Agricultural Sciences
Agricultural Sustainability Courses
Location
Vermilion
Credential
Diploma
Program Length
2 years
Year 1 Required Courses
| AN 133 Animal Handling, Welfare and Ethics - 3 credits |
| This course is an introduction to livestock handling and restraint. Efficient and low-stress handling techniques are presented and demonstrated to promote safety of both the handler and livestock. Students are required to work with herds and flocks during the lab sessions to gain confidence and proficiency. Along with discussions on the responsibilities of livestock care providers, the topic of animal welfare is introduced and current issues are debated in class. Welfare and ethics discussions focus on production issues, but may also include the recreation, research, draft and companion animal industries. Pre/co-requisites: None |
AN 315 Beef Production - 3 credits |
| This course is designed to provide the student with a working knowledge of the beef industry in Canada. The main focus of the course is on beef cow-calf and feedlot operations. Topics include cattle types, animal handling facilities, feeding management, seasonal activities, genetics and breeding programs, economics, and marketing. Emphasis is placed on knowledge for employment and enterprise management decision-making. Pre/co-requisites: None |
| BI 270 Managing Rangeland Ecosystems - 3 credits |
| A study of rangeland ecology, this course focuses on soil-plant-animal-water interactions in rangeland ecosystems. Basic factors determining survival and the competitive strategy of range plants are studied in detail. Sound range management strategies designed to ensure ecosystem stability and sustainability are emphasized. Considerable time is spent in lab learning to key and identify native plants. Prerequisite: BO 120. Co-requisites: None |
| BO 120 Field Botany & Plant Taxonomy - 3 credits |
| Native plants and communities of Alberta are studied focusing on general and applied plant botany. Students obtain practical field experience in plant community relationships while identifying, collecting, and preserving plants for further study. Students spend considerable time learning to use plant keys for taxonomic classification and for identifying plant species and families. Pre/co-requisites: None |
| CO 166 Scientific Writing & Computer Applications - 3 credits |
| This course explores fundamental approaches to scientific writing. Considerable time is spent discussing what constitutes critical content and how that content is effectively organized for a variety of documents used in the scientific industry. Strategies for efficient technical writing are emphasized for discipline-specific applications. Students become familiar with common computer software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Pre/co-requisites: None |
LA 277 Agricultural Law & Policy - 3 credits |
| This course introduces the learner to select elements of the legal and political environment that plays a significant role in agribusiness. It provides students with the tools to understand and analyze both current and future agricultural laws and policies. Pre/co-requisites: None |
| SC 120 Maps, Air Photos & GPS - 3 credits |
| This course is an introduction to map reading, map contents, coordinate systems and the National Topographic System (NTS maps). Students practice map interpretation, measurement, and scale calculations, and learn to interpret contours and visualize relief. Compass use and basic field orienteering is taught. Aerial photography is introduced, with an emphasis on an understanding of annotation, scale, measurement, indexing and purchase of both print and digital products. Students practice stereo viewing, and learn to relate aerial photos to maps at different scales. Global Positioning System (GPS) instruments are used for navigation, and students learn to collect and upload differentially corrected field coordinate data. Pre/co-requisites: None |
| SC 220 GIS & Remote Sensing - 3 credits |
| Concepts in Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and remote sensing are covered in this course. The first half of the course focuses on the fundamentals of GIS, including coordinate systems and map projections, data models, spatial analysis, and environmental applications of GIS. The second half of the course focuses on the principles of remote sensing, working with aerial and satellite imagery and introduces various applications of remote sensing in the environmental sciences. Students gain practical experience and introductory proficiency in GIS using the ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online platforms. Prerequisite: SC 120. Co-requisites: None |
| SO 210 Introductory Soil Science - 3 credits |
| This course provides an overview of soil formation processes and the fundamental morphological, physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soil. Students gain knowledge of soils through lectures and hands on experience. Students become familiar with The Canadian System of Soil Classification to the Order level and the issues associated with ‘problem soils’. Prerequisites: None. Co-requisites: SC 200 |
| SU 100 Introduction to Agricultural Sustainability - 3 credits |
| Course outline under development |
Year 2 Required Courses
AE 100 Microeconomics - 3 credits |
| This course deals with the economic principles underlying production, markets, and the national economy. Agricultural examples are used throughout. Pre/co-requisites: None |
| AN 327 Beef Sustainability and Technology - 3 credits |
| This course is the final of four beef production courses. This course focuses on applying what is learned in other beef production courses in the program to real life. Students analyze case studies and make decisions based on their previous knowledge they have learned about the industry and beef production. Emphasis is placed on connecting students to industry personnel through guest lectures and networking opportunities in this course. Prerequisite: AN 315. Co-requisites: None |
| CR 160 Plant Science & Field Crops - 3 credits |
| This course introduces the student to basic plant botany and the production of grain and oilseed crops in Western Canada. The student studies plant physiology, the major plant parts and their role in plant growth and development. The students discover what the major growth factors are for crops on the prairies and how they can affect these crops. They combine this with specific best practices for the major grain and oilseed crops of Western Canada. Pre/co-requisites: None |
| CR 245 Insects & Diseases of Crops - 3 credits |
| This course is the study of insects and diseases of Western Canadian crops, their identification, life cycles, effects on crops, and management tactics within an IPM model. Pre/co-requisites: None |
| SC 281 Invasive Plant Ecology & Management - 3 credits |
| This course focuses on vegetation management strategies for industrial sites, natural areas, and anthropogenic landscapes. Plant biology and competitive strategies of weed specie are studied in detail with emphasis on invasive plants. Integrated tools and techniques for control are described and include prevention, cultural, manual, physical, and chemical approaches. Students spend considerable time in lab identifying weed species, seedlings, and seeds. Prerequisites: BI 270 & BO 120. Co-requisites: None |
| SC 362 Wetlands Water Systems - 3 credits |
| This course explores the hydrological functions of the most highly-valued feature on the landscape: the wetland. Students learn how wetlands are key drivers of regional hydrology, water quality, and flood and drought mitigation. Additional topics include wetland chemistry, nutrient loading and contamination remediation. Current and emerging management practices, including constructed wetlands, and stormwater ponds, are discussed to reduce environmental impacts from lost wetlands. Pre/co-requisites: None |
SC 437 Aquatic Habitat Protection - 3 credits |
| This course looks at various human activities known to have an impact on freshwater habitats, and why/how these impacts occur. Students are also introduced to techniques used to eliminate or minimize the impacts of an activity on freshwater habitat, as well as those commonly used in attempts to restore such habitat where degradation has already occurred. Prerequisite: BI 205. Co-requisite: SC 301 |
| SO 242 Fertility Management - 3 credits |
| This course studies the nutrient requirements mainly for field crop production. The type of nutrients required by plants, sources of these nutrients, and methods of application are considered. Emphasis is given to understanding the chemical and physical properties of fertilizers commonly used, availability of nutrients to plants, and the potential for loss of applied nutrients from the soil. Soil testing and economics of nutrient application are considered. Prerequisite: SO 102. Co-requisites: None |
| SU 200 Ag-vocacy & Consumer Messaging - 3 credits |
| Course under development |
| SU 201 Industry Practicum - 3 credits |
| Course under development |