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Environment, Sustainability and Society Degree Planner

Environment, Sustainability and Society 

The College of Sustainability at Dalhousie University offers students the opportunity to combine a discipline of their choice with a Major, Minor or Certificate in Environment, Sustainability and Society (ESS). 

As a Major/Honours subject, ESS is always combined with another subject in a Double Major or Combined Honours degree. In ESS, you will develop skills and knowledge in interactive courses that span multiple disciplines and focus on solutions. Sustainability Work-Integrated Learning provides opportunities to apply your skills and knowledge in relevant jobs and sample potential career options. Complete interdisciplinary research with a Combined Honours degree, and consider the many certificates that add value to your degree.


Your Major Map: Environment, Sustainability and Society

The Environment, Sustainability and Society (ESS) Major Map highlights academic and co-curricular opportunities and provides an overview of how students can customize their degree. Students are encouraged to connect with advising supports at Dalhousie and use the Academic Calendar and Timetable to create their course plan.


Where your degree can take you

A BSc double major degree in Environment, Sustainability and Society provides great preparation for a variety of careers. The skills and knowledge acquired through this program can be applied, but are not limited to career paths in:

Conservation, sustainable development, renewable energy, community planning, green business, government and regulatory affairs, ecotourism, environmental law, environmental consulting, education, non-profit organizations, park management and journalism, among many more. 


Core competencies and skills gained

Discipline-level competencies: 

  • Systems competence: an understanding of the environmental, ethical, social and economic perspectives and systems that influence and support sustainable development 
  • Interdisciplinary competence: applying an interdisciplinary approach to critically assess and provide solutions to some of the major sustainability issues facing human societies at both local and global scales
  • Research and strategic competence: knowledge of best practices for conducting fieldwork with diverse non-profit organizations, community engagement and stakeholder management 

Transferable skills: 

  • Academic writing and presentation skills
  • Critical, analytical and strategic thinking skills
  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Quantitative and qualitative data analysis 
  • Time/project management
  • Leadership and teamwork
  • Research/fieldwork skills

Possible careers and employment

ESS Alumni are employed in a variety of sectors and have diverse career path options. These are influenced by the student's double major subjects, Certificates, elective courses and experiential learning choices. Some of the options below will typically require additional or graduate-level training*, while some can be pursued following the completion of an undergraduate degree.

  • Climate Policy Analyst*
  • Climate Change Adaptation Consultant
  • Conservation Officer*
  • Conservation Program Director
  • Ecologist
  • Economist
  • Ecology Field Technician
  • Eco-tourism Specialist 
  • Entrepreneur
  • Environmental Assessment Coordinator 
  • Environmental Consultant
  • Environmental Planner
  • Environmental Scientist
  • Energy Efficiency Program Coordinator
  • Forestry Technician 
  • Geographic Information Systtems Specialist*
  • Habitat Restoration Technician*
  • Lawyer*
  • Nature Educator 
  • Outreach/Communications Coordinator
  • Sustainability Consultant
  • Journalist
  • Teacher/Professor*
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