Science (B.Sc. Program)

Students who choose to register in the science programs offered by the School of Geography and Earth Sciences may choose one of five options: B.Sc. Program Flyer

 

A. B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences (3 year)

• B.Sc. Environmenal Sciences Progress Chart (pdf)
  
  

B. Honours Earth & Environmental Sciences

• B.Sc. Honours Earth & Environmental Sciences Progress Chart(pdf)

C. Honours Environmental Sciences

• B.Sc. Honours Environmental Sciences Progress Chart(pdf)
  

D.Honours Geography and Environmental Sciences

• B.Sc Honours Geography and Environmental Sciences Progress Chart (pdf)

E. Honours Biology & Environmental Sciences

• B.Sc. Honours Biology & Environmental Sciences Progress Chart (pdf)
  
  

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A. Environmental Sciences B.Sc.three year program

The B.Sc. Environmental Sciences is a flexible program which allows students to choose courses from a wide selection of geoscience courses, according to their interests. It is usually intended for students interested by careers in highly interdisciplinary fields, combining environmental sciences/geoscience to another subject, which will require the combination of this degree to another one.

This program is usually completed in three-years; however students are encouraged to pursue a four-year honours program if they qualify. Students who successfully complete the first three levels of a relevant Honours B.Sc. degree (Honours Earth and Environmental Sciences, Honours Environmental Sciences, Honours Geography and Environmental Sciences) may request permission from the Office of the Associate Dean of Science to transfer to graduate with the three-level B.Sc. Environmental and Sciences degree. Students are advised to seek academic counseling to ensure that their course selections are appropriate. Please refer to the program Progress Chart for further details.

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Science programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

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B. Honours in Earth & Environmental Sciences B.Sc.four year program

These programs are designed to meet the changing needs of the geoscience and environmental science communities and may allow students to fulfill the academic requirements for professional certification as geoscientists in Ontario. Specific course requirements are described here.

All students take a series of core courses that integrate a solid grounding in fundamental sciences including Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Math, with a range of geoscience and environmental science skills including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), fieldwork, laboratory analysis, remote sensing and personal skills development (inquiry, written and oral communication, group work, time management and numeracy).

Students may follow a basic program which includes courses in earth history, remote sensing, field methods, soils, environmental assessment, earth surface processes, environmental geochemistry and surface water hydrology (see Course Descriptions). Students in this program can select a number of elective courses of their choice. Please refer to the program Progress Chart for further details
To maximize the focus of their elective choices, students may choose to focus their selection of elective courses by choosing courses in a specific concentration in upper years. These concentrations are:

Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry
Earth Sciences
Environmental Hydrology and Climate
Environmental Policy
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

These concentrations provide students with in-depth knowledge and experience in a specific area and complement the broad science background obtained from their basic program. Students who choose to concentrate their course selection in Earth Sciences take courses in earth surface processes, environmental mineralogy, structural geology, environmental geophysics, plate tectonics and ore deposits, and geochemistry. Those students who concentrate in Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry select courses in aqueous geochemistry: contaminants, freshwater, isotope, microbial; as well in hydrogeology, contaminants hydrogeology, and surface climate processes. In the Environmental Hydrology and Climate concentration, students select courses from surface climate processes and environmental interaction, physical hydrogeology, watershed ecosystem biogeochemistry, advanced physical climatology, physical and chemical processes in freshwater ecosystems, hydrologic modeling and contaminant hydrogeology. In the Environmental Policy concentration students select courses discussing the environmental impacts of human activities. And those Students in the Geographic Information Systems select courses in geographical information science.

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Science programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

For students who registered in the Honours in Earth and Environmental Sciences prior to 2010-2011, please see the Faculty of Science programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

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C. Honours in Environmental Sciences B.Sc.four year program

The Honours Environmental Sciences is a flexible program providing a solid foundation in environmental sciences while achieving interdisciplinarity, by including select courses in ecology, ecology of inland waters, and plant biodiversity. At Level II, students have a choice of courses including earth history, soils, earth surface processes, environmental geochemistry, surface climate processes and surface water hydrology. At Level II and IV, students may select courses including surface climate processes and environmental interaction, physical hydrogeology, watershed ecosystem biogeochemistry, advanced physical climatology, contaminants geochemistry, freshwater processes, isotope and microbial geochemistry, hydrologic modeling and contaminant hydrogeology. The program also provides a foundation in environmental assessment and policy. Please refer to the program Progress Chart for further details.

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Science programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

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D. Honours Geography and Environmental Sciences B.Sc. four year program

 

Honours in Geography and Environmental Sciences is a flexible program that focuses on interdisciplinary studies among Human Geography and Environmental Sciences. This program enables students to select courses according to their interests; to develop broad knowledge, and understanding of the linkages between societal problems and environmental ones; and to apply these to questions related to human health, transportation, urban planning and environmental policy issues. This program prepares students for graduate studies, careers in industry or government, academic research laboratories, or teaching. Please refer to the program Progress Chart for further details.

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

 

Please see the Faculty of Science programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details

The contact person for further information regarding our science courses and programs is Dr.Luc Bernier. He can be contacted by phone at 905-525-9140 ext. 26364 or by email at berniejm@mcmaster.ca

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Social Science (B.A Program)

Students who choose to register in the social science programs offered by the School of Geography and Earth Sciences may choose one of five options: BA Program flyer

A. Geography Three year program

• Geography BA Progress Chart

B. Honours Geography

• Honours in Geography BA Progress Chart
  

C. Honours Geography & Environmental Studies

• Honours Geography & Environmental Studies Progress Chart
  

D. Combined Honours Geography & another subject

E. Honours Arts & Science and Geography

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A. Geography B.A. three year program

This program is usually completed in three years. Students select from a wide range of geography courses at levels II and III

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Social Sciences programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

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B. Honours in Geography B.A. four year program

The Honours Program in Human Geography encompasses five major subfields or themes: Environment, GIS & Spatial Analysis, Health and Population, Location and Transportation, and Urban Geography. For each of these themes, there is an introductory course offered at level II that provides students with an overview of key themes and concepts. At levels III and IV, a series of more advanced courses are offered. For example, the urban geography subfield offers courses in the historical geography of cities, urban planning, residential geographies and the evolution of urban housing. Likewise, the GIS & Spatial Analysis subfield provides courses on remote sensing, raster and vector GIS applications, as well as advanced spatial statistics. It should be noted that each subfield has its own sequence of courses and prerequisites (see the Course Listings section in the Social Science Undergraduate Calendar). Students can elect to take some or all of the upper level courses from different subfields. In addition, there is a core set of courses encompassing research design, data collection and analysis, field work, and the senior thesis or review paper.

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

 

Please see the Faculty of Social Sciences programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

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C. Honours in Geography & Environmental Studies, B.A. four year program

Students electing to complete this option take a combination of geography and environmental courses. First year requirements are the same as those for the B.A. Geography program with the addition of one Level I Environmental Science course (Envir Sc 1A03, 1B03 or 1G03). The environmental courses required beyond first year include both science and social science perspectives and emphases. Students graduating from this program are well prepared to study environmental issues from a social science perspective but are able to communicate and understand the science perspective as well.

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

Please see the Faculty of Social Sciences programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

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D. Combined Honours in Geography and Another subject B.A. four year program

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

 

Please see the Faculty of Social Sciences programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

 

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E. Honours Arts & Science and Geography four year program

 

Admission Requirements

First Year Courses

 

Please see the Faculty of Social Sciences programs in the Undergraduate calendar for details.

 

The contact person for further information regarding our social science courses and programs is Dr.Michael Mercier. He can be contacted by phone at 905-525-9140 ext. 23517 or by email at mercieme@mcmaster.ca

Minors

The School of Geography and Earth Sciences offers five minor options. These options are open to students enrolled in any honours undergraduate program at McMaster. The minor options are:

 

 

All minors require students to complete eight courses in the subject area. This includes two level I courses, and two courses that must be at level III or IV.

Geography minors can consist of social science courses, science courses or a combination of both. Earth Science minors comprise courses that are traditionally considered as Geology courses. A minor in Environmental Science ensures that the student takes a breadth of Environmental courses from the School of Geography and Earth Sciences (SGES) and other science departments on campus. Students completing a minor in Environmental Studies take a combination of courses offered by SGES and other departments including anthropology, biology, economics, health studies, philosophy, political science and religious studies. The minor in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) allows students to take a combination of GIS and spatial analysis courses. Archaelogy minors require a combination of courses in Anthropology, classics and geology.

For further information on Minors available through the School of Geography and Earth Sciences,
please see the Undergraduate calendar for details.

 

Internships

The integration of academic learning with an employment or a volunteer experience, providing students the opportunity to explore careers and develop linkages between classroom knowledge and professional practice. Students are responsible to arrange a suitable internship and agreement of the supervisor.
This course is evaluated on a Pass/Fail basis.
Normally, students complete 130 hours of academic work through the duration of the employment or volunteer experience.
Prerequisite: SCIENCE 2C00; and registration in Level III or above of an Honours B.Sc. program in the School of Geography and Earth Sciences; and permission of the internship coordinator
Antirequisite: GEO 3IN3
Note: Students participating in this course must be authorized to work in Canada (International students must provide proof of work authorization permit). Students intending to enrol in this course should submit an application to the internship coordinator two months prior to registration. Application forms are available from the School of Geography and Earth Sciences main office.

Please contact the main office, School of Geography & Earth Sciences, GSB 206 ext. 24535 sges@mcmaster.ca