BA in Environment and Society (Honours) in Hamilton Canada | McMaster University

The Honours Environment & Society program provides students with comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between human communities and their surrounding environments - including constructed, social, economic, and natural systems - while developing professional competencies for careers in urban planning, GIS, environmental management, sustainability, and related disciplines.

This multidisciplinary curriculum integrates perspectives and methodologies from Environmental Studies, Environmental Science, GIS, Human Geography, and Urban Studies to create a robust yet adaptable academic pathway.

With a strong emphasis on practical learning, the Environment & Society program features diverse experiential education components such as field-based coursework, intensive field schools, internship placements, community-engaged learning, and options for independent research projects. The curriculum is structured around several focused thematic areas:

Environmental Issues & Sustainable Solutions
Urban Systems & Planning
Economic Growth & Development
Geospatial Technologies & Analysis
Transportation Systems
Public Health & Demographics
Each specialization area follows a progressive course sequence with specific prerequisites (detailed in the Social Science Undergraduate Calendar). Students can customize their upper-level coursework by selecting from various sub-disciplines. The program also includes foundational courses covering research methodology, data gathering and interpretation, field techniques, and culminates with a capstone thesis or comprehensive paper.

Beyond the core requirements, students can pursue supplementary certifications to strengthen their professional profile and graduate school preparedness:

GIS Certificate Program
Urban Studies & Planning Certificate
Sustainability Minor