Program Overview

Environmental Sustainability (MSC)

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for the Master of Science Environmental Sustainability program, applicants must:

• Be registered full-time in the program and maintain a full-time status during all study terms, including the one after the last work term
• Have an admission average of B+ (75%) and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 7.0 (B+ or 75%) in courses taken at the University of Ottawa
• Start the program in the fall term, as this is necessary due to co-op placement cycles

Work/Study Sequences

The work/study sequence for the program is as follows:

• Year of Study | Fall | Winter | Summer ---|---|---|--- 1 | Study | Study | Work 1 2 | Work 2 | Study | -

Co-op Fees

As a co-op student, additional co-op fees are payable for the session before the first work term and then for every work term, up to and including the last one. These fees are announced annually by the Registrar.

Employers

Some of the employers participating in the co-op program include:

• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
• BluMetric Environmental
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada
• Environment and Climate Change Canada
• Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
• Health Canada
• Infrastructure Canada
• Impact Assessment Agency of Canada
• Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada
• National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces
• Natural Resources Canada
• South Nation Conservation Authority
• Smart Prosperity Institute
• Sustainable Development Technology Canada
• Transport Canada

Examples of Tasks at Work

Students in the co-op program may be involved in a variety of tasks, including:

• Conducting integrated assessment analyses of complex environmental problems
• Conducting research and planning for strategic initiatives
• Critically assessing sustainability policies, reports, and regulations
• Designing communication strategies
• Designing quantitative decision-making tools to apply to environmental problems
• Designing stakeholder participation and public involvement strategies
• Developing policy solutions
• Managing environmental planning and resources
• Managing in public and parapublic sustainability sectors
• Negotiating with various stakeholders
• Offering environmental consulting (private sector)
• Participating in public policy consultations
• Performing environmental assessments
• Preparing PowerPoint presentations
• Providing policy analysis
• Weighing scientific evidence to resolve pressing environmental issues
• Writing briefing notes, summaries, or reports
• Writing media releases, gaining earned media, and using social media

Student Salaries

Information on student salaries is available.

Work Term Reports Guidelines

Guidelines for co-op work term reports are provided.

Academic Coordinators

Academic coordinators for the co-op program can be found on the Academic Coordinators page.

Application Process

To apply for the co-op program, students must:

• Have an admission average of 75% (B+) or higher
• Apply to co-op after starting their studies at the University of Ottawa
• Follow the steps outlined on the university's website for applying through the Experiential Learning Platform (Co-op Portal) via uoZone
• Note that the application deadline is September 30 of the first year of studies