Environmental Studies bachelor's degree

About

UFV's four-year Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) is a full-time program that provides you with the skills to shape business, industry, and government practices using economically and environmentally-sound principles.

Developed as an integrated and interdisciplinary program, the BES builds connections between fields such as environmental studies, art, natural sciences, and communications. The program also incorporates a regional focus by addressing the environmental needs of the Fraser Valley, including agriculture and food security, climate change, land use planning/GIS, and environmental communications.

The Bachelor of Environmental Studies is structured around a primary core of courses that engage you on questions related to human-environment relationships, resource scarcity and allocation, innovation and problem solving, environmental research, and communication of ideas and results. Courses are delivered in a face-to-face format using lecture, seminar, field-based, and technology-supported classroom experiences.

In addition, you may choose from a practicum or cooperative work placement to satisfy one of the work requirements. If you decide to combine the four-year BES with the Cooperative Education option, you need to allow for three additional semesters for degree completion.

Upon graduation, you are prepared to work as an environmental professional in Canada or abroad. Alternatively, you may also choose to pursue graduate studies or another professional designation.

If you plan on working in the environmental science field and seek additional professional accreditation after graduation, you may consider the Bachelor of Environmental Studies (Natural Sciences) â€” planned for Winter 2020.

View program outline

Requirements

Entry Requirements

B.C. high school graduation or equivalent;
Or completion of a minimum of nine UFV or transferable post-secondary credits with a minimum 2.00 GPA (C average) based on all credits attempted;
Or a minimum of 19 years of age by the start of the first class;
Or, for admission into preparatory level programs only, a minimum of 17 years of age and out of high school for at least one year by the start of the semester.

English Requirements

PTEMin 60
IELTSMin 6.5
TOEFLMin 88

Career

Bachelor of Environmental Studies graduates are well equipped to work as environmental professionals in a variety of fields (forestry, agriculture, urban and commercial transportation planning, conservation).

You may find employment as:

Environmental technician
Sustainability manager or educator
Non-profit project manager
Geographic Information System (GIS) technician
Planning technician
Environmental advisor
Environmental impact analyst
Environmental education consultant
Environmental program coordinator

Fee Information

How to Apply

How to apply

Note: Prospective International students follow different steps than those listed below.
Find out how to apply to UFV International.

Choose your program

Select a program from UFV's program list: UFV offers 17 bachelor's degrees, two master's degrees, and more than 100 certificate, diploma, and post-degree programs. If you study fulltime, a bachelor’s degree usually takes four years, a diploma two and a certificate one. Many of the courses you take in one or two-year programs will count toward a higher credential, allowing you to keep your options open by earning a one-year certificate or a two-year diploma on the way to completing a full degree.

To find out when you can apply, check the list of programs currently accepting applications.

If you aren’t sure which program to apply to, contact Student Recruitment or book a one-on-one appointment with an Academic Advisor.

Check the requirements

There are three types of requirements that you need to meet to qualify for admission at UFV: general requirements, English requirements and program requirements. Information about our general and English requirements can be found in the UFV Academic Calendar. You will also be able to look up your program in the Program Index to see program-specific entrance requirements.

Check the UFV Academic Calendar and find your program. In the How to apply section, you will find a list of all required documents.

Depending on the program to which you wish to apply, you may need to provide high school or university transcripts, prepare a portfolio, or take a placement test.

In addition to filling out an online application, some programs may also require that you fill additional forms, such as sealed reference forms, personal statements, or volunteer history.

Note: You are required to declare all previously attended post-secondary institutions, and provide official post-secondary transcripts. Students who have taken course prerequisites at other institutions will also need to submit official post-secondary transcripts for evaluation. Order your transcripts early so they can arrive before you apply. View official transcript guidelines.

Apply online

Submit your application

Credit card payment is required in order to submit your application. Alternatively, you may pay debit or cheque in-person at the Office of the Registrar at any campus.

Review application deadlines to ensure you apply in time to secure admission to your preferred semester.

After you apply, we confirm we've received your application by sending you an email to your personal email address within approximately one week of your submission.

This preliminary email contains information about checking your application status by logging into UFV's application portal. You will need your ID to access the UFV application portal. Keep your ID secure and confidential so only you can access your application.

Note: In order for your application to be complete, you will need to submit all required documents which may include transcripts and additional forms such as sealed references, personal statements, or volunteer history.

Once we receive all the documents required for your program, we will review your application to determine if you are admissible. You are considered for admission according to the criteria outlined in the UFV Academic Calendar under Basis for Admission Decision for your program. Some programs may also require you to attend an interview or orientation. If so, we will notify you.

Once we've assessed your application, we will contact you to tell you whether or not you have been accepted into your chosen program.

You will receive an official letter of acceptance if you are accepted into your program.

Your acceptance to a program may be conditional upon final completion of all entrance requirements. You will be given a deadline to provide proof of completion (e.g. currently enrolled high school students will normally have a deadline of August 3 for Fall semester).

If you are conditionally accepted and must provide additional information, you will be notified. If you are not admissible for your program of choice, we generally offer admission to an alternate program (e.g. Qualifying Studies).

Get ready to attend UFV

Once your application is complete and you have been admitted, you're ready to come and study at UFV. Find out what your next steps are, including logging into myUFV, UFV student portal, signing up for classes, attending orientation and more.