Oct 12, 2024  
Undergraduate Calendar 2023-2024 
    
Undergraduate Calendar 2023-2024 [-ARCHIVED CALENDAR-]

Honours Earth and Environmental Sciences Co-op (B.Sc.)


Admission


Enrolment in this program is limited. Admission is by selection, and possession of the published minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Selection is based on academic achievement and an interview but requires, as a minimum, submission of the on-line application by the stated deadline and completion of Level II Honours Earth and Environmental Sciences with a Grade Point Average of at least 5.0 and completion of the following courses:

Program Notes


  1. This is a five- level (year) co-op program which includes two eight-month work terms which must be spent in earth and environmental sciences related placements.

  2. Students must be registered full-time and take a full academic workload, as prescribed by Level and Term.

  3. Students are required to complete SCIENCE 2C00  prior to the Fall Term of Level III. Students are required to complete SCIENCE 3C00  before the first work placement. 
  4. Earth and Environmental Sciences at McMaster encompass five major themes: Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry, Earth Sciences, Environmental Hydrology and Climate, Environmental Policy, GIS and Spatial Analysis. It should be noted that each thematic area has its own sequence of courses and prerequisites (See the Course Listings section of this Calendar). Students may elect to take some or all of the upper level courses from different areas. In addition, there is a set of courses encompassing research design, field work, internships, and the senior thesis or review paper. 

    AQUEOUS ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY

    EARTHSC 3CC3 , 4CC3 , 4N03, ENVIRSC 2Q03 , 3O03 

    EARTH SCIENCES

    EARTHSC 2E03 , 2FE3 , 2G03 2K03 , 2T03 , 3E03 , 3K03 , 3P03 3V03 3Z03 , 4G03 , 4PA3 4T03 , 4V03 , 4VV3, ENVSOCTY 3SR3 

    ENVIRONMENTAL HYDROLOGY AND CLIMATE

    EARTHSC 3CC3 , 3W03 , 4CC3 , 4WB3 , ENVIRSC 2B03 , 2C03 , 2W03 , 3B03 4BB3 , 4C03 , 4W03 

    ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

    ENVIRSC 4EA3 , ENVSOCTY 2EI3 , 2EK3 , 3EC3 , 3EE3 , 3EG3 , 4ET3 , 4HH3 

    GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) AND SPATIAL ANALYSIS

    ENVSOCTY 2GI3 , 3GI3 , 3GV3 , 3SR3 , 4GA3 , 4GS3 , 4GT3 , 4SR3 

     
  5. Students aiming to meet the academic requirements for professional registration of Geoscientists (P.Geo.) in Ontario can find additional information on these requirements on the website:  https://www.science.mcmaster.ca/geo/undergraduate/undergrad-welcome.html. Students are encouraged to consult with the academic program advisor in the School of Earth, Environment & Society to ensure proper course selection for professional registration. The Honours programs offered by the School of Earth, Environment & Society may not fulfill professional registration requirements.

  6. There are Level II prerequisites for many Level III courses; these should be considered when choosing Level II courses. As an aid to choosing a coherent set of courses in a single discipline, students should consult the list of thematic areas applicable to all Honours Earth and Environmental Sciences programs.

  7. Students should seek academic program advising from the School of Earth, Environment & Society to ensure that their choices are appropriate.

  8. The field component of EARTHSC 2FE3  and 3FE3  are normally taken outside of the normal term. Details are announced in December (EARTHSC 2FE3 ) or March (EARTHSC 3FE3 ).
  9. Students who did not complete Grade 12 Physics U must complete PHYSICS 1A03 . One of PHYSICS 1A03  or 1C03  must be completed prior to graduation.
  10. ENVSOCTY 3MB3  (or EARTHSC 3MB3, ENVIRSC 3MB3 or GEOG 3MB3) or STATS 2B03  must be completed by the end of Level IV. 
  11. Co-op students interested in pursuing GIS-related work placements and/or a Minor or Concurrent Certificate in Geographic Information Systems must complete ENVSOCTY 2GI3  in Fall Term of Level II and one of ENVSOCTY 3GI3  or 3GV3  in Winter Term of Level II. Students are encouraged to consult with an academic advisor to ensure proper course selection.

Earth and Environmental Sciences Co-op Course List


Requirements


120 units total (Levels I to V), of which no more than 48 units may be Level I

Level I: 30 Units


  • Completed prior to admission to the program

Level II: 30 Units


30 units


  • Completion of Level II Honours Earth and Environmental Sciences (See Admission above.)

1 course


Level III


Consists of academic studies (Fall Term), Co-op Work Term (Winter Term), and Co-op Work Term (Spring/Summer Term)

Fall Term: 15 units:


Winter Term:


Work Term

Spring/Summer Term:


Work Term

Level IV


Consists of academic studies (Fall and Winter Terms) and Co-op Work Term (Spring/Summer Term)

Fall and Winter Terms: 30 units:


18 units

from the Earth and Environmental Sciences Co-op Course List,

0-3 units

from

12-15 units

  • Electives

Spring/Summer Term:


Work Term

Level V


Consists of Co-op Work Term (Fall Term) and academic studies (Winter Term)

Fall Term:


Work Term

Winter Term: 15 units:


6 units

from the Earth and Environmental Sciences Co-op Course List,

9 units

  • Electives

Requirements (Effective September 2023)


120 units total (Levels I to V), of which no more than 48 units may be Level I

Level I: 30 Units


  • Completed prior to admission to the program

Level II: 30 Units


30 units


  • Completion of Level II Honours Earth and Environmental Sciences (See Admission above.)

1 course


Level III


Consists of academic studies (Fall Term), Co-op Work Term (Winter Term), and Co-op Work Term (Spring/Summer Term)

Level IV


Consists of academic studies (Fall and Winter Terms) and Co-op Work Term (Spring/Summer Term)

Fall and Winter Terms: 30 units:


18 units

from the Earth and Environmental Sciences Co-op Course List,

0-3 units

from

6-12 units

  • Electives

Spring/Summer Term:


Work Term

Level V


Consists of Co-op Work Term (Fall Term) and academic studies (Winter Term)

Fall Term:


Work Term

Winter Term: 15 units:


6 units

from the Earth and Environmental Sciences Co-op Course List

9 units

  • Electives

Co-op Program Chart


 

FALL TERM

(September to December)

WINTER TERM

(January to April)

SPRING/SUMMER TERM

(May to August)

Level III

15 units from
Academic Level III

+

 SCIENCE 3C00  

Work Term

SCIENCE 3WT0  

Work Term

SCIENCE 3WT0 

 
Level IV 30 units from Academic Levels III and IV

Work Term

SCIENCE 4WT0  

Level V

Work Term

SCIENCE 5WT0  

15 units from Academic
Level IV