COURSE CURRICULUM

The Earth System Science Bachelor of Science (Honours) program is an interdisciplinary degree designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the Earth’s physical, biological, and human systems, integrating core sciences, environmental studies, and social sciences to prepare graduates for careers in environmental management, sustainability, and research. The core science curriculum includes organismal and ecosystem biology, ecology, human and physical geography, oceanography, and foundational courses in chemistry, physics, mathematics, and statistics, equipping students with strong analytical, quantitative, and scientific skills. The Earth System Science focus emphasizes biogeography, surface processes, landforms and soils, weather and climate, and advanced analysis of Earth surface processes, alongside courses in remote sensing, GIS, and statistical analysis, enabling students to understand and model complex environmental systems. Complementing this, students engage in sustainability studies through courses on environment and sustainability, principles and applications of sustainability, and may undertake honours projects or independent studies for hands-on research experience. The program also allows flexibility through specialization options, interdisciplinary social science and humanities courses, and elective courses, enabling students to tailor their learning to specific interests in environmental policy, geospatial technologies, or Earth system modeling. Requiring a total of 120 units, the program integrates rigorous scientific training, applied research, and critical thinking, producing graduates capable of addressing environmental challenges, informing sustainable practices, and contributing to science-based policy and planning initiatives.