Bachelor of Science in Forest Ecology and Management

at University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) - Prince George Campus Canada

The Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Biology B.Sc. Program combines the rigour of chemistry with the fascination of living systems, and is therefore the traditional major for students with biomedical interests.Majors begin their studies with a broad set of courses in the natural sciences. In the second year, biochemistry is introduced, leading to third year explorations of DNA, the blueprint of life, proteins, the machines that make our bodies work, and a wide range of other molecular topics. Finally, your degree culminates in the fourth year with courses that let you see why BCMB is the largest and most dynamic scientific discipline. Topics include oncology, the evolution of life, advanced genetics, and much more.With its strong emphasis on analytical skills, the BCMB major is an excellent launching point for a variety of science-based careers, as described below. The BCMB major also includes extensive training in practical laboratory skills, such as DNA fingerprinting, which are essential for careers in the natural sciences, criminal forensics, laboratory technician programs, and a variety of industries.

The BSc Wildlife and Fisheries degree at UNBC is administered by the Ecosystem Science and Management Program. It provides students with a solid foundation in wildlife and fisheries biology with considerable indoor and outdoor laboratory experience. It also exposes students to an integrated approach to resource issues that confront today's professionals. As such, the BSc Wildlife and Fisheries encompasses a combination of theoretical and applied ecology that prepares students for different avenues including public- and private-sector employment as well as  graduate studies.

Why Choose the Wildlife & Fisheries at UNBC?
The BSc in Wildlife and Fisheries at UNBC is one of very few degrees of its kind in Canada. It gives students the theoretical background they need to work as a biologist, but it also exposes students to extensive hands-on and practical labs and exercises. Consequently, a student graduating from this degree has a sound biological background for pursuing post-graduate studies as well as a degree that can lead them directly into the wildlife or fisheries professions. The relatively small class sizes in upper-division courses provide an ideal learning environment. Faculty teaching the courses for this degree are of extremely high calibre – many of them have  won UNBC teaching and research awards. As a student in the program, you benefit greatly from taking courses from faculty who are actively engaged in wildlife and fisheries research and who can bring examples and experience from their research to the classroom and lab.

To be able to work for the government (either employed by or as a consultant for) in British Columbia, it is important to be accredited as a Professional Biologist. Currently, a student taking all of the courses needed to complete the BSc Wildlife and Fisheries at UNBC should meet the education requirements for eligibility as a Registered Professional Biologist (RPBio) in BC.

The Bachelor of Health Sciences degree is a four-year program consisting of a range of courses that relate directly to the science of health, in the recognition that health is a complex entity defying a simple explanation or a single disciplinary perspective.  The courses identified within the School of Health Sciences offer learning opportunities from a variety of disciplines, including the life sciences, social sciences, behavioural sciences, and ethics and law, to enable students to develop a body of knowledge and understanding relating to the dimensions of health.  Some of these courses are considered to be ‘core’ and therefore central to the basic understandings of health, while others offer the student opportunities to learn about a specific health perspective that is focused on one of three Majors:

1. Biomedical Studies,
2. Community and Population Health-Environmental Health, or,
3. Community and Population Health-Aboriginal and Rural Health.

Graduation from either of the Community and Population Health Majors enables students to embark on careers or graduate programs related to health care management, administration, information systems or public health.

Students pursuing the Biomedical Studies Major are required to complete a set of courses that enables them to be prepared for application to professional programs such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, occupational therapy, dentistry, speech pathology or physiotherapy.  This major provides a foundational, multidisciplinary knowledge base that is focused on the natural,  physical, and social sciences, and includes population health and research methodology. Students interested in other fields requiring extensive biomedical laboratory skills may enroll in the degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BCMB).

Computer Science
The Computer Science program gives students a thorough exposure to basic areas like computer architecture, programming languages and methodology, algorithms and data structures, systems programming, operating systems and networking, knowledge-based and database systems, software engineering, and theory. The student will develop the advanced practical computing and problem-solving skills required for professional work in modern industry, based on a strong conceptual foundation and on insights into the nature of this rapidly changing field. Each student will use advanced development tools, and will be encouraged to approach problem-solving from a multidisciplinary point of view.

Physics
Physics is the study of nature at its most fundamental level. As such, it is the science upon which all other sciences and technologies are based. Because it is so basic, a major in physics is ideal preparation, not only for further study in physics, but also for advanced study in such diverse fields as biophysics, medicine, astrophysics, chemical physics, engineering, meteorology, and computer science.

This program applies a combination of science and humanities to understand a range of anthropological approaches. Utilize your knowledge at the graduate level or in pursuit of a career in education, law, social work, and more.

Program Details
Study the most fascinating subject of all – ourselves. Anthropology is the biological, social and cultural investigation of humans, in the past, present, and future. 

This program includes courses in sociocultural, archaeological, biological, and linguistic anthropology. You can choose from a broad range of courses that reflect specific areas of interest. If your pursuit is sociocultural, you might select courses in First Nations studies, geography, history, and political science. If you are interested in archaeology, you might also take courses in biological and soil sciences, and environmental studies.

As an environmental engineer, you can serve society by ensuring we all have clean air, water and soil, and by creating sustainable solutions to today’s critical environmental questions.

This program prepares you for important employment opportunities where your technical expertise and problem-solving skills as an engineer are required, in addition to your strong awareness and understanding of environmental issues and a passion to improve the communities you live in.

Program Details
You will take design courses that begin in your first year, giving you the chance to engage your creative thinking. Hone your problem-solving skills as you continue to take design courses in every year of the program. 

During the first two years, build a foundation in basic sciences, engineering tools and environmental issues. In the final two years, you will develop an in-depth knowledge of environmental engineering.

Along with developing a solid background in environmental engineering, you will also gain strong communication skills and the ability to work across various disciplines including resource-based industries, government departments, research organizations, and environmental engineering consulting.

Example projects that an environmental engineering graduate can work on include the following:

• Designing and building processes to bring clean drinking water to northern communities 
• Designing and building processes to treat municipal or industrial wastewater
• Designing and building processes to recover energy from municipal and industrial waste 
• Developing methods to clean contaminated soil
• Developing flood control plans
• Mapping groundwater flow and contaminant transport in subsurface environments

Cultivate a deeper understanding of pure mathematics, applied mathematics, and statistics in a program that provides you with the flexibility to pursue your individual interests. Our graduates are employed in education, academia, government, finance, information technology, and consulting services.

Tourism has become the largest industry and employer in the world.  One of the most important and fastest growing sectors in tourism is nature-based tourism, which comprises attractions, activities and experiences involving interaction with natural and cultural resources (e.g., ecotourism, adventure tourism, indigenous tourism).  This degree examines the various components of the nature-based tourism system, giving emphasis to the entrepreneurial perspectives and sustainability issues in the industry.  Reflecting the interdisciplinarity of the field, and related career directions, students select from the following Areas of Specialization: marketing and entrepreneurship, outdoor education and leadership, indigenous/cultural tourism, or environment and society.

Students pursuing a BSc in Conservation Science and Practice focus on understanding and addressing the contemporary challenges facing the sustainable use and conservation of our environment. Navigating these challenges requires a strong scientific foundation, including the necessary appreciation for both the natural and human dimensions of conservation and management. This degree equips students with the knowledge to enter a solutions-based career that actively contributes to solving today’s conservation and management problems. Our goal is to provide students with the philosophical foundation, scientific theory, and technical skills to address the challenge of maintaining the functioning of ecosystems across developed, developing and still-wild landscapes.

The BSc in Conservation Science and Practice allows students to pursue one of two majors:

• Wildland Conservation and Recreation
• Landscape Conservation and Management

The major in Landscape Conservation and Management focuses on natural and human-modified systems across broad spatial scales. The emphasis in this major is on integrated landscapes that support a wide variety of values and activities, including the maintenance of biodiversity, the rights and practices of Indigenous Peoples, ecosystem services, and resource extraction. Courses in this major consider human activities across a range of ecological scales but with an emphasis on landscape and ecosystem-level processes. Graduates from the major develop the skills to work with cutting-edge tools and data that are necessary for the planning and management of multiple values across space and time. 

Study for a degree in English and prepare to be an effective communicator, critical thinker, or creative writer. Apply your skills to many rewarding careers including public relations and writing novels, blogs, textbooks and advertising copy.

Program Details
You will engage in critical writing and analyses of Canadian, British, American and International literature in English. Craft your storytelling skills with classes in creative writing (fiction, poetry and non-fiction).  Our Bachelor of English degree encourages interdisciplinary learning through cultural studies and visual media, gender studies, literature and the environment, and animal studies.