Diploma in Environmental Studies

Gain a solid foundation of environmental knowledge from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities that will prepare you to work in a variety of roles in the environmental sector.

Share this program

  Email   Print
Student standing in front of a living wall growing plants

Campus

  • Kelowna
  • Vernon
View schedule and campus details
Legend:
  • Full program offered
  • Partial program offered

Credential

Diploma

Delivery options

Full-Time, Part-Time

  • International students eligible

Tuition and fees

2023-24: $4,660.01 per year

  • Fees listed are for first year (two semesters) for a typical, full-time student taking 5 courses per semester (4 lecture-based courses and 1 course with a lab component) in the Environmental Arts stream. Depending on the stream and the courses selected fees may vary.

  • Fees include all mandatory fees: Activity fee, Health & Dental, Student Association fee, Education Technology fee, Development fee.

  • Detailed International tuition fees information.

  • All amounts are approximate and are subject to change.

  • Detailed domestic tuition and fees information

Program details

The Diploma in Environmental Studies offers an interdisciplinary opportunity to understand the physical principles governing the environment and the social and cultural aspects that influence human behaviour towards the environment. Students will gain a holistic knowledge of the environment through courses from the sciences, social sciences and humanities. The interdisciplinary model will equip students with the critical and analytical skills to think through the many complex factors that influence our understanding of the environment.

The diploma has four options: interdisciplinary environmental arts, environmental management, environmental science and geographic information science. Courses have university transfer credit providing students with the option of further study in either environmental studies or other disciplines. Students can also move directly into the workplace for there is a growing demand for labour in the environmental sector.

Prospective students should ensure that they have the prerequisites for the courses in the option that they wish to pursue.

Block Transfers: please see http://www.bctransferguide.ca/search/block and the GEOG/EESC department for details of the block transfer programs.

This diploma can only be completed in full at the Kelowna campus. The first year of the program is offered at the Vernon campus and a selection of courses is offered at the Penticton and Salmon Arm campuses but a number of specialized courses and second year courses are only offered at the Kelowna campus.

For more information, book an appointment with an Education Advisor.

Campus Start date Schedule
Kelowna Jan. 08, 2024
Vernon Jan. 08, 2024
Kelowna Sep. 04, 2024
Kelowna Jan. 06, 2025

Admission requirements

Regular Applicants:

A regular applicant will be a secondary graduate or a secondary school student, or its equivalent, who has or who will complete the requirements for senior secondary graduation, or its equivalent, not less than one month prior to commencement of classes for the semester to which admission is sought - either fall or winter.

The following minimum entrance requirements will apply to regular applicants:

  • B.C. secondary graduation, or equivalent.
  • English 12 with minimum 60% or alternatives.

Students with a passing grade of less than 60% in English 12, English 12 First Peoples or TPC 12 will be admissible to the first year of the Associate of Arts Degree, subject to the following conditions:

  1. Registration is restricted to courses for which the student satisfies the prerequisites. Registration in first-year English courses is, therefore, prohibited.

  2. Successful completion of the English entrance requirements within the first year of studies. This may be done in one of the following ways:

    • Successful completion of English 12, English 12 First Peoples or TPC 12 or an equivalent course with a minimum grade of 60%. This may be done concurrently through the College's Adult Basic Education Program or by completing an equivalent course through a distance education program.

Mature Applicants:

A mature applicant will be at least 19 years of age and will not have attended secondary school on a full-time basis for a minimum period of one year.

Secondary graduation is waived for mature applicants.

The English entrance requirements, as stated above, must be satisfied prior to admission. Admission may be granted on the condition that the entrance requirements will be completed prior to the commencement of classes for the semester to which admission is sought - either fall or winter.

Program outline

Complete All of the following:
Select specialty options below to review specific program outlines.

The Diploma in Environmental Studies will be granted upon the successful completion of 60 prescribed credits, including at least eighteen (18) credits of 200-level courses as outlined below.

Program specializations

Year 1

ECON 115 - Principles of Microeconomics
EESC 101 - Environmental Science
ENGL 100 - University Writing
GEOG 129 - Human Geography: Resources, Development and Society
INDG 100 - Introduction to Indigenous Studies
And one of:
ENGL 150 - Critical Writing and Reading: Poetry and Drama
ENGL 151 - Critical Writing and Reading: Short Fiction and the Novel
ENGL 153 - Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
And one of:
EESC 111 - Earth and Environmental Science
GEOG 111 - Introduction to Physical Geography: Climate & Vegetation
GEOG 121 - Introduction to Physical Geography: Water & Landscapes
And one of:
MATH 111 - Essential Mathematics for Arts
MATH 112 - Calculus I
STAT 121 - Elementary Statistics
And one of:
BIOL 111 - Biology for Science Majors I
BIOL 112 - Evolution and Ecology
And one of:
BIOL 121 - Biology for Science Majors II
BIOL 122 - Physiology of Multicellular Organisms

Year 2

Students will complete one of:
CMNS 235 - Professional Writing and Communications
ENGL 235 - Professional Writing and Communications
And all of:
ECON 271 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
GEOG 270 - Geographic Data Analysis
GEOG 272 - Introduction to Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing
GEOG 311 - Environmental Management
POLI 204 - Canadian Environmental Policy
And one 200 level or higher GEOG/EESC lab science course.
Plus one 200 level or higher GEOG/EESC course.
Students will complete one of:
INDG 202 - Okanagan Concepts and Frameworks
INDG 204 - Indigenous Concepts and Frameworks
And one of any 200 level or higher GEOG or EESC course.
Or:
ANTH 245 - Culture and the Environment
ANTH 260 - Ethnobotany: Plants and People
BIOL 203 - Introduction to Ecology
BIOL 275 - Freshwater Plants and Animals
PHIL 251 - Environmental Ethics
POLI 219 - Canadian Public Administration

Year 1

BIOL 111 - Biology for Science Majors I
BIOL 121 - Biology for Science Majors II
EESC 101 - Environmental Science
ENGL 100 - University Writing
MATH 112 - Calculus I
Open elective (3 credits)
And one of:
ENGL 150 - Critical Writing and Reading: Poetry and Drama
ENGL 151 - Critical Writing and Reading: Short Fiction and the Novel
ENGL 153 - Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
And one of:
EESC 111 - Earth and Environmental Science
GEOG 111 - Introduction to Physical Geography: Climate & Vegetation
GEOG 121 - Introduction to Physical Geography: Water & Landscapes
And one of:
CHEM 111 - Principles of Chemistry I
CHEM 112 - Introductory Chemistry I
And one of:
CHEM 121 - Principles of Chemistry II
CHEM 122 - Introductory Chemistry II

Year 2

BIOL 203 - Introduction to Ecology
GEOG 272 - Introduction to Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing
One 200 level or higher GEOG/EESC lab science course.
And one of:
CMNS 235 - Professional Writing and Communications
ENGL 235 - Professional Writing and Communications
And one of:
INDG 202 - Okanagan Concepts and Frameworks
INDG 204 - Indigenous Concepts and Frameworks
And one of:
GEOG 270 - Geographic Data Analysis
STAT 230 - Elementary Applied Statistics
And one of:
ECON 271 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
GEOG 210 - Introduction to Environmental Issues
PHIL 251 - Environmental Ethics
POLI 204 - Canadian Environmental Policy
Three of any 200 level or higher GEOG or EESC course.

Year 1

INDG 100 - Introduction to Indigenous Studies
ANTH 121 - Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
GEOG 128 - Human Geography: Space, Place and Community
GEOG 129 - Human Geography: Resources, Development and Society
SOCI 111 - Introduction to Sociology I
SOCI 121 - Introduction to Sociology II
EESC 101 - Environmental Science
ENGL 100 - University Writing
Students will also complete one of:
ENGL 150 - Critical Writing and Reading: Poetry and Drama
ENGL 151 - Critical Writing and Reading: Short Fiction and the Novel
ENGL 153 - Critical Writing and Reading: Narrative
And one of:
EESC 111 - Earth and Environmental Science
GEOG 111 - Introduction to Physical Geography: Climate & Vegetation
GEOG 121 - Introduction to Physical Geography: Water & Landscapes

Year 2

Students will complete one of:
ENGL 235 - Professional Writing and Communications
CMNS 235 - Professional Writing and Communications
And all of:
GSWS 222 - Eco-Feminism
GEOG 270 - Geographic Data Analysis
GEOG 272 - Introduction to Cartography, GIS and Remote Sensing
PHIL 251 - Environmental Ethics
POLI 204 - Canadian Environmental Policy
And one of:
INDG 202 - Okanagan Concepts and Frameworks
INDG 204 - Indigenous Concepts and Frameworks
Plus two 200 level or higher GEOG or EESC courses
And one of:
Any 200 level or higher GEOG or EESC course
Or any of:
ANTH 245 - Culture and the Environment
ANTH 260 - Ethnobotany: Plants and People
ECON 271 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
ENGL 237 - Studies in Nature Writing
POLI 219 - Canadian Public Administration
SOCI 217 - Consumer Society
SOCI 295 - Current Topics in Sociology
Additional information

View the official Calendar details and policies
Learn more about the department
View the Tuition and fees page

Experience

Join an info session or become a student for a day.

Ask

Have your questions answered by an advisor or recruiter. 

Apply

Take the next step and enrol in a program or course at OC.