Programs

Students taking a selfie in a forest

Get valuable work experience while spending the summer working in Kootenay National Park on the Bighorn Sheep Survey as an Assistant Wildlife Biologist.

Kayaking the Salish Sea

Take your learning out of the classroom with field schools like the Redfish School of Change.

Kathrens with ivy

Undergraduate student Lindsay Kathrens is coordinator of the Restoration Volunteer Network, which links students up with opportunities to practice restoration skills.

Beckwith with students in Mystic Vale forest

Brenda Beckwith leads students through UVic's Mystic Vale to learn about the complex ecological areas on campus.

Environmental Studies is a double major program. This means you must combine your ES major or minor with another major program at UVic. Full information on your options can be found in the Academic Calendar.

Major program

A major in Environmental Studies must be completed together with a major from another department (a double major). This includes majors with an honours program and majors from other faculties at UVic. This will lead to a double major BA or BSc degree.

Learn more in the Academic Calendar: Major Program.

Requirements for an ES Major

  1. At the first and second year level:
    • ES 200: Introduction to Environmental Studies.
      This is a prerequisite for all upper-level ES courses. You must achieve a minimum of a B- in this course in order to declare a Major in Environmental Studies.
    • ES 240: Ecological Processes.
      This is a prerequisite for ES 341.
  2. The Core Courses:
    • ES 301: Political Ecology
    • ES 321: Ethnoecology
    • ES 341: Past, Present, and Future Ecologies
  3. 10.5 units of upper-level courses in Environmental Studies.
    • 1.5 of these units must be from a field course or experiential learning course.
    • With the approval of the ES Undergraduate Advisor, up to 3.0 of these units can be taken from other departments or schools.

Minor program

You can obtain a minor in Environmental Studies when completing a major from another department. This includes majors with an honours program and majors from other faculties at UVic. This will lead to a BA with a minor in Environmental Studies but must be completed together with a major from another department.

Learn more in the Academic Calendar: Minor Program.

Requirements for an ES Minor

  1. At the first and second year level:
    • ES 200: Introduction to Environmental Studies.
      This is a prerequisite for all upper-level ES courses. You must achieve a minimum of a B- in this course in order to declare a Minor in Environmental Studies.
    • ES 240: Ecological Processes.
      This is a prerequisite for ES 341.
  2. The Core Courses:
    • ES 301: Political Ecology
    • ES 321: Ethnoecology
    • ES 341: Past, Present, and Future Ecologies
  3. 4.5 units of upper-level courses in Environmental Studies.

Restoration of Natural Systems

Separate from the above programs which lead to a bachelor's degree, diplomas and certificates in the Restoration of Natural Systems are also offered in co-operation with the Division of Continuing Studies. Information on this can be found in the Academic Calendar and in the Restoration of Natural Systems section of our website.