, policy, and the human-environment relationship. Students who have concerns about identifying which pathway is best for them are encouraged to visit the Program Advisors and Academic Counselor early and often.

Combined Degree Programs in Environmental Science (HBSc) and Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM)
Students in either the Specialist or Major program in Environmental Science with an interest in pursuing a Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM) (offered at the UTM campus) have the opportunity to participate in a Combined Degree Program. Combined Degree Programs in Environmental Management and MScSM will allow students to complete an undergraduate degree with an early admission offer to the MScSM program in their fourth year of study. Students will be able to complete 1.0 FCE of MScSM graduate level courses in their final undergraduate year, which will count as credit toward undergraduate degree requirements and the MScSM Program. At the end of the Combined Degree Program, students will have earned a four-year undergraduate degree and an MScSM.

Students interested in pursuing a Combined Degree Program will apply to the program at the end of their third year of study. As part of the application, students will be required to apply and interview for early conditional admission to the MScSM Program. Once accepted into the Combined Degree Program, students will work with the MScSM Director to choose appropriate graduate level courses to complete during their final undergraduate year.

Students should also review the Degree Requirements section prior to selecting courses

Program website: http://env.utm.utoronto.ca