Department of Geography & Environmental Management

Honours Geography and Aviation is designed to provide a strong environmental, geomatics, and technology base for careers in a very diverse array of aviation and aerospace industries. It consists of an Honours Geography degree Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) combined with a Commercial Pilot Program. The Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC) component of the program provides advanced flight training leading to a commercial pilot licence. Coursework includes the essentials of aviation, as well as private and commercial pilot training, an instrument rating, and multiengine rating.

For more information on the aviation requirements, see the Aviation website.

Year One

GEOG 101 Geography and Human Habitat
GEOG 102 Geography and Our Planetary Environment
GEOG 165 Computer Cartography: Principles and Design
GEOG 271 Earth from Space Using Remote Sensing
ENVS 178 Introduction to Environmental Research Methods
AFM 131 Introduction to Business in North America 
CS 115 Introduction to Computer Science 1
One elective* (0.5 unit)
Professional Pilot Program Course I^† (1B) (0.5 unit)

Year One (Spring)
Professional Pilot Program Course II^† (0.5 unit)

Total of 5.0 units

Year Two

GEOG 201 Fluvial Geomorphology
or GEOG 209 Hydroclimatology
GEOG 281 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
ENVS 201 Introduction to Canadian Environmental Law
ENVS 278 Advanced Environmental Research Methods
Students must take at least two courses from the following theme. 
Development and Environment: one of GEOG 202, 203 and one of GEOG 206, 208
Two electives* (1.0 units)
Professional Pilot Program Course III^† (2A) (0.5 unit)
Professional Pilot Program Course IV^† (2B) (0.5 unit)

* Electives including a course in English, either one of ENGL 109, 129R, 140R, taken in Year One or ENGL 210E, 210F taken in Year Two. A student who receives greater than 80% in ENG4U English is exempt from the English requirement.

Total of 5.0 units

Year Three

GEOG 210 Image Interpretation and Photogrammetry
GEOG 310 Geodesy and Surveying
GEOG 371 Advanced Remote Sensing Techniques 
GEOG 393 Approaches to Research in Human Geography
or GEOG 394 Approaches to Research in Physical Geography
Three electives (2.0 units)
Professional Pilot Program Course V^† (3A) (0.5 unit)
Professional Pilot Program Course VI^† (3B) (0.5 unit)

Total of 5.0 units

Year Four

GEOG 381 Spatial Analysis Using Geographic Information Systems or GEOG 387 Spatial Databases 
GEOG 471 Remote Sensing Project
GEOG 490A/B Honours Thesis
or two Fourth Year Geography courses (1.0 unit) 
Electives

Total of 5.0 units

Note:

For more information on rules governing this program, please see Geography and Environmental Management.

^†Professional Pilot Program Courses: 3.0 units to be transferred upon completion of University of Waterloo core and elective course requirements. The Professional Pilot Program Courses will not count towards any other University of Waterloo program requirement.

Notes for the Honours Geography and Aviation Academic Plan

1. Minimum Required Units
   Total: 20 units. University of Waterloo Core Courses: 11 units. Major Core Courses Geography/ENVS: 10 units. Elective Courses: 6 units. Professional Pilot Program Courses: 3 units. Outside of the Faculty of Environment (including Professional Pilot Program Courses): 4 units.
   
   All Geography and Environmental Studies (ENVS) units are included in the cumulative major average.
2. Course Load
   No more than 2.5 units may be taken in a term without departmental approval and overall average of 78%.
3. Maintaining Academic Status
   In order to continue in the Aviation plan, students must maintain the University of Waterloo academic standards (described below) as well as achieve the flight component benchmarks set by WWFC for each semester. Students are expected to maintain passing grades (70%) in all WWFC flight components. Students may be allowed to achieve this by using a "competency-based" approach, so long as they achieve the established benchmarks on time.
4. Average Requirements
   Students in an Honours Academic Plan must maintain an overall cumulative average of 65% and a Major cumulative average of 70%. Please see Note 1: Minimum Required Units, for major courses for your plan. In addition to these average requirements students must also maintain a cumulative average of 70% for all core courses.
   
   Professional Pilot Program Courses are not used in average calculations.
   
   All required courses must be passed.
5. Aviation Costs
   All costs associated with the Professional Pilot Program Courses are paid directly to the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC).
6. Materials and Costs
   For some courses, extra fees may be required to cover field expenses/travel costs. Statements on extra costs, where required, will be found with the course descriptions.
7. Independent Study
   Geography and Aviation Honours: Up to 3 independent study GEOG 475 courses may be taken.
8. Transfer Credit - Flight Training
   Transfer consideration of previous flight training or Professional Pilot Program Courses will be at the discretion of the Waterloo-Wellington Flight Centre and not determined by the University of Waterloo.
   
   Students will be granted advanced credits up to and including a Private Pilot Licence. Program hours will be granted up to licence sign off and the remaining hours will be logged as career, not program hours. Students are not accepted past the Private Pilot Licence or if they have acquired a Night Rating. Students entering the program with a Private Licence will be required to attend WWFC's Flight Management Basic Courses as a review. Students who apply with the flight qualifications that meet the standards set by WWFC are eligible for the BES degree upon successful completion of the plan curriculum and transfer of credit for the flight courses.
9. Transfer Courses - University of Waterloo Courses
   Transfer students are required to complete a minimum of 50% of their University of Waterloo course work and half their Geography units at the University of Waterloo.
10. Restriction on number of First-Year Courses
    A student must have at least 13.0 units at or above the 200-level.
11. Geomatics Option
    Students in Geography and Aviation Honours will automatically be approved for the Geomatics Option at time of graduation unless otherwise instructed by the student.
12. Double Counting
    A course can be used to satisfy requirements for a maximum of two credentials. Double counting of courses applies as follows: once for the plan and once for a joint honours or concurrent degree, option, minor, diploma, or specialization. There is no limit on the number of courses that may be double counted unless otherwise stated.
    
    Courses double counted to satisfy Geography and Aviation Honours academic plan requirements, as well as the Geomatics Option, cannot be applied to any other option, minor, diploma, or specialization.
13. Options/Minors/Diplomas/Specializations
    For more information on options, minors, diplomas or specializations that are available, please visit the Faculty of Environment Academic Plans or departmental section of this calendar.
14. All fourth year Geography courses will be restricted to third and fourth year Honours students.