Water Science B.Sc.

Freshwater systems provide many essential ecosystem services, such as clean water, food, energy, recreation, climate regulation and waste assimilation. As human populations and economies grow, demand for these ecosystem services will continue to increase.

New in 2016, Trent University's 4-year Bachelor of Science degree in Water Sciences provides students with the knowledge and skills they will need to respond to contemporary water challenges, in Canada and internationally.

The Water Sciences Program is a cooperative undertaking by three academic units: Biology, Chemistry, and the School of the Environment. Students in the Water Sciences Program of Study complete required courses drawn from four primary subjects (biology, chemistry, geography, and environmental science), that together provide the technical and theoretical foundation for study of the science of water and the aquatic environment.

The Department Representative for the Water Science Program in the Biology Department is Dr. Paul Frost.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements are consistent with existing Trent B.Sc. degrees; see the current Trent Academic Calendar for details. Students may specify their interest in the program when they first apply to Trent; they may also transfer into the program after their first year, depending on whether they have obtained the necessary course prerequisites.

Faculty

The Water Sciences Degree is taught and supported by three Trent academic units. Below are links to their respective faculty and staff pages:

Biology Department Faculty and Staff

Chemistry Department Faculty and Staff

School of the Environment Faculty and Staff

Curriculum

The Water Sciences curriculum is designed to ensure that students gain a broad foundation in the scientific disciplines and related policy fields that are relevant to water and the aquatic environment. The interdisciplinary program provides a broad, yet in-depth understanding of:

the basic mechanics of water movement within the environment,
the factors affecting its chemical and physical quality,
its feedbacks within the climate system,
the biological and ecological importance and functions of water,
its suitability as biological habitat or for human use and
policies relating to the governance and management of freshwater resources.

The most current requirements of this degree program are to be found in the Trent University Undergraduate Academic Calendar. Below is a summary of the curriculum for the program.

Year 1

Required Core courses

BIOL 1020H – Current Issues in Biology I
BIOL 1030H – Current Issues in Biology II
CHEM 1000H – Introductory Chemistry I
CHEM 1010H – Introductory Chemistry II
ERSC 1010H – Foundations of Environmental Science and Studies
ERSC 1020H – Cases in Environmental Science and Studies
GEOG 1040H – Earth’s Physical Processes and Environments
MATH 1050Y – A Non-calculus-based Introduction to Probability and Statistical Methods
0.5 credit in Year 1 is elective

Year 2

Required Core courses

BIOL-ERSC 2260H – Introductory Ecology
ERSC 2240H – Ecological Assessment for Natural Resource Management
CHEM-ERSC 2620H – Aquatic Environmental Chemistry
GEOG 2090H – Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
GEOG 2460H – The Global Climate System
GEOG-ERSC 2530H – Water Resources
WASC 2000H – Water Policy

Optional Core credit:
Students are also required to choose one from the following list of courses:

BIOL 2000H – Methods of Biological Inquiry
BIOL 2600H – Evolution
CHEM 2400H – Analytical Chemistry
ERSC 2230H – Environmental Assessment – Sampling and analysis
GEOG-ERSC-BIOL 2080H – Natural Science Statistics
GEOG 2540H – Process Geomorphology

Years 3 and 4

Required Core courses - 4.5 credits:

BIOL 3050H – Limnology
BIOL-ERSC 4330H – Global Change of Aquatic Ecosystems
ERSC 3510H – Ecology and Management of Wetland Systems
ERSC 3700Y – Environmental Toxicology
ERSC-BIOL-GEOG 4060H – The Geochemistry of Natural Waters
GEOG 3530H – Hydrology
WASC 4000Y – Water Sciences Seminar capstone course

Biology