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Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)

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Environmental Biology (ENVB)

School of Environmental Sciences, Ontario Agricultural College

The honours B.Sc. program in Environmental Biology combines a broad education in the life sciences with a more specialized understanding of the biological consequences of interactions between humans and the environment. This major prepares students for post-graduate work in environmental biology and related life sciences and provides a strong foundation for students wishing to pursue careers in teaching, government service or the private sector.

Major (Honours Program)

Students may enter this major in Semester 1 or any semester thereafter. A student wishing to declare the major must consult the Faculty Advisor. This major requires the completion of 20.00 credits. A minimum of 16.00 of these 20.00 must be science credits. Of these 16.00 science credits, a minimum of 6.00 must be at the 3000 - and 4000-levels with a minimum of 2.00 credits at the 4000-level.

Semester 1
BIOL*1070 [0.50] Discovering Biodiversity
CHEM*1040 [0.50] General Chemistry I
MATH*1080 [0.50] Elements of Calculus I
PHYS*1070 [0.50] Introductory Physics for Life Sciences
0.50 Arts or Social Science elective
Students who are lacking one 4U /grade 12 course in Biology, Chemistry or Physics must take the equivalent introductory course in first semester. The required first-year science courses in that subject should be completed according to the revised schedule of studies available at: http://www.bsc.uoguelph.ca/revisedss
Semester 2
BIOL*1090 [0.50] Introduction to Molecular and Cellular Biology
CHEM*1050 [0.50] General Chemistry II
PHYS*1080 [0.50] Physics for Life Sciences
One of:
CIS*1200 [0.50] Introduction to Computing
CIS*1500 [0.50] Introduction to Programming
MATH*2080 [0.50] Elements of Calculus II
STAT*2040 [0.50] Statistics I
0.50 Arts or Social Science elective
Semester 3
BIOC*2580 [0.50] Introduction to Biochemistry
ENVS*2330 [0.50] Current Issues in Ecosystem Science and Biodiversity
STAT*2040 [0.50] Statistics I (if not taken in semester 2)
TOX*2000 [0.50] Principles of Toxicology
0.50 electives or restricted electives chosen from lists A, B, C and/or D (or 1.00 if STAT*2040 was taken in semester 2)
Semester 4
BIOL*2060 [0.50] Ecology
MBG*2040 [0.50] Foundations in Molecular Biology and Genetics
1.50 electives or restricted electives chosen from lists A, B, C and/or D
Semester 5

2.50 electives or restricted electives chosen from lists A, B, C and/or D (at least 1.00 restricted electives must be selected, including at least one ENVS course)

Students are encouraged to take (ENVS*3410 and ENVS*3420) or ENVS*3430 in Semesters 5 and 6.

Semester 6
BIOL*2400 [0.50] Evolution
2.00 electives or restricted electives chosen from lists A, B, C and/or D
Semester 7
2.50 electives or restricted electives chosen from lists A, B, C and/or D

Students contemplating graduate studies are encouraged to take ENVS*4410 in semester 7 and ENVS*4420 in semester 8, or ENVS*4430 in either semester 7 or 8.

Semester 8

2.50 electives or restricted electives chosen from lists A, B, C and/or D

Restricted Electives

Select 4.50 credits from the following lists of restricted electives during Semesters 3-8. At least 1.00 of these credits must be from ENVS courses.

Students should note that some restricted electives (marked by asterisks **) require other restricted electives as prerequisites. Students should consult the most recent undergraduate calendar for specific requirements.

List A - Environment & Agriculture

Minimum of 1.00 credits from the following list:

AGR*2050 [0.50] Agroecology
ENVS*2040 [0.50] Plant Health and the Environment
ENVS*2340 [0.50] Current Issues in Agriculture and Landscape Mgmt
ENVS*3040 [0.50] Natural Chemicals in the Environment
ENVS*3210 [0.50] Plant Pathology
ENVS*3310 [0.50] Soil Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function **
ENVS*4040 [0.50] Behaviour of Insects **
ENVS*4100 [0.50] Integrated Management of Invasive Insect Pests **
ENVS*4130 [0.50] Chemical Ecology: Principles & Practice **
MICR*3220 [0.50] Plant Microbiology
PBIO*4750 [0.50] Genetic Engineering of Plants **
List B - Impacts of Pollution on Living Organisms

Minimum of 1.00 credits from the following list:

BIOL*3450 [0.50] Introduction to Aquatic Environments
BIOL*4350 [0.50] Limnology of Natural and Polluted Waters **
BIOL*4610 [0.75] Arctic Ecology
ENVS*3010 [0.50] Climate Change Biology
ENVS*3020 [0.50] Pesticides and the Environment
ENVS*3290 [0.50] Waterborne Disease Ecology
ENVS*4180 [0.50] Insecticide Biological Activity and Resistance
ENVS*4190 [0.50] Biological Activity of Herbicides
GEOG*3020 [0.50] Global Environmental Change
MBG*4270 [0.50] DNA Replication, Recombination and Repair **
MICR*4180 [0.50] Microbial Processes in Environmental Management
PBIO*4530 [0.50] Plants and Environmental Pollution **
STAT*3510 [0.50] Environmental Risk Assessment
TOX*3360 [0.50] Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology
List C - Conservation of Biodiversity & Natural Resources

Minimum of 1.00 credits from the following list:

BIOL*3110 [0.50] Population Ecology
BIOL*3130 [0.50] Conservation Biology
BIOL*4150 [0.50] Wildlife Conservation and Management
BIOL*4500 [0.50] Natural Resource Policy Analysis
BIOL*4600 [0.50] Tropical Ecology
ENVS*2120 [0.50] Introduction to Environmental Stewardship
ENVS*3080 [0.50] Soil and Water Conservation **
ENVS*3090 [0.50] Insect Diversity and Biology
ENVS*3110 [0.50] Resource Planning Techniques
ENVS*3120 [0.50] Land Utilization
ENVS*3150 [0.50] Aquatic Systems
ENVS*3230 [0.50] Agroforestry Systems **
ENVS*3250 [0.50] Forest Health and Disease
ENVS*3270 [0.50] Forest Biodiversity **
ENVS*3370 [0.50] Terrestrial Ecosystem Ecology
ENVS*4230 [0.50] Biology of Aquatic Insects **
ENVS*4260 [0.50] Field Entomology **
ENVS*4350 [0.50] Forest Ecology **
List D - Supporting Courses
ENVS*3410 [0.50] Independent Research I
ENVS*3420 [0.50] Independent Research II
ENVS*3430 [1.00] Independent Research
ENVS*3510 [0.50] Independent Study I
ENVS*3520 [0.50] Independent Study II
ENVS*3530 [1.00] Independent Study
ENVS*4410 [1.00] Advanced Independent Research I
ENVS*4420 [1.00] Advanced Independent Research II
ENVS*4430 [2.00] Advanced Independent Research
ENVS*4510 [0.50] Advanced Independent Study I
ENVS*4520 [0.50] Advanced Independent Study II
ENVS*4530 [1.00] Advanced Independent Study

The following restricted elective courses are required as prerequisites for some courses in lists A, B and C:

BIOL*3120 [0.50] Community Ecology
BOT*2100 [0.50] Life Strategies of Plants
ENVS*2060 [0.50] Soil Science
MCB*2050 [0.50] Molecular Biology of the Cell
University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1
Canada
519-824-4120