Note: This is the 2010–2011 edition of the eCalendar. Update the year in your browser's URL bar for the most recent version of this page, or click here to jump to the newest eCalendar.
Program Requirements
This Domain (63 credits including Core) is open only to students in the B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) Major in Environment or B.Sc. Major in Environment program.
In view of the crucial need for sound study design and appropriate statistical methods for analyzing environmental changes and their impacts on humans and various life forms and their ecological relationships, this program is intended to provide students with a strong background in the use of statistical methods of data analysis in environmental sciences.
Graduates will be capable of effectively participating in the design of environmental studies and adequately analyzing data for use by the environmental community. Accordingly, the list of courses for the Environmetrics Domain is composed primarily of statistics courses and mathematically oriented courses with biological and ecological applications. The list is completed by general courses that refine the topics introduced in the MSE core courses by focusing on the ecology of living organisms, soil sciences or water resources, and impact assessment. These courses should allow the students to understand their interlocutors and be understood by them in their future job. Students can further develop their background in applied or mathematical statistics and their expertise in environmental sciences by taking complementary courses along each of two axes: statistics and mathematics, and environmental sciences. An internship is also offered to students to provide them with preliminary professional experience.
Suggested First Year (U1) Courses
For suggestions on courses to take in your first year (U1), you can consult the 'MSE Student Handbook 2010-11' (available on the MSE website , or contact Kathy Roulet, the Program Advisor (kathy.roulet [at] mcgill.ca).
Prerequisites and equivalent courses are common with math courses, so check with your advisor when choosing your courses. Be especially careful with statistics courses, as you will receive no credit (and no warning!) for a course that is considered equivalent to one you have already taken. Note: Credit given for statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section for the Faculty of Science.
Statistics courses BIOL 373 OR AEMA 310 can be taken in U1, but do not take them if you want to follow Option 1 (below), as they overlap with MATH 324.
Program Requirements
NOTE: Students are required to take a maximum of 30 credits at the 200 level and a minimum of 12 credits at the 400 level or higher in this program. This includes Core and Required courses.
Location Note: When planning their schedule and registering for courses, students should verify where each course is offered because courses for this program are taught at both º«¹úÂãÎè's downtown campus and at the Macdonald Campus in Ste. Anne de Bellevue.
Core: Required Courses (18 credits)
Location Note: Core Required courses for this program are taught at both º«¹úÂãÎè's downtown campus and at the Macdonald Campus in Ste. Anne de Bellevue. You should register in Section 001 of an ENVR course if you want to take it on the downtown campus, and in Section 051 of an ENVR course if you want to take it on the Macdonald campus.
-
ENVR 200 The Global Environment (3 credits)
Overview
Environment : A systems approach to study the different components of the environment involved in global climate change: the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. The interactions among these components. Their role in global climate change. The human dimension to global change.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: McCourt, George; Fyles, James W; Fabry, Frederic; Rhemtulla, Jeanine; Atallah, Eyad Hashem (Fall)
- Fall
- Section 001: Downtown Campus
- Section 051: Macdonald Campus
-
ENVR 201 Society, Environment and Sustainability (3 credits)
Overview
Environment : This course deals with how scientific-technological, socio-economic, political-institutional and behavioural factors mediate society-environment interactions. Issues discussed include population and resources; consumption, impacts and institutions; integrating environmental values in societal decision-making; and the challenges associated with, and strategies for, promoting sustainability. Case studies in various sectors and contexts are used.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Badami, Madhav Govind; Bennett, Elena; Purdon, Mark; Kosoy, Nicolas (Fall)
- Fall
- Section 001: Downtown Campus
- Section 051: Macdonald Campus
-
ENVR 202 The Evolving Earth (3 credits)
Overview
Environment : Formation of the Earth and the evolution of life. How geological and biological change are the consequence of history, chance, and necessity acting over different scales of space and time. General principles governing the formation of modern landscapes and biotas. Effects of human activities on natural systems.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: de Blois, Sylvie; McCourt, George; Wheeler, Terry A; Lechowicz, Martin J; Paquette, Jeanne; Chapman, Colin Austin (Winter)
- Winter
- Section 001: Downtown Campus
- Section 051: Macdonald Campus
-
ENVR 203 Knowledge, Ethics and Environment (3 credits)
Overview
Environment : Introduction to cultural perspectives on the environment: the influence of culture and cognition on perceptions of the natural world; conflicts in orders of knowledge (models, taxonomies, paradigms, theories, cosmologies), ethics (moral values, frameworks, dilemmas), and law (formal and customary, rights and obligations) regarding political dimensions of critical environments, resource use, and technologies.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Goodin, David; Johns, Timothy A (Fall) Sieber, Renee; Purdon, Mark; Hirose, Iwao (Winter)
- Fall - Macdonald Campus; Winter - Downtown
- Section 001: Downtown Campus
- Section 051: Macdonald Campus
-
ENVR 301 Environmental Research Design (3 credits)
Overview
Environment : Techniques used in design and completion of environmental research projects. Problem definition, data sources and use of appropriate strategies and methodologies. Principles underlying research design are emphasized, including critical thinking, recognizing causal relationships, ideologies and bias in research, and when and where to seek expertise.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Vaccaro, Ismael; Sengupta, Raja; Reyna Hurtado, Rafael Angel (Fall) Chapman, Colin Austin; Sengupta, Raja; Vaccaro, Ismael; Marshall, E Joan (Winter)
- Fall-Downtown Campus: Section 001
- Winter-Downtown Campus: Section 001; Macdonald Campus: Section 051
- Restrictions: Restricted to U2 or higher
-
ENVR 400 Environmental Thought (3 credits)
Overview
Environment : Students work in interdisciplinary seminar groups on challenging philosophical, ethical, scientific and practical issues. They will explore cutting-edge ideas and grapple with the reconciliation of environmental imperatives and social, political and economic pragmatics. Activities include meeting practitioners, attending guest lectures, following directed readings, and organizing, leading and participating in seminars.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Goodin, David; Isabel, Mariève (Fall) Goodin, David; Purdon, Mark; Hirose, Iwao; Mikkelson, Gregory Matthew; Isabel, Mariève (Winter)
- Fall - Macdonald Campus; Winter - Downtown
- Section 001: Downtown Campus
- Section 051: Macdonald Campus
- Prerequisite: ENVR 203
- Restriction: Open only to U3 students, or permission of instructor
Core: Complementary Course - Senior Research Project (3 credits)
Only 3 credits will be applied to the program; extra credits will count as electives.
-
AGRI 519 Sustainable Development Plans (6 credits)
Overview
Agriculture : Geared for solving real-world environmental problems related to water at the local, regional and international scale in Barbados. Projects to be designed by instructors in consultation with university, government and NGO partners and to be conducted by teams of 2 to 4 students in collaboration with them.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Alli, Inteaz (Fall)
- Restrictions: Enrolment in full "Barbados Field Study Semester". Not open to students who have taken CIVE 519 or URBP 519.
-
ENVR 401 Environmental Research (3 credits)
Overview
Environment : Students work in an interdisciplinary team on a real-world research project involving problem definition, methodology development, social, ethical and environmental impact assessment, execution of the study, and dissemination of results to the research community and to the people affected. Teams begin defining their projects during the preceding spring.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Fabry, Frederic; McCourt, George; Roulet, Kathryn (Fall)
- Fall
- Prerequisite: ENVR 301
- Restriction: B.A. Faculty Program in Environment, B.A.&Sc. Faculty Program in Environment , B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) and B.Sc. Major in Environment, and Diploma in Environment.
-
ENVR 451 Research in Panama (6 credits)
Overview
Environment : Research projects will be developed by instructors in consultation with Panamanian universities, government agencies and non-governmental organizations. Project groups will consist of four to six students working with a Panamanian institution. Topics will be relevant to Panama: e.g., protection of the Canal watershed, economical alternatives to deforestation, etc.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Winter
- Restriction: students in the Panama Field Semester program. Offered in Panama only
Domain: Required Courses (6 credits)
-
AEMA 403 Environmetrics Stage (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics (Agric&Envir Sci) : Summer stage of at least four weeks, including a report. Provides students with professional experience in statistical analyses of environmental data. Can be undertaken at federal or provincial research stations and university research laboratories.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Dutilleul, Pierre R L (Fall) Dutilleul, Pierre R L (Winter)
- Limited enrolment: Registration by application - Deadline December 15; the first seven applications received will have priority
- Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor based on satisfactory completion of the U2 year of the Environmetrics Domain in the º«¹úÂãÎè School of Environment
-
AEMA 414 Temporal and Spatial Statistics 01 (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics (Agric&Envir Sci) : Temporal statistics: analysis in the time domain, Box-Jenkins forecasting methodology, analysis in the frequency domain, periodogram analysis. Spatial statistics: mapping, autocorrelogram analysis, geostatistics. Statistical inference with autocorrelated sample data.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Dutilleul, Pierre R L (Winter)
- Two 1.5-hour lectures
- Prerequisite: AEMA 310 or equivalent
- Offered in alternate years with AEMA 411
Domain - Complementary Courses (36 credits)
36 credits of Complementary Courses are selected as follows:
12 credits - Fundamentals
3 credits - Basic Environmental Science
6 credits - Statistics, one of two options
15 credits - List 1 and List 2
Fundamentals:
12 credits of Fundamentals, 3 credits from each category.
Ecology
-
BIOL 308 Ecological Dynamics (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Principles of population, community, and ecosystem dynamics: population growth and regulation, species interactions, dynamics of competitive interactions and of predator/prey systems; evolutionary dynamics.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Guichard, Frederic (Fall)
- Fall
- 3 hours lecture, 1 hour computer lab/tutorial
- Prerequisite: BIOL 215 or both ENVR 200 and ENVR 202
-
ENVB 305 Population & Community Ecology (3 credits)
Overview
Environmental Biology : Interactions between organisms and their environment; historical and current perspectives in applied and theoretical population and community ecology. Principles of population dynamics, feedback loops, and population regulation. Development and structure of communities; competition, predation and food web dynamics. Biodiversity science in theory and practice.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Buddle, Christopher (Winter)
- Winter
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken WILD 205
Impact
-
MIME 308 Social Impact of Technology (3 credits)
Overview
Mining & Materials Engineering : Critical examination of the socio-economic costs and benefits of technology, case studies of old engineering works and new technologies. The integration of applied ethics and engineering practice, analysis of basic concepts of technology assessment, the inter-connected processes of risk assessment, management, and communication.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- (3-0-6)
- Enrolment encouraged by students outside the Faculty of Engineering
-
NRSC 437 Assessing Environmental Impact (3 credits)
Overview
Natural Resource Sciences : Theories and procedures of assessing environmental impact. An examination of the environmental impact of existing programs and projects to examine their accuracy in predicting consequences and attenuating undesirable effects.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Winter
- 2 lectures
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken WILD 437
- Restrictions: U2 students and above
Modelling
-
AEMA 406 Quantitative Methods: Ecology (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics (Agric&Envir Sci) : Advanced concepts in theoretical and applied quantitative ecology. Topics include: community matrices, modeling populations and community dynamics, use of null models in ecology, biodiversity assessment and measurement, ordination and multivariate statistics, use of information criterion and bayesian statistics.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Solomon, Christopher (Winter)
- Winter
- Prerequisite(s): AEMA 310 and ENVB 305
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken AEMA 306
-
BIOL 309 Mathematical Models in Biology (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Application of finite difference and differential equations to problems in cell and developmental biology, ecology and physiology. Qualitative, quantitative and graphical techniques are used to analyze mathematical models and to compare theoretical predictions with experimental data.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Glass, Leon (Fall)
- Fall
- 3 hours lecture
- Prerequisite: one year of calculus. An additional course in calculus is recommended
GIS Techniques
-
GEOG 201 Introductory Geo-Information Science (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : An introduction to Geographic Information Systems. The systematic management of spatial data. The use and construction of maps. The use of microcomputers and software for mapping and statistical work. Air photo and topographic map analyses.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Sieber, Renee; Sengupta, Raja (Fall)
- Fall
- 3 hours and lab
-
NRSC 430 GIS for Natural Resource Management (3 credits)
Overview
Natural Resource Sciences : Applications of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial analysis techniques to the presentation and analysis of ecological information, including sources and capture of spatial data; characterizing, transforming, displaying spatial data; and spatial analysis to solve resource management problems.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Fall
- Prerequisites: At least one environmental science course and one ecology course or permission of instructor
- Restriction: U2 students and above. Not open to students who have taken GEOG 201, 306 or 307 or BREE/ABEN 430. Limited to 32 students.
Basic Environmental Science:
one of:
-
BREE 217 Hydrology and Water Resources (3 credits)
Overview
Bioresource Engineering : Measurements and analysis of components of the water cycle. Precipitation, evaporation, infiltration and groundwater. Analysis of hydrologic data. Hydrograph theory. Hydrologic estimations for design of water control projects; flood control and reservoir routing. Integrated watershed management and water conservation. Water management systems for environmental protection.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Prasher, Shiv (Winter)
- 3 lectures, one 2 hour lab
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ABEN 217.
-
CIVE 323 Hydrology and Water Resources (3 credits)
Overview
Civil Engineering : Precipitation, evaporation and transpiration. Streamflow, storage reservoirs. Groundwater hydrology. Morphology of river basins. Statistical analysis in hydrology, stochastic modelling and simulation. Case studies in hydroelectric power development, flood damage mitigation, irrigation and drainage.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Nguyen, Tan Danh; Nguyen, Van-Thanh-Van (Fall)
- (3-2-4)
- Prerequisite: CIVE 302
-
ENVB 210 The Biophysical Environment (3 credits)
Overview
Environmental Biology : With reference to the ecosystems in the St Lawrence lowlands, the principles and processes governing climate-landform-water-soil-vegetation systems and their interactions will be examined in lecture and laboratory. Emphasis on the natural environment as an integrated system.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Mousavi-Torbati, Khosro; Begg, Caroline B (Fall)
- Fall
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken SOIL 210
-
GEOG 305 Soils and Environment (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : Discussion of the major properties of soils; soil formation, classification and mapping; land capability assessment; the role and response of soils in natural and disturbed environments (e.g. global change, ecosystem disturbance).
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Fall
- 3 hours and laboratory
- Prerequisite: GEOG 203 or introductory course in biology or geology
-
GEOG 322 Environmental Hydrology (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : Quantitative, experimental study of the principles governing the movement of water at or near the Earth's surface and how the research relates to the chemistry and biology of ecosystems.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Lehner, Bernhard (Winter)
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 203 or equivalent
-
GEOG 350 Ecological Biogeography (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : The study of the patterns of distribution of organisms in space and time with emphasis on plant communities. Ecological, geographical, historical and anthropological factors affecting these distribution patterns will be discussed. Particular consideration is given to methods for description and classification of plant communities.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Fall
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 203 or ENVR 200 or ENVR 202
- Note: Offered at Macdonald campus in alternate years.
Statistics:
6 credits of Statistics are selected from one of the following two options.
Note: Credit given for statistics courses is subject to certain restrictions. Students in Science should consult the "Course Overlap" information in the "Course Requirements" section for the Faculty of Science. Several statistics courses overlap (especially with MATH 324) and cannot be taken together. These rules do not apply to B.Sc.(Ag.Env.Sc.) students.
Option 1
-
MATH 323 Probability (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Sample space, events, conditional probability, independence of events, Bayes' Theorem. Basic combinatorial probability, random variables, discrete and continuous univariate and multivariate distributions. Independence of random variables. Inequalities, weak law of large numbers, central limit theorem.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2011
Instructors: Anderson, William J (Fall) Partovi Nia, Vahid (Winter)
- Prerequisites: MATH 141 or equivalent.
- Restriction: Intended for students in Science, Engineering and related disciplines, who have had differential and integral calculus
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 356
-
MATH 324 Statistics (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Sampling distributions, point and interval estimation, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, contingency tables, nonparametric inference, regression, Bayesian inference.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Asgharian-Dastenaei, Masoud (Fall) Anderson, William J (Winter)
- Fall and Winter
- Prerequisite: MATH 323 or equivalent
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 357
- You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.
Option 2
one of:
-
AEMA 310 Statistical Methods 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics (Agric&Envir Sci) : Measures of central tendency and dispersion; binomial and Poisson distributions; normal, chi-square, Student's t and Fisher-Snedecor F distributions; estimation and hypothesis testing; simple linear regression and correlation; analysis of variance for simple experimental designs.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Dutilleul, Pierre R L; Bona, Kelly Ann (Fall) Dutilleul, Pierre R L (Winter)
- Two 1.5-hour lectures and one 2-hour lab
-
BIOL 373 Biometry (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Elementary statistical methods in biology. Introduction to the analysis of biological data with emphasis on the assumptions behind statistical tests and models. Use of statistical techniques typically available on computer packages.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Seizilles de Mazancourt, Claire; Potvin, Catherine (Fall)
- Fall
- 2 hours lecture and 2 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite: MATH 112 or equivalent
- You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.
and one of:
-
AEMA 411 Experimental Designs 01 (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics (Agric&Envir Sci) : General principles of experimental design, split-plot designs, spatial heterogeneity and experimental design, incomplete block designs and unbalanced designs, analysis of repeated measures, multivariate and modified univariate analyses of variance, central composite designs.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Two 1.5-hour lectures
- Prerequisite: AEMA 310 or equivalent
- Offered in alternate years with AEMA 414
- You may not be able to receive credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.
-
CIVE 555 Environmental Data Analysis (3 credits)
Overview
Civil Engineering : Application of statistical principles to design of measurement systems and sampling programs. Introduction to experimental design. Graphical data analysis. Description of uncertainty. Hypothesis tests. Model parameter estimation methods: linear and nonlinear regression methods. Trend analysis. Statistical analysis of censored data. Statistics of extremes.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Nguyen, Van-Thanh-Van; Nguyen, Tan Danh (Winter)
- (3-0-6)
- Prerequisite (Undergraduate): CIVE 302 or permission of instructor
-
GEOG 351 Quantitative Methods (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : Multiple regression and correlation, logit models, discrete choice models, gravity models, facility location algorithms, survey design, population projection.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Breau, Sebastien (Winter)
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: MATH 203 or permission of instructor
- You may not be able to get credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.
-
SOCI 461 Quantitative Data Analysis (3 credits)
Overview
Sociology (Arts) : This course blends theory and applications in regression analysis. It focuses on fitting a straight line regression using matrix algebra, extending models for multivariate analysis and discusses problems in the use of regression analysis, providing criteria for model building and selection, and using statistical software to apply statistics efficiently.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Burgos, Giovani (Winter)
- Prerequisite: SOCI 350
- You may not be able to get credit for this course and other statistic courses. Be sure to check the Course Overlap section under Faculty Degree Requirements in the Arts or Science section of the Calendar.
A total of 15 credits are chosen from the following two lists.
List 1
3 credits minimum of statistics and mathematics chosen from:
*Note: or equivalent courses to BREE 252 or BREE 319.
-
BIOL 434 Theoretical Ecology (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Study of theoretical ecology and of mathematical tools available to explore the dynamical behaviour of model populations, communities and ecosystems. Models addressing major ecological theories including population stability, community dynamics and ecosystem functioning, epidemic and disturbance dynamics, spatial models, game theory.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Guichard, Frederic; Seizilles de Mazancourt, Claire (Winter)
- Winter
- 3 hours lecture
- Prerequisites: BIOL 308 or BIOL 309 or permission of instructor.
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken BIOL 534.
-
BREE 252 Computing for Engineers (3 credits) *
Overview
Bioresource Engineering : A user-level computer programming course. Fundamentals of how electronic computers and computer systems work, a disciplined general approach to the solution of engineering problems, and the implementation of these solutions using structured programming methods in a current computational environment.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Clark, Grant (Fall)
- 3 lectures and one 2-hour lab
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ABEN 252.
-
BREE 319 Engineering Mathematics (3 credits) *
Overview
Bioresource Engineering : Advanced topics in engineering mathematics, including special functions, orthogonal functions and Fourier series, boundary value problems in various coordinate systems, integral transforms, partial differential equations and introduction to complex variable theory. The use of computer-based mathematical tools will be an integral part of the course.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Knutt, Marcia E (Fall)
- 3 lectures, 2-hour lab, conference
- Prerequisite: AEMA 305 or equivalent and BREE 252
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ABEN 319.
-
GEOG 501 Modelling Environmental Systems (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : Most problems in environmental science deal with weak relationships and poorly defined systems. Model development and simulation will be used in this course to help improve understanding of environmental systems. Simulation of environmental systems is examined, focusing on problem definition, model development and model validation.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Roulet, Nigel Thomas (Winter)
- Fall
- 1.15 hours lecture, 0.58 hours seminar, 0.69 hours project, 0.58 hours laboratory
- Restriction: open only to U2 or U3 students who have completed six or more credits from courses at the 300 level of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Geography, Natural Resource Sciences, or a º«¹úÂãÎè School of Environment domain, or permission of the instructor
- Prerequisites: MATH 139 or MATH 140, MATH 141, and MATH 203, or equivalent
- Enrolment limited to 20 students by availability of workstations
-
MATH 223 Linear Algebra (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Review of matrix algebra, determinants and systems of linear equations. Vector spaces, linear operators and their matrix representations, orthogonality. Eigenvalues and eigenvectors, diagonalization of Hermitian matrices. Applications.
Terms: Fall 2010, Winter 2011
Instructors: Loveys, James G; Huang, Hongnian (Fall) Loveys, James G (Winter)
- Fall and Winter
- Prerequisite: MATH 133 or equivalent
- Restriction: Not open to students in Mathematics programs nor to students who have taken or are taking MATH 236, MATH 247 or MATH 251. It is open to students in Faculty Programs
-
MATH 326 Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Linear systems of differential equations, linear stability theory. Nonlinear systems: existence and uniqueness, numerical methods, one and two dimensional flows, phase space, limit cycles, Poincare-Bendixson theorem, bifurcations, Hopf bifurcation, the Lorenz equations and chaos.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Humphries, Antony Raymond (Fall)
- Fall
- Prerequisites: MATH 222, MATH 223
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 376
-
MATH 423 Regression and Analysis of Variance (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Least-squares estimators and their properties. Analysis of variance. Linear models with general covariance. Multivariate normal and chi-squared distributions; quadratic forms. General linear hypothesis: F-test and t-test. Prediction and confidence intervals. Transformations and residual plot. Balanced designs.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Khalili Mahmoudabadi, Abbas (Fall)
- Fall
- Prerequisites: MATH 324, and MATH 223 or MATH 236
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 533.
-
MATH 447 Introduction to Stochastic Processes (3 credits)
Overview
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Conditional probability and conditional expectation, generating functions. Branching processes and random walk. Markov chains, transition matrices, classification of states, ergodic theorem, examples. Birth and death processes, queueing theory.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Addario-Berry, Dana Louis (Winter)
- Winter
- Prerequisite: MATH 323
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken or are taking MATH 547.
-
MATH 525 Sampling Theory and Applications (4 credits)
Overview
Mathematics & Statistics (Sci) : Simple random sampling, domains, ratio and regression estimators, superpopulation models, stratified sampling, optimal stratification, cluster sampling, sampling with unequal probabilities, multistage sampling, complex surveys, nonresponse.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Prerequisite: MATH 324 or equivalent
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken MATH 425
-
SOCI 504 Quantitative Methods 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Sociology (Arts) : Analysis of quantitative information, especially in large, survey-type, data sets. Use of computer programs such as SPSS and SAS. Topics include: cross tabulations with an emphasis on multi-dimensional tables, multiple correlation and regression, and, the relationship between individual and aggregate level statistical analyses. Special reference to demographic techniques.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Carmichael, Jason (Winter)
- Prerequisites: SOCI 350 and SOCI 461 or equivalents
-
SOCI 505 Quantitative Methods 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Sociology (Arts) : Topics include: problems - and solutions - in regression analysis, models for categorical dependent variables, including logic, log-linear, and linear probability models, measurement models, structural equation models with latent variables (LISREL), and time series and panel analysis.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Rytina, Steven (Winter)
- Prerequisite: SOCI 504
-
SOCI 580 Social Research Design and Practice (3 credits)
Overview
Sociology (Arts) : Asking researchable sociological questions and evaluation of different research designs used to answer such questions. Development of cogent research proposals, including data collection procedures. Principles, dynamics, strengths and practical limitations of research designs. Examples from recent publications.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Ancelovici, Marc (Fall)
- Restriction: Open to U3 and graduate students
List 2
3 credits minimum of environmental sciences chosen from:
-
AGRI 452 Water Resources in Barbados (3 credits)
Overview
Agriculture : Physical environment challenges, centered on water, being faced by an island nation. Guest speakers, field study tours and laboratory tests. Private, government and NGO institutional context of conservation strategies, and water quantity and quality analyses for water management specific to Barbados.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Gehr, Ronald; Keane, Angela (Fall)
- Corequisites: None.
- Restrictions: Enrolment in full "Barbados Field Study Semester". Not open to students who have taken CIVE 452.
-
AGRI 550 Sustained Tropical Agriculture (3 credits)
Overview
Agriculture : Contrast theory and practice in defining agricultural environmental "challenges" in the Neotropics. Indigenous and appropriate technological means of mitigation. Soil management and erosion, water scarcity, water over-abundance, and water quality. Explore agro-ecosystem protection via field trips and project designs. Institutional context of conservation strategies, NGO links, and public participation.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Prerequisites: HISP 218 or equivalent; MATH 203 or AEMA 310 or equivalent
- Restriction: Restricted Enrolment. Location in Panama. Student must be registered for a full semester of studies in Panama
-
BIOL 331 Ecology/Behaviour Field Course (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Methods of sampling natural populations. Testing hypotheses in nature.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Lechowicz, Martin J; Leighton, Patrick; Davies, Thomas (Fall)
- Fall
- Prerequisites: BIOL 206 and BIOL 215
- Note: Preregistration in March and April. See Course web page: . Meets 12-days just before the fall term, with a project report early in the fall term.
- The field portion of this course is given at the University's Gault Nature Reserve in Mont St. Hilaire over a two-week period in August. In the fall, students prepare a report based on projects carried out during this field portion. This course has an additional fee of $532 which includes room and board and handouts. The Department of Biology subsidizes a portion of the cost for this activity
-
BIOL 553 Neotropical Environments (3 credits)
Overview
Biology (Sci) : Ecology revisited in view of tropical conditions. Exploring species richness. Sampling and measuring biodiversity. Conservation status of ecosystems, communities and species. Indigenous knowledge.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Potvin, Catherine (Winter)
- Winter
- 24 hours lecture and 36 hours field work over a 4-week period
- Prerequisites: HISP 218, MATH 203, and BIOL 215
- Corequisites: ENVR 451; GEOG 404 and HIST 510 alternating with GEOG 498 and AGRI 550
- Restriction: location in Panama. Students must register for a full semester of studies in Panama
-
ENVB 313 Phylogeny and Biogeography (3 credits)
Overview
Environmental Biology : Phylogeny reconstruction; principles of systematics; predictive power of phylogenetic trees; theory and principles of biogeography; historical biogeography of plants and animals; role of abiotic and biotic factors in shaping distributions.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Wheeler, Terry A; Waterway, Marcia J (Fall)
- Fall
- Prerequisite: AEBI 212 or WILD 212
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken WILD 313
-
GEOG 300 Human Ecology in Geography (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : The course will examine research approaches in human ecology since its inception early in this century. Emphasis will be placed on the theoretical shifts that have led to its emergence as an important social science perspective. The course will also involve case studies to evaluate the methodological utility of the approach.
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Wenzel, George (Winter)
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 203 or ANTH 202 or BIOL 111
-
GEOG 302 Environmental Management 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : An ecological analysis of the physical and biotic components of natural resource systems. Emphasis on scientific, technological and institutional aspects of environmental management. Study of the use of biological resources and of the impact of individual processes.
Terms: Fall 2010, Summer 2011
Instructors: Meredith, Thomas C (Fall)
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: Any 200-level course in Geography or MSE or BIOL 208 or permission of instructor.
-
GEOG 404 Environmental Management 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : Practical application of environmental planning, analysis and management techniques with reference to the needs and problems of developing areas. Special challenges posed by cultural differences and traditional resource systems are discussed. This course involves practical field work in a developing area (Kenya or Panama).
Terms: Winter 2011
Instructors: Meredith, Thomas C (Winter)
- Winter
- 3 hours
- Prerequisite: GEOG 302 or permission of instructor
-
GEOG 494 Urban Field Studies (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : Geographical research in urban public and semi-public spaces. Demonstration of techniques of mapping, sampling, measurement, photography, interviewing. Attention to research design.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Kalacska, Margaret; Turner, Sarah (Fall)
- Fall
- Prerequisites: One of the following: GEOG 201, GEOG 203, GEOG 210, GEOG 216, GEOG 217, GEOG 272, or permission of instructor.
- A fee of $225 is charged to all students registered in GEOG 494 Urban Field Studies. The fee is used to support the cost of transportation, accommodations, local fees and all meals for a three day field trip. The Department of Geography will subsidize a portion of the cost of this compulsory activity for students registered in Geography Honours and Majors programs.
-
GEOG 497 Ecology of Coastal Waters (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : Study of ecology of coastal habitats such as salt marshes, rocky coasts, mud-flats, and shallow water environment of Eastern Canada. Emphasis on processes and factors critical to sustaining resources harvested from coastal ecosystems.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Fall
- Students must register for a full semester of studies in the Bay of Fundy Field Semester. Enrolment is limited to 26.
- Exclusion: BIOL 542/BIOL 442
- Prerequisite: (GEOG 203 or ENVR 200) and (GEOG 350 or BIOL 208 or AEBI 205)
-
GEOG 499 Subarctic Field Studies (3 credits)
Overview
Geography : An introduction to the geography of the subarctic with emphasis on the application of field methods in physical and/or human geography.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Pollard, Wayne H (Fall)
- Fall
- Prerequisite: GEOG 203 or GEOG 301
-
NRSC 333 Pollution and Bioremediation (3 credits)
Overview
Natural Resource Sciences : The environmental contaminants which cause pollution; sources, amounts and transport of pollutants in water, air and soil; waste management.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Whyte, Lyle; Hendershot, William H (Fall)
- Fall
- 3 lectures
- Restriction: Not open to students who have taken WILD 333
-
PLNT 460 Plant Ecology (3 credits)
Overview
Plant Science : Theory and practice of plant ecology with an emphasis on the interaction between patterns and ecological processes and the dynamics, conservation and management of plant populations and communities over a range of temporal and spatial scales.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: de Blois, Sylvie (Fall)
- 3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
- Prerequisite: AEMA 310 or permission of instructor.
-
WILD 401 Fisheries and Wildlife Management (4 credits)
Overview
Resource Development : Principles of fisheries and wildlife management are considered and current practices of research and management are discussed.
Terms: Fall 2010
Instructors: Curtis, Mark A; Humphries, Murray Mitchell; Solomon, Christopher (Fall)
- Fall
- 3 lectures, one 2-hour lab and one week field laboratory prior to fall term
- Prerequisite: PLNT 358
- Note: A $460 fee is charged to all students registered in WILD 401, Fisheries and Wildlife Management, a course that has two required field trips. This fee is used to support the cost of excursions, accommodations, food and fees associated with visiting research facilities in New Brunswick and New York. The Department of Natural Resource Sciences subsidizes a portion of the cost of this compulsory activity.
-
WOOD 300 Urban Forests and Trees (3 credits)
Overview
Woodland Resources : The effects of environmental factors such as soil fertility, soil contamination and compaction, extremes of temperature and air pollutants on trees and forests growing in an urban environment, and means to increase their tolerance will be discussed. Emphasis in the laboratory will be on diagnosis and solving of tree problems in urban environments.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Fall
- 3 lectures and one 3-hour lab
- Prerequisites: PLNT 201 or AEBI 210 and SOIL 210 or ENVB 210
-
WOOD 420 Environmental Issues: Forestry (3 credits)
Overview
Woodland Resources : The science behind current environmental issues relating to forests including the effects of management on productivity and biodiversity, conservation of old-growth forests and endangered species, pesticide use, and industrial pollution. The role of scientific knowledge, relative to social and economic forces, in forest resource decision-making is discussed.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2010-2011 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Winter
- 3 lectures and one 2-hour tutorial
- Prerequisites: PLNT 201 or AEBI 210 and SOIL 210 or ENVB 210 or permission of instructor
Faculty of Science—2010-2011 (last updated Jan. 19, 2011) (disclaimer)