Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Undergraduate Research Opportunities in the Trent School of the Environment

The ERS Program offers many undergraduate research opportunities, including Special Topics courses, Reading courses, Trent Community Research Centre courses, field courses, and Honours Thesis courses.  There are also degree-specific opportunities such as Field Research in Geography and Research and Internship in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems courses.

Research opportunities provide avenues for students to pursue research more independent than found in the traditional lecture course, delving into more detail on topics that may otherwise not be covered in our conventional courses. As such, they should not be pursued not for the sole purpose of earning a credit, but rather because the student has an active and focused intellectual commitment to the research project.

They all involve faculty supervision, and faculty are generally most interested in pursuing project research of interest to them in the context of their own research program. A student interested in one of these opportunities, and with a topic of interest in mind, might start by reviewing the TSE faculty page (which describes research interests), and identify one or two potential supervisors to contact.

Special Topics Courses

Special Topics courses are designed around (typically) a small group of 3 to 5 students, all with a similar interest in a specific subject. Past examples of such courses include Environmental Technology, Critical Environmental Pedagogy, and Management of Old-growth Forests.

In the past students have organized an informal practicum, such as a teaching opportunity in a local high school. Critical readings are developed in consultation with the course supervisor and are complementary to the core group project. Other models may be considered, but all models would involve negotiation to establish a faculty supervisor, as well as active participation by students in designing the course.

Reading Courses

Reading courses involve research, and should be based upon a clear conception of a minor research project which the student wishes to conduct. The details of such a course must be negotiated with a supervisor. Reading courses involve independent research and regular meetings with a supervisor. There is a wide range of possible research topics , but the topic should align with the the supervisor's interests- exact project details should be discussed with the potential supervisor.

Trent School of the Environment offers Reading courses in several of its degrees, including:

• Environmental and Resource Science, Studies, and Science/Studies
• Geography Science and Studies
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Science and Studies

At the third and fourth year levels

• as either a 0.5 credit (1 term) course and 1 credit (2 term) course.

Reading courses can be taken during the regular academic year (Sep-Apr) or in summer, and require a faculty supervisor. Prerequisites vary slightly by course, but typically require a minimum B-average in several or all courses of that degree. To apply, contact the Trent School of the Environment office. It will help to have in mind a project and/ or supervisor, and have made initial contact with a prospective supervisor.

Trent Community Research Centre Courses

Trent Community Research Centre (TCRC) courses are research placements with active organizations in and around Peterborough and Haliburton. The placements are arranged through the Trent Community Research Centre, and descriptions of potential projects are available on the TCRC website. During the course Students will have a Trent faculty supervisor as well as a supervisor at the organization where the work is completed. This can provide valuable experience working within an active organization, and provides opportunities to network and learn how things work in real organizations.

Community-Based Research course requirements vary somewhat, but typically require a 75% cumulative average, and are available in several Trent School of the Environment degrees, including:

• Environmental and Resource Science, Studies, and Science/Studies
• Geography Science and Studies (4th year only)
• Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Science and Studies

At the third and fourth year levels

• as either a 0.5 credit (1 term) course and 1 credit (2 term) course.

To start the process of registration, review the placements available on the TCRC website, and contact the Trent School of the Environment office.

Students who are interested in this option may obtain more information from the Community-Based Education and Community Service-Learning Programs section of the Trent University Academic Calendar

Field Courses

Students have the opportunity to take any of a number of field courses in higher years of their Trent School of the Environment degree. Some take place during the school year, but most run during summer months (May - Aug) because most studies need to take place when the ecosystem is active, and when students are available to visit sites for longer periods of time (2-4 weeks). Field courses typically cost more than a standard course, as students pay for transportation, room and board, meals. Many involve exciting opportunities to explore unique ecosystems and conduct independent research on site. Typically field courses are intense experiences for a few weeks on a specific subject, and count as a half course credit.

Field courses may be offered in-house or via the Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology.

Trent School of the Environment periodically offers in-house field courses, such as:

• Environmental Assessment Techniques for Indigenous Communities (ERSC-INDG 2150H)
• Community Engaged Lacustrine Shoreline Assessment and Monitoring (ERSC 3220H)
• Environmental Problems and Solutions in Small Island Developing States: A Field Course (ERSC 3230H)

These courses, when offered, have limited enrollment. Please check the Trent University timetable to see if these courses are offered.

Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology

Trent students also have the opportunity to take field courses through the Ontario Universities Program in Field Biology (OUPFB). This organization pools together summer field courses offered by all Ontario universities, and provides any Ontario university student the opportunity to sign up for any of these courses (as long as they meet the prerequisites). The course list varies somewhat from year to year, and is quite diverse, including destinations within Ontario, across Canada, and internationally, research on a wide range of topics, and run times at various times throughout the summer. The OUPFB website provides details on these courses.

Each course has its own prerequisites, which you will see when you browse the courses. Some of these courses may be available to be used as a 0.5 credit course toward a TSE degree (many are pre-approved as an ERSC credit), and may be assigned as third or fourth year.

Typical sign up time for these courses is mid-to-late January for the following summer field season, and some courses fill up fast, so it is recommended you start looking at the course list in December. Each university (including Trent) gets a number of 'reserved' spaces for their students. Some field courses have strong environmental content and may be taken as an ERS Program credit. Please see the OUPFB website form more information. Trent has a coordinator (listed on that site; typically someone in the Biology Department) that manages registration for Trent students whom you may contact for more information.

Honours Thesis Courses

The honours thesis course is more formally organized than the above options. In addition to independent research under a supervisor's supervision, students attend a timetabled workshop in which a variety of research-oriented pedagogical topics can be addressed, such as research design in the natural and social sciences and humanities, and writing and communication. All thesis students participate in the workshops together, to increase interdisciplinarity. These workshops occur on an ad hoc basis, depending on student interests, but formal oral presentations of a thesis research proposal in the Fall Term, and research results in the Spring Term, along with a written thesis, are mandatory.

Thesis courses run the full year (FW courses) and are available only at the fourth year level. Course requirements vary somewhat, but typically require a 70-75% cumulative average. They are available in the Trent School of the Environment degrees:

• Environmental and Resource Science, Studies, and Science/Studies
• Geography Science and Studies (4th year only)

as either:

• two 1.0 credit courses: students would take one thesis course from one subject and a second thesis course from another, which is ideal for example for a joint-major (note other degrees at Trent offer thesis courses as well), or
• as one 2 credit course in a single discipline.

To begin the process of registration, contact the Trent School of the Environment office. It will help to have taken some time to consider a possible project and supervisor, and have made initial contact with a prospective supervisor.