See the Career Pathways page for more info on where our graduates are ending up after graduation.
Since the BEMA Graduate Program started in September 2018, 83 students have graduated with an M.BEMA (78) or Graduate Diploma (5). We welcomed our 6th M.BEMA cohort this September 2023!
2023 Graduating Class Update
Our 2022/23 cohort of 15 M.BEMA graduates completed placements with the federal government (4 students), provincial government (3 students), environmental consulting (2 students), academia (3 students), conservation authorities (2 students) and industry (1 student).
Testimonials from 2023 graduates:
"I really enjoyed how varied my placement was. I had no previous environmental experience, so the exposure to many different tasks helped guide my future career goals & helped me determine where my true passion lies."
"I am confident that the BEMA program provided me with the skills necessary to problem solve & critically think in order to work my way through diverse project types."
2022 Graduating Class Update
Our 2021/22 cohort of 22 M.BEMA graduates benefited from more in-person or hybrid placements, as well as a fully in-person Capstone course in August 2022! As of May 2023, 82% are employed in the environmental sector, primarily in environmental consulting (61%), followed by the federal (17%) and municipal (11%) governments, provincial government (5%) and conservation authority (5%).
Testimonial from a 2022 graduate:
“The M.BEMA courses exceeded my expectations as they did not just teach me the theories and ideas but also got me to apply the knowledge I gained through assignments that are applicable to the real world and careers in this field.”
2021 Graduating Class Update
Our 2020/21 cohort of 25 graduates persevered through ongoing pandemic uncertainty and lock downs, which meant that the students had to make the most of entirely remote placements in some cases. Despite this, 84% of these graduates are now employed in the environmental sector, primarily with the federal (24%) and provincial (24%) governments, as well as environmental consulting (19%) and conservation authorities (19%), ENGOs (9.5%) and other (14%).
These are some of their testimonials:
"The M.BEMA program offers students both excellent classes and faculty, which helped me to develop a variety of skills that are sought out by employers in the environmental sector".
“I had been looking forward to my placement as a great opportunity for hands-on experience and to apply my knowledge from the course work. I also think that Trent and the BEMA program have a lot of connections to our community, which was really helpful for the placements.”
“The program is so flexible and enabled me to complete it in two years as a part-time student while I continued working, which was important to me.”
2020 Graduating Class Update
Along with the rest of humanity, our 2020 BEMA graduating class of 15 faced some big challenges, specifically the COVID-19 pandemic and necessary shift to 'remote' placements. They rose to the challenge and completed very successful placements. Now, 87% of these graduates are employed in the environmental sector, primarily in the provincial (23%) and municipal (23%) governments, as well as in environmental consulting (15%) and federal government (8%), academia (8%) and with a First Nation in BC (8%).
These are some of their testimonials:
"It was so great to be a part of this program and to work with everyone! This program has taught me so much & I can't wait to see where it takes me in life."
"My favourite part of the M.BEMA program was the experience of working with my classmates on issues & ideas that we are all passionate about, as well as developing so many different skills that will help me in my future career."
"I learned a lot from the discussions, the courses were relevant & informative, and the placement was perfect to tie everything in. The Capstone was an essential part of the degree personally."
"It was great & it went by so quickly. Loved getting to try things I was unfamiliar with (e.g. GIS, R) and being able to do little tasks & feel myself learning the content."
"I'm passionate about the environment & I wanted to do a professional Masters degree, so this was perfect for me!"