Our Courses

Program Grid

Program Grid

Course Details

Course Descriptions

First and Second Year Students

This program is designed to train the student in a wide variety of skills in environmental monitoring, pollution studies and the management of natural habitats and populations of fish, wildlife, plants, and invertebrates. As well as theoretical principles, the curriculum stresses a hands-on approach to field and laboratory work.

Courses for the first two years are given at the main campus in Ville-Saint-Laurent and deal primarily with biological principles and techniques, and also cover related disciplines such as applied statistics, solution chemistry, instrumental techniques, and computer applications. Although the two options share some common courses, specialized training begins immediately.

Third Year Students

Most of the third year training takes place at an ecological field station in the Laurentians. Along with student residences, the field station facilities have a laboratory, library/map room, a computer room with internet access, and a small-scale fish culture site.

There is access to a variety of natural terrestrial and aquatic habitats as well as agricultural, recreational and urban terrain. Students live at the field station during their third year and are expected to cover their own expenses for meals and various items needed for study (a complete list is available from the program coordinator).The final year emphasizes a familiarity with sampling and analytical equipment; the techniques of inventory for habitats, fish, and wildlife populations; ecotoxicology; environmental monitoring; and ecological mapping. Rehabilitation strategies are discussed for habitats and populations of various animal species. Students are required to undertake individual research projects as well as a comprehensive group project in the environmental or ecological sector.

The final course is an internship in private or public environmental agencies. This provides the students with on-the-job training and a realistic application of the techniques they have learned, as well as exposure to new techniques and approaches used in the job market.

Note:

Due to the extensive amount of third year field training, students are encouraged to acquire field skills such as swimming, canoeing, and wilderness camping prior to their arrival at the station. Complementary courses are available through the Physical Education Department.

The third year schedule runs from June to December with the internship after the new year. Students should be aware that most lecture examinations for the 5th and 6th semesters are given during December in order to maximize field sampling opportunities before the onset of winter.