Environmental Sciences - General Major
General Major
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Danielle White
Environmental Sciences Enrolment Specialist
780 853 8789
780 581 0805
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If you’re interested in an environmental career, our general major is the perfect place to start.
There’s no pressure to pick a major. Instead, you can discover your niche. This isn’t a cookie-cutter education. Lakeland offers flexibility and a proven record of teaching in-demand skills.
Start with hands-on experience in class and in the field. You’ll learn about an extensive range of environmental sciences courses such as:
- Ecology
- GPS and GIS software
- Rangeland Management
- Soil Classification
- Forestry
With this strong foundation, you can custom build your skill set in 2nd year. You choose 4 elective courses. Options range from biology to zoology. Specific examples include:
- Fisheries Biology and Technologies
- Human Dimensions of the Environment
- Wetlands
- Wildlife Habitat Conservation
- Fisheries Management
- Environmental Site Assessment
- Basic Energy Principles
- Intro to Wind, Solar or Geothermal
For example, if you want to work for watershed protection group, take fisheries techniques and wetlands courses. If you want minimize a pipeline’s disturbance, reclamation field methods and wildlife habitat will get you there.
You’re work-force ready as a graduate. But, you may choose to do a double major or our applied degree.
Requirements
More program details
Remember that studying includes other expenses than tuition and fees - you should
also be budgeting for your accommodation and living expenses. Alberta student loan
guidelines recommends $1,153/month.
Our tuition and fees page has details about academic, application and mandatory fees and their cost breakdown per term.
You can also find a list of the required environmental science textbooks.
Your weekly class schedule can be found on your My Lakeland student portal when available. This is usually one month prior to the program start date.
Important dates found below include your tuition due date, your program registration/start date, events and holidays.
Dates are subject to change. We recommend you check here regularly for any updates.
Face-to-face on-campus important dates
2024
Aug 12 — Fees due fall term semester 1
Sept 3 — Registration day
Sept 4 — First day of classes, semester 1
Sept 11 — Last day to add semester 1 courses
Sept 24 — Last day to drop semester 1 courses. Last day to withdraw from college with full refund less tuition deposit
Sept 30 — National Truth & Reconciliation Day, college closed
Oct 14 — Thanksgiving, college closed
Nov 1 — Last day to withdraw from semester 1 with W grade or change from credit to audit
Nov 8-11 — Fall break for students
Nov 11 — Remembrance Day, college closed
Dec 2 — Fees due winter term semester 2
Dec 13 — Last day of classes, semester 1
Dec 16-Jan 6 — Christmas break for students
2025
Jan 7 — First day of classes, winter term semester 2
Jan 13 — Last day to add semester 2 courses
Jan 28 — Last day to drop semester 2 courses. Last day to withdraw from college with 100% refund of semester 2 fees.
Feb 17-21 — Reading Week/Spring Break
March 14 — Last day to withdraw from semester 2 courses with W grade or change from credit to audit.
April 18-21 — Easter Break, college closed
April 25 — Last day of classes, semester 2
June 6 — Vermilion Campus Convocation
Please note these dates are subject to change.
2025
Aug 11 — Fees due, fall term
Sept 2 — Registration Day
Sept 3 — First day of classes, fall term semester 1
Sept 10 — Last day to add semester 1 courses
Sept 23 — Last day to drop semester 1 courses. Last day to withdraw with full refund of fees less tuition deposit.
Sept 30 — National Truth & Reconciliation Day, college closed
Oct 13 — Thanksgiving, college closed
Nov 3 — Last day to withdraw from semester 1 with W grade or change from credit to audit
Nov 10-11 — Fall break for students
Nov 11 — Remembrance Day, college closed
Dec 1 — Fees due, winter term
Dec 12 — Last day of semester 1
Dec 13–Jan 5 — Christmas break for students
2026
Jan 6 — First day of classes, winter term semester 2
Jan 13 — Last day to add semester 2 courses
Jan 27 — Last day to drop semester 2 courses. Last day to withdraw with 100% refund of semester 2 fees.
Feb 16–20 — Reading week/spring break
March 13 — Last day to withdraw from semester 2 courses with W grade or change from credit to audit.
April 3–6 — Easter Break, college closed
April 24 — Last day semester 2
June 5— Vermilion Campus Convocation
Our general environmental sciences diploma program introduces you to a number of applied skills, such as:
- streamflow and river profile measurements
- soil identification and classification
- plant identification
- forest inventory and management techniques
- GPS, geographic information systems (GIS) and surveying
- drone operation
- wildlife identification
- principles of risk assessment
Lakeland options
- Double major - spend another year taking one of the other environmental sciences majors.
- Applied degree - you have direct entry into Lakeland College’s Bachelor of Applied Science: Environmental Management program.
Further certification
Diploma graduates are eligible:
- for a Biological Technician in Training designation through the Alberta Society of Professional Biologists (ASPB)
- to apply as an agrologist technologist in training (AIT) to earn Registered Technologist in Agrology designation through the Alberta Institute of Agrologists
- to apply as an Environmental Professional in Training (Ept) through ECO Canada. You can upgrade to an EP after you have completed 5 years of relevant experience
- for Level III of Alberta's Water and Wastewater Operator Certification
Diploma to Degree
After Lakeland, attend another institution to earn another credential. For transfers up to 60 credits, we call it 2 + 2. Take two years to earn your diploma here at Lakeland and then another two years at another institution to earn your degree.
Not all our agreements are a 2 + 2. Discuss the options with your academic advisor.
Lakeland has official transfer agreements with these institutions:
Options at the University of Alberta include BSc Environmental and Conservation Sciences
University of Lethbridge offers a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science.
Options at the University of Saskatchewan include:
- BSc in Agriculture - Environmental Science or Soil Science specialization
- BSc in Renewable Resource Management - Resource Science
Athabasca University offers programs as part of their Centre for Science.
Bachelor of Science in Conservation Science and Practice: Wildland Conservation and Recreation major
From the start of your classes at Lakeland, you'll be learning applied skills and spending time in the field.
When's the last time you took your learning outside?
