BA in Environmental Studies

Grenfell offers a four-year bachelor of arts program with a major in environmental studies.

The program is ideal for students who love the outdoors and are looking to design environmental solutions for the future. Students in the environmental studies program at Grenfell study environmental issues and solutions in a variety of fields including:

• Geography
• Economics
• Political science
• Resource management
• Environmental law
• Religious studies
• Outdoor pursuits

Why study environmental studies?

Our planet needs champions. It needs passionate, informed advocates. It needs leaders who can balance the needs of industries with the aspirations of conservationists and the public. Our program will equip you to be a steward of the planet using a strong interdisciplinary grounding in environmental ethics, ecological economics, and natural sciences. You’ll look at issues through both local and global lenses. You’ll explore the issues of environmental economics, including the complex relationships between scarcity and demand, and abundance and waste.

Through outdoor pursuits courses, you may find yourself camping, hiking, orienteering, canoeing or kayaking. Through a wide range of theoretical courses, you will learn how to deal with the complex environmental issues of our world. If you're serious about studying the environment up close, Grenfell's Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies is for you.

Exchange opportunities

Exchange opportunities exist for environmental studies students to attend VanHall-Larenstein University in the Netherlands and VanHall-Larenstein students can study environmental studies at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland. In addition, as a Grenfell student, you can participate in the Student Exchange Program, where you pay Grenfell tuition rates while studying in another N.S.E. member university in Canada or the United States.

It's local

Our location in western Newfoundland gives you the opportunity to explore a number of sectors that rely on the area's environmental resources, such as:

• Forestry
• Fishing (commercial and sport)
• Tourism

Students will learn about local projects that address on-going environmental concerns, including recycling, composting and renewable energies. You'll also get unique field experience when you visit national and provincial parks, various skiing locations, rivers, lakes and coastal areas.

It's affordable

You'll enjoy the lowest tuition rate in English-speaking Canada. The provincial government gives high priority to education, providing extensive funding to Memorial University. This commitment allows us to provide an affordable, yet high-quality, post-secondary education.

It's personal

At Grenfell, your professors will know you by name. Our low student-instructor ratio ensures that your learning will be personal and relevant. With just over 1,300 students on campus, you’ll make real connections with your classmates and become an important part of the Grenfell community.

Our faculty is passionate about the environment and has research expertise in diverse areas including food security, public policy analysis, and wildlife management.

Information for first-year students

Western Newfoundland is a playground for outdoor lovers. The Grenfell Outdoors Club is a great way to get to know the area and other people interested in the environment and the outdoors. The club provides guided outdoor adventures, including:

• Hiking
• Kayaking
• Canoeing
• Camping
• Caving
• Cross-country skiing
• Telemark skiing
• Snowboarding
• Snowshoeing

Admission

You must meet the general admission requirements for Memorial University and declare environmental studies as your major to be admitted to the program.

Students who have graduated from the two-year adventure tourism program offered by the College of the North Atlantic are eligible for transfer credit hours, allowing you to earn your degree faster.

Career opportunities

Graduates of Grenfell's environmental studies program are prepared to pursue a variety of careers, such as:

• Government planner
• Environmental researcher and auditor
• Jobs in wildlife and conservation
• Environmental educator
• Jobs at national and provincial parks