Link to the University of Waterloo home page
2010-2011

The Undergraduate Calendar

 

 

Academic Plans - Departmental

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Academic Plans offered by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Honours Major Academic Plans

Regular

Honours Earth Sciences (Atmospheric Specialization)
Honours Earth Sciences**(Geology Specialization)
Honours Earth Sciences**(Geophysics Specialization)
Honours Earth Sciences**(Hydrogeology Specialization)
Honours Environmental Science (Geoscience Specialization) 
Honours Geochemistry * (joint with Chemistry Department)
Honours Computational Science*** (Earth Sciences Specialization) 
Honours Science and Aviation ***(Earth Sciences Specialization)
Honours Science & Business ***(Hydrogeology Specialization)

Co-operative

Honours Co-operative Earth Sciences** (Atmospheric Specialization)
Honours Co-operative Earth Sciences**(Geology Specialization)
Honours Co-operative Earth Sciences**(Geophysics Specialization)
Honours Co-operative Earth Sciences**(Hydrogeology Specialization)
Honours Co-operative Environmental Science (Geoscience Specialization)
Honours Co-operative Geochemistry * (joint with Chemistry Department)
Honours Co-operative Computational Science *** (Earth Sciences Specialization)
Honours Co-operative Science and Business *** (Hydrogeology Specialization)

* These Academic Plans fulfill the academic requirements for professional membership in the Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) and are administered jointly by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the Department of Chemistry.  For details consult 'Geochemistry' in the Department of Chemistry section of the calendar. 

** These Academic Plans fulfill the academic requirements for professional memberhip in the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO). Students who enroll in other plans and are interested in APGO membership should review the academic requirements at their website: http://www.apgo.net/membership/minKnowledge.pdf  A judicious selection of elective courses and/or extra term(s) of study may procure the academic knowledge base required for APGO membership. 

*** These plans are described under Honours Academic Plans for the Faculty of Science.

Minor in Earth Sciences

HONOURS MAJOR ACADEMIC PLANS

Continuation in all our department's Honours Major Academic Plans requires an overall cumulative average of 60%, and a cumulative average of 60% in all EARTH courses.  In order to graduate the following requirements must be met:

  1. Successful completion of 20.0 lecture units. 
  2. "SCI"-labelled units may not be used as Science/Math electives and no more than 1.5 "SCI" -labelled units may be used as free electives.
  3. Mandatory courses as listed under the specific Academic Plans and elective courses distributed in various subject areas as indicated below.
  4. Completion of the English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE).
  5.  For students studying in the co-op format, find detailed information on co-op program requirements in Co-operative Program Evaluation and the Co-Operative Education and Career Services section of the Calendar. 

In addition to required laboratory (and field course) units, all plans administered within the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences require completion of 20.0 lecture units.  The following table is a breakdown of these lecture units and indicates how your electives must be apportioned in various subject areas.  In each area, 'CORE' units denote the lecture courses that are specified in a program; 'ELEC' units denote the elective lecture courses that you decide on.  A table of acceptable courses for the Science/Math electives follows.

    Distribution of Lecture Units in Earth Sciences and Environmental Science Plans

  Subject Area

Atmos

Geol

Geophys

Hydro

Geosci

Earth Sciences

CORE

7.0

8.5

9.0

10.5

7.5

ELEC

0.0

    3.5

2.0

1.0

2.0

Sci/Math/Eng1

CORE

7.0

4.0

5.0

5.0

4.0

ELEC1

3.0

1.0

2.0

0.5

2.0

Geog/EnvS

CORE

1.0

0.5

0.0

0.5

0.5

ELEC

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

0.0

Arts Core2

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

0.5

Free electives

1.5

2.0

1.5

2.0

3.5

Total Lecture Units

20.0

20.0

20.0

20.0

20.0

 1 Normally excludes SCI and EARTH courses (Atmospheric Specialization students may take EARTH courses);  Students who plan to do graduate work in Hydrogeology are advised to take Advanced Calculus, such as MATH 217 or CIVE 221, during their 4th year.

2 Arts Core: The Canadian Council of Professional Geoscientists (CCPG) recommends that acceptable professional practice requires technical writing ability, oral communications effectiveness and awareness of regulatory and legal issues of practice for interprovincial mobility.  Currently, the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario (APGO) only requires a one term course (0.5 units) to address this recommendation.  Although many courses are suitable to fulfill this requirement, the following address the oral and written communication area:  SPCOM 223; ENGL 109, 129R, 140R, 209, 210E, 210F, PHIL 145, ENVS 201.  

Courses in the following table are acceptable Science/Mathematics electives. Other courses can be taken in consultation with an Undergraduate Advisor. Geophysics Specialization students should ensure that requirements for professional licensure will be met.

BIOL

CHEM

PHYS

MATH

AMATH

CS   

STAT

110

129

139

225

250

115 or 135

220

139

209

241/260A

218 or 228

261

116 or 136

221 or 231

140/140L 

212

256/260B

217 or 227

341

 230

316 or 324

241

220/220L

263

 

342

370 

332

250

221

275

 

 

 472

454

351

240

352/352L

 

 

 

 

354

254

353/353L

 

 

 

 

359

266/266L

445

 

 

 

 

426

267/267L

475

 

 

 

 

444

305

 

 

 

 

 

447

313

 

 

 

 

 

450

323

 

 

 

 

 

455

350/350L

 

 

 

 

 

 

404

 

 

 

 

 


Office of the Registrar
University of Waterloo
2nd Floor, Needles Hall
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
519 888 4567
 Campaign Waterloo